Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach
Since its founding in 1982, the Exchange Club of Kiawah-Seabrook has contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to organizations that serve our neighbors on Johns and Wadmalaw islands. The historic focus of the Club’s contributions is education, health, hunger and abuse prevention.
To provide better access to available community services, the Club has organized 22 of the supported groups into a network to support families and children, called The Exchange Club of Kiawah and Seabrook Child Advocacy Network. Services are offered to families on Johns and Wadmalaw islands to support their needs at no cost.
John Reock, Director of the Club’s Child Advocacy Network said, “The mission of the Child Advocacy Network is to make a positive impact on the children and families of Johns and Wadmalaw islands. The need is great, and the need is now. We are proud to be able to offer our neighbors a ‘one-stop shop’ of service organizations that will demonstrably improve lives on the islands.”
Here are a few organizations that are part of the Club’s Child Advocacy Network:
Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center (deenortoncenter.org) – Dee Norton provides a safe, child-friendly place to turn when there is a concern about abuse.
Communities in Schools (ccisofsc. org) – The organization partners with teachers to identify challenges students face in class or at home and coordinates with community partners to bring outside resources inside schools.
Camp Hi Hopes Summer Enrichment Program (wesleyumcjohnsisland.org) – A summer community outreach program providing a nurturing environment, affordable care and enrichment to children from 5 to 11.
HALOS (charlestonhalos.org) – HALOS serves grandparents, other relatives and family friends who are raising children in the Tri-county area.
Begin With Books (beginwithbooks@palmettoproject. org) – Their mission is to improve kindergarten readiness by providing children with easy access to quality books that are age and developmentally appropriate and culturally diverse.
Florence Crittenton (scarter@ florencecrittentonsc.org) – Provides hope, safety and opportunity to pregnant, parenting and at-risk young women in order to instill self-worth and self-sufficiency.
AMOR Healing Kitchen (amorhealingkitchen.org) – This kitchen prepares and delivers healthy meals to those facing health challenges. Volunteer teen chefs work alongside adult kitchen mentors to learn culinary techniques as they prepare weekly meals.
Lowcountry Orphan Relief (lowcountryorpharelief.org) – Offers support services and aid to meet the needs of children identified as at-risk or suffering from abandonment, abuse and/or neglect.
St. James Bethel Church Dinner Program (stjbethel@yahoo.com) – Serves the elderly, home bound, sick, mentally or physically challenged and the isolated by preparing and delivering a nutritious meal every third Sunday.
Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic (bifmc.org) – Offers free primary and specialty health care services for uninsured adults, including chronic disease management, dermatology, psychiatry, reproductive health, labs and imaging, physical therapy, free prescriptions and more.
Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach (olmoutreach.org) – Neighbors in need receive dental and pre-natal care, emergency food, clothing, employment or financial assistance, lunch at Neighborhood House and educational and capacity building opportunities.
Additional information on these organizations and the Child Action Network can be found at ks-exchangeclub.com/child-advocacynetwork. For more information about the club, please visit ks-exchangeclub.com.
