Fall Meeting with award going to Osprey Village

The Men and Women Who Care of Hilton Head conducted our quarterly social and one-hour meeting to decide which local charity we should support. We discussed three groups which are performing the heavy lifting for services in our community. With 135 active members participating from 5 different states, we raised over $18,000 for three groups.

We started our meeting with cocktails overlooking the marsh and announced that the group has raised over $235,000 in 12 meetings for local needs involving people just trying to go through life. Since our start, the group has made major donations to one local charity each quarter as well as contributions to several other charities represented in our meetings. 

For this meeting, we selected three of the nominated charities to discuss how we could give back to the community. Three members made brief presentations for the following groups.

– Osprey Village

– Becky Francis Dignity Project

– Bluffton Soup Kitchen

All are well deserving opportunities and we are grateful for the members stepping forward to share their interest, passion and willingness to explain how the different groups are helping others in our area.

The votes are in. The members have selected The Osprey Village with the majority of the votes. We will work with Osprey Village to schedule a day for a photo. Representatives from Osprey Village will return to our next meeting to share how we helped with their vision.

As part of our process we heard from the Pregnancy Center and Clinic how our funds would be applied from our last meeting. Also, the Christ Lutheran Church attended to share how they are developing a shelter for those in need during the winter months in our area.

Now is the time to identify which of the local nonprofits on our island we should support in our January meeting. If you have one in mind, just reply with the name of the organization that you would like to have considered. Also, you can find the other nominations listed via the website on the menu as “Charities under Consideration”.

Our next meeting is planned for January and as soon as we lock-in in the conference room, we will let everyone know. We appreciate the guest and if you have someone that you would like to add to the mailing list just let me know. If you are not a member, sign up.

Summer Meeting and Beyond

The Men and Women Who Care conducted our summer meeting to decide which local charity we should support. We discussed three groups which are performing the heavy lifting for services in our community. With 130+ active members participating from 5 different states, we raised over $23,000 for these groups.

We kicked off our meeting with cocktails overlooking the marsh and a guest speaker updating us on the upcoming events with the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. We announced that the group has raised over $220,000 in 13 previous meetings for local needs involving people just trying to go through life. Since our start, the group has made major donations to one local charity each quarter as well as contributions to several other charities represented in our meetings. 

For the summer meeting, we selected three charities to learn how we could give back to the community. Three members made brief presentations for the following groups.

– Lowcountry Legal Volunteers

– Pregnancy Center and Clinic

– Hilton Head Hospital Auxiliary

In addition to the collective donation, the Heritage Classic Foundation provided matching funds of $2,600 providing a total distribution of $23,000 this meeting. The members awarded The Pregnancy Center and Clinic with the majority of the funds raised as well as additional donations were made for each of the organizations represented. The Pregnancy Center will return to our next meeting to share how we helped with their goal for our community.

As a result of our spring award to Meals on Wheels, Lili Coleman attended to share the organization’s appreciation. Everyone attending were interested in the community needs, surprised at the accomplishments and impressed with the help needed in our area.

Now is the time to identify which of the hundreds of nonprofits in our area we should support next. Just reply with the name of the organization that you would like to represent. Also, you can find the other nominations listed on the menu as “Charities under Consideration”.

Our next meeting is planned for October 25th at the Sea Pines Country Club. We are glad to include guest and if you have someone that you would like to add to the mailing list just let me know. If you are not a member, sign up.

Thanks for the support!

Spring Meeting Impact – Meals on Wheels

As the island’s golf event pushed our meeting a bit more toward summer, sixty members and guest met to hear how we helped Memory Matters start off the year and listen to members share the needs for three charities.

We learned how The Children’s Center, The Boys and Girls Club, and Meals on Wheels are helping the different age groups in our community.

The group raised over $28,000 with a few more pledges scheduled to be received. The majority of the funds will be awarded to Meals on Wheels and we will be looking forward to hearing during our next meeting how we helped MOW accomplish their mission.

Meals on Wheels

Delivery of meals to homebound clients in Hilton Head and Bluffton who lack capacity to prepare nutritious meals without regard to their ability to pay. Warm meals are delivered five days a week. We not only deliver meals, but we also make sure our clients are doing well as part of daily engagement with them.

Nominated by Tom

Presented May 3rd by Matt

January 2024 Award

The Men and Women Who Care of Hilton Head had our quarterly social and one-hour meeting to decide which local charity we should support. We discussed three groups which are performing the heavy lifting for services in our community. With 130 active members participating from 5 different states, we raised over $17,000 for groups discussed as well as learned how the Heritage Classic Foundation will match funds.

We kicked off our meeting with cocktails overlooking the marsh and announced that the group has raised over $160,000 in 12 previous meetings for local needs involving people just trying to go through life. Since our start, the group has made major donations to one local charity each quarter as well as contributions to several other charities represented in our meetings. Additionally, members brought food items for the Food Pantry.

For our winter meeting, we selected three charities to learn how we could give back to the community. Three members made brief presentations for the following groups.

– Memory Matters

– LowCountry Alliance for Healthy Youth

– Sandalwood Food Pantry

All are well deserved opportunities and we should thank each presenter for their interest, passion and willingness to share with the group.

The votes are in and the members have selected Memory Matters. We will work with Memory Matters to schedule a day for a photo which anyone can attend. They will return to our next meeting in April to share how we helped accomplish their vision for our community.

Memory Matters

Since 1997, Memory Matters’ staff have provided memory care to Lowcountry families with compassion and understanding. Today, Memory Matters continues that care but has enhanced its service to educate the community, of all ages, on what can be done to keep the brain healthy, and what can be done to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. It’s a balance of brain health education and memory care services. We are unique in the Lowcountry, and our expertise is unsurpassed. Memory Matters serves individuals living with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia, caregivers, family and friends, and health professionals.

Nominated by Kelley Jewett Awarded Jan 2024

Hilton Head Hospital Auxiliary

HHIAux was nominated by Bob Elliott as a local opportunity to be selected in one of our next meetings. The Hilton Head Hospital Auxiliary provides communication and support for our nearly 200 volunteers and through our fundraising efforts, we assist people and families in our communities who are most in need.

Auxiliary programs have had a significant impact on thousands of people over the years.  Most importantly, our Nursing Scholarship Program is helping to address the nursing shortage which currently exists in the U.S, state of South Carolina, and Beaufort County. 

Awarded February 2022

Quarterly Award to Second Helpings

The group raised over $17,847 with the majority of the funds being awarded to Second Helpings in our community. All three organizations represented will receive significant funds. We look forward to either visiting one of the Second Helping sites or having them back to our January meeting to share the impact we will have.

Thanks to the Heritage Classic Foundation for matching an additional $2400.

January’s impact

Our January meeting location was provided by SPCC and they did a great job setting up space to conduct the meeting as well as having tea, lemonade and a cash bar. Three members made the following presentations.

– Lowcountry Autism Foundation by Scott Wild

– Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation by Jim Vesci

– St. James Food Bank by Chet Williams

All are well deserved opportunities and we should thank each presenter for their interest, passion and willingness to present to the group.

Members selected Lowcountry Autism Foundation with 57% of the votes as the next organization to receive our collective funds. We will work with LAF to schedule a day for a photo. 

October ’22 Award Partnership with Heritage Classic Foundation

The 100MWC selected Pocket’s Full of Sunshine for our October distribution. It seems simple enough in that we had 98 actual contributing members so you think it would result in $9800 being donated to the organization. 

Well actually, we will be awarding $13,548 as a result of our meeting across the three needs presented! 

With the help of members making incremental donations and receiving an additional grant from the Heritage Classic Foundation, we are able to donate $12,548 to Pockets Full of Sunshine, $500 to OPFOB and $500 to SC Nurses Retention Incentive as a group.

Thanks for the support!