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 Bluffton Self Help was started in 1987 by Mrs. Ida Martin to help Bluffton working familites and senior citizens who were in emergency need of food and clothing.Initially working out of her garage, Mrs. Martin obtained resources from family and friends, sometimes going door to door. Today, Bluffton Self Help serves countless individials, including seniors and children, who otherwise might continue to struggle to make ends meet. Why Bluffton Self Help? Why Now? As Bluffton Self Help enters its 21st year (founded in 1987 by Mrs. Ida Martin), there is much to celebrate, and much to recommend about this local non-profit. For those who aren’t familiar with Bluffton Self Help, our mission is “to help those individuals in the greater Bluffton area who are in need of short-term assistance by providing them basic human needs (food, clothing, shelter, medicine) while encouraging them to become self-reliant”. Our clients represent the working poor in Bluffton, people who are often only one paycheck away from financial heartache. Jenny Haney, our Executive Director of Self Help, and our many volunteers work tirelessly to take care of these needs. In the past 6 months, this organization has enjoyed some major accomplishments. Among them: 1.) Being recognized by the State of South Carolina as one of the ten “Angels” on Secretary of State Mark Hammond’s annual charity list of “Angels & Scrooges”. 2.) Electing eight new members to our Board of Directors, bringing renewed energy and enthusiasm to the challenges we face and our hopes for the future. 3.) Getting two “anonymous” contributions at the end of the year – the largest we have ever received. Bluffton Self Help relies on United Way, corporate foundations and grants, and private donations to keep going. In the past, we have received funding from the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry, Bargain Box, Sun City Charity Golf Tournament, The Beaufort Fund Long Cove Endowment Fund, St. Francis Thrift Shop, Sisters of Charity, All Saints Garden Tour, Caring Coins, Celebrity Golf Tournament, Heritage Classic Foundation, Calhoun Station and Friends of Callawassee. In a perfect world, it would be nice to think that the day will come when we no longer need to exist. In the meantime, this organization does the unglamorous work. Helping with rent when a father loses his job. Giving away diapers and formula for babies who don’t ask to be born poor. Unloading trucks with hundreds of pounds of food that would normally be thrown away. Sorting through donated clothing to separate the wearable from the rags. (An aside – just because people are poor doesn’t mean that they have no sense of dignity.) And because there are plenty of people in Bluffton who need our help, there is plenty of reason for people to help us Donations of food (non-perishables) and clothing (clean, seasonal only) are greatly appreciated. But the biggest need continues to be financial. As rents soar, heating bills sky rocket, and jobs continue to be lost, Bluffton Self Help will continue to step in. Won’t you please help us to keep doing that. | |||||||||||||||||||||
