SC Ports Community Giving Program awards $103,000 in FY18 grants

posted by AJOT | Nov 21 2017 at 07:32 AM | Ports & Terminals

Over 30,000 students benefit from Community Giving last fiscal year CHARLESTON, SC -The South Carolina Ports Authority announced $103,000 in grants to 56 charitable organizations through its annual Community Giving Program, which provides grant support in regions where SCPA operates in order to positively impact maritime commerce, economic development, environmental awareness and community outreach. “As the Port continues to grow, so does our commitment to be a strong community partner and neighbor,” said Jim Newsome, SCPA president and CEO. “Our mission extends beyond maritime commerce and economic development activities, and there is great pride in the Community Giving Program and the relationships formed with the recipients across the state.” The organizations selected to receive grant funds will support critical programs and initiatives in the communities where the Port operates. At $103,000, this year’s giving cycle represents the most funding ever awarded by the Port. The program included grants of $5,000, $2,500 and $1,000. Recipients of a $5,000 grant included Charleston Chamber Foundation, Charleston Waterkeeper, Chucktown Squash Scholar, Friends of Keep Charleston Beautiful and Team Backpack Journalists.

Chucktown Squash received a $5,000 SCPA Community Giving grant to provide support and services for under-served students and families throughout the Charleston community.

Charleston Chamber Foundation supports the enrichment of the business environment in the Charleston area through talent, leadership, research and collaborative initiatives of the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce. SCPA grant funds will provide support for 50 instructors from Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester Counties to participate in a three-day training course in Project Based Learning. Charleston Waterkeeper, whose mission is to protect and restore Charleston’s waterways for our community and for future generations, will use the grant funds to conduct five weeks of sample analysis as part of their Recreational Water Quality Testing Program. Chucktown Squash Scholars is a year-round sports-based youth development organization that uses the sport of squash, in combination with academic tutoring, fitness education, civic engagement and mentoring to make a difference in the lives of Charleston’s under-served youth population. SCPA grant funds will provide support and services for under-served students and families throughout the Charleston community. Friends of Keep Charleston Beautiful, whose mission is to create a cleaner, more beautiful Charleston through awareness, education and community involvement, will use SCPA grant funds to support their Green Spaces Recycling Program. The program provides adequate recycling and trash containers in Charleston’s public parks. Team Backpack Journalists is an after-school STEAM-based (science, technology, engineering, art and math) program that provides students with real- world journalism experiences, including the process of writing, storytelling, and film making. The group will utilize the grant for the Cars & Ports project. Students will explore the process of manufacturing cars and how they are shipped through the port to customers around the world. “Ones to Watch” This year the Port chose three organizations as “Ones to Watch,” a new funding category for programs demonstrating promising growth in areas across the state where the Port operates. Each group was awarded a $2,500 grant. This year’s recipients included The City of Greer “Railfest,” Beaufort- Jasper Academy for Career Excellence and Dillon County First Steps. Fiscal Year 2018 Grant Recipients

American Red Cross
Association for the Blind & Visually Impaired - Charleston (ABVI)
Audubon South Carolina
Avian Conservation Center/Center for Birds of Prey
Be A Mentor
Beaufort-Jasper Academy for Career Excellence (ACE)
Charleston Area Senior Citizen’s Services, Inc.
Charleston Chamber Foundation
Charleston Habitat for Humanity
Charleston Waterkeeper
Chucktown Squash Scholars
City of Greer “Railfest”
Communities In Schools
Communities In Schools of Greenville County, Inc.
Corpus Callosum
Dillon County Fire Department
Dillon County First Steps
Dillon County Free Medical Clinic
Earth Heart Growers (EHG)
East Cooper Community Outreach
East Cooper Meals on Wheels
Engaging Creative Minds (ECM)
Florence Crittenton Programs of SC
Friends of Coastal South Carolina
Friends of Keep Charleston Beautiful
Greer Relief & Resources Agency, Inc.
Habitat for Humanity of Berkeley County (HFHBC)
Habitat for Humanity of Greenville County
Harvest Hope Food Bank
Help 4 Kids Florence
I Heart Hungry Kids
Jasper County First Steps
Junior Achievement of Greater SC
Louie’s Kids
Lowcountry Food Bank
LowCountry Habitat for Humanity
Lowcountry Maritime Society
Metanoia
Palmetto Project/BEGIN WITH BOOKS
Reach Out and Read Carolinas
Reading Partners South Carolina
Redux Contemporary Art Center
South Carolina Aquarium
South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Mathematics Foundation
Team Backpack Journalists
The Charleston Museum
The Green Heart Project
The Walker Foundation at the SC School for the Deaf and the Blind
Tricounty Family Ministries
Trident Literacy Association
United Ministries
USS Yorktown Foundation
Water Mission
WINGS for Kids
Yo Art Inc.
YouthBASE

Fiscal year 2017 Community Giving impact Community Giving grant recipients complete outcomes surveys at the end of the fiscal year before they can apply for the new giving cycle. The survey allows the Port to measure the positive lasting impacts of the grant program and fulfill its mission to be a strong community partner. In the previous giving cycle, $85,000 in grants was awarded to 49 charitable organizations. Impacts of the funding include: