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“(These) stories… demonstrate what can be achieved with your support.
”In the spirit of the holidays, please call and lend a helping hand to one of the numerous, nonprofit organizations on the island. The stories below demonstrate what can be achieved with your support.
LOWCOUNTRY AUTISM FOUNDATION (843) 342-9044
A local, all volunteer, nonprofit corporation, which provides direct financial, service and advocacy support to individuals and families living with autism in Beaufort County and the surrounding areas.
THE STORY OF HAYDEN
In 2004, Hayden was a smiling, jovial 1-year-old with no apparent signs that anything could be wrong, said his mother. By his 18-month checkup, his pediatrician was concerned about a few milestones the toddler still hadn’t reached. The pediatrician realized Hayden didn’t have really good eye contact with him, and Hayden wasn’t gesturing or pointing at objects. They also noticed his speech had regressed, and when a hearing problem was ruled out the red flags added up to something else.
Hayden was officially diagnosed with autism in March 2005. The family began the exhaustive search for answers and for the best therapies they could locate. Hayden is now a happy 5-year-old who is always smiling and loves to interact with others. He’s reading at a 7-year-old level and has the math skills of a second-grader. For Hayden, early intervention was the key.
BRAIN GAIN — (843) 290-8844
Brain Gain is a not-for-profit organization that reaches out to children in the community to expand their minds, as well as their life experiences.
THE STORY OF TIFFANY
Tiffany, 14, wasn’t sure she was going to like Brain Gain, a summer program for low-income, high-achieving middle school students on Hilton Head Island and Bluffton.
“I thought they were going to make us work all the time,” she said.
Instead, Tiffany enjoys the way “camp keeps me active.”
One thing organizers had in mind when they began the program eight years ago was “to elevate these young scholars to a life of the mind.”
One goal is to learn about 80 heroes from their culture – not Michael Jordan or Michael Jackson, but Thurgood Marshall and Toni Morrison.
The 25 students and their 25 study buddy assistants also learn Gullah history, visit slave quarters, and learn about apartheid from a native South African. They learn about Martin Luther King Jr. and his father. Everyone makes a wooden bird-house, a book shelf, and a tie-dyed T-shirt. Classes are grouped by gender. Girls do yoga; the guys take tennis lessons. Everyone does kayaking, a Gullah bus tour, and two days at the ocean. The program is free for all 50 participants. Funds are raised from grant writings, donations and newsletters.
When Tiffany went to Lawton Stables and groomed the horses she felt a special kinship with the animals. When she went to the ocean, it was her first time ever to swim in the sea, even though she has lived on the island her whole life. She went on the alligator tour by boat for the first time. Tiffany has made lifelong friends and acquired never-taught-before knowledge.
THE CHILDREN’S CENTER INC. — (843) 681-2739
The Children’s Center Inc. was founded 41 years ago and its mission is to empower low-income families to achieve economic self-sufficiency. The center is dedicated to providing a full-day affordable early care and educational program for working parents in the community.
A GRANDMOTHER’S LOVE IS NEVER-ENDING
“The first time I came to The Children’s Center, I cried,” remembered Mrs. Jordan, a 71-year-old grandmother of 1-year-old Laura and 5-year-old Justin. “In my heart, I felt the sweet, open, peaceful spirit of the place and the teachers. I did not see the fear I often see when parents leave their children behind.
“Here, Laura and Justin feel safe,” Mrs. Jordan said. “They have learned so much from their teachers and friends.
The Children’s Center is just what Grandma Jordan needed when she found herself suddenly being a mother to the two youngsters when her 26-year-old daughter died suddenly of cancer. The center surrounded the family with loving arms and assisted them with a crisis scholarship to get the children started. Grandma Jordan receives the center’s tuition assistance through the income-based sliding-scale fee program.
