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.

Operations Patriot Forward Operating Base

OPFOB‘s Mission is to help save lives of our local veterans. Sadly, we lose 22 veterans every day to suicide. We have lost 4X the number of post 9/11 veterans to suicide (30,000) than on the battlefields (7,000). We have lost between 50,000-100,000 Vietnam veterans to suicide. OPFOB is the only facility in The Lowcountry offering recreational therapy for veterans and their families to deal with PTSD, the scars of battle, nightmares, etc.. Within a 90 minute drive of our 268 acre facility, there are 114,000 veterans. We are all volunteers; zero payroll; our facilities and services are totally free of charge to our veterans and their families. Since our inception in July 2020, thankfully we have not had one of our veterans who has been to OPFOB commit suicide.

Nominated by Steve Caywood. Presented April 2022

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!

Pregnancy Center and Clinic of the Low Country 

Our mission is to provide pregnancy related healthcare to women in a welcoming, safe and confidential setting.

Medical care provided by advanced practice registered nurse/midwife; nursing staff, professional counselor, interpreters.  Services provided include pregnancy/STI testing,  ultrasound, vitamins, 16 weeks of prenatal care, and counseling. EIN#57-0923523

Nominated by Gary Bezilla

Awarded July 2024

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.

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.

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.

Early Grade Reading Program

The Early Grade Reading program focuses on bringing tutors to the schools of Beaufort and Jasper Counties. We learn to read from 1st to 4th Grade and read to learn from then on. This program provides books and supplies to the volunteer tutors to aid in developing a reading culture in the young of our community.

Nominated by Marc Stuckart

Selected for Award April 6th, 2023

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.