Helping Out for Sept. 2, 2009

The Summerville Family YMCA is reducing its joining fee to $25 to help families and individuals experiencing financial hardship. In Charleston, the Greater Charleston Empowerment Corp., Eastside Community Development Corp. and BB&T will hold the Eastside Financial Education Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.

Helping Out highlights some of the many charitable events and activities going on in the Charleston area. Submissions should be sent to dailyjournal@scbiznews.com.

Coastal Community Foundation has awarded more than $212,000 in scholarships to 109 area students for pursuit of private or parochial high school education or a four-year college degree.

The funds came from scholarships and endowments established by individuals and families in the Lowcountry. The foundation manages the scholarships, and various groups convene to determine the recipients.

A sampling of funds that contributed to this year’s awards:

The Banks-Williams Banks Fund was begun in 1988 to provide an annual, four-year award totaling $4,000 to a student from the town of Summerville to attend college.
The Rufus C. Barkley Jr. Leadership Scholarship Fund was begun in 2000, near the end of Barkley’s life, to provide an annual, four-year merit award totaling $40,000 — the foundation’s largest scholarship — to a student from Berkeley, Charleston, Colleton or Dorchester counties.
The J.C. and Alberta Long Scholarship Fund, the foundation’s oldest, was begun in 1982 by the children and grandchildren of the Longs, and it continues to honor their memory by recognizing excellence in today’s college-bound youth.

Profiles of selected scholarship recipients:

Joshua Anderson, Summerville. Josh is a graduate of Summerville High School and a talented artist. He plans to attend Trident Technical College before transferring to Savannah College of Art & Design.
JaNay Bing, North Charleston. When JaNay graduated from West Ashley High four years ago with her first scholarship from the foundation, she said she wanted to become a lawyer. Now she’s ready for her senior year at Clemson with a 3.48 GPA, and that’s still her plan.
Paige Brockington, North Charleston. Paige majored in dance at the Charleston County School of the Arts and will attend Spelman College in the fall. Paige hopes to pursue a career as a pharmacotherapist.
Brittany Brooks, West Ashley. A rising junior at Tennessee State University with a major in biology and concentration on cell and molecular biology, Brittany plans to become “one of the best trauma surgeons in the country and eventually the world.”
Blair Cadden, Johns Island. A graduate of First Baptist Church School, Blair will attend Wofford College. Blair hopes to pursue a degree in Theatre Education to work with students in kindergarten through 12th grade, and eventually start her own theatre company with a youth program as well as adult productions.
Carlton Cohen, Johns Island. A graduate of St. John’s High School, Carlton is planning to attend the University of South Carolina Upstate in the fall. Carlton aspires to become a psychologist because of his fascination with the human mind and how people make decisions.
Chrissy DiNicola, Mount Pleasant. A rising junior at Duke University, Chrissy is majoring in English and focusing on journalism.
Samantha Donner, Mount Pleasant. A junior at Furman University, Sam is majoring in music education. After graduation, Sam hopes to attend graduate school to obtain a master’s degree in education.
Kiara Dottery, Awendaw. Valedictorian of her class at Lincoln High School, Kiara will attend the University of South Carolina Upstate in the fall to pursue a career in nursing.
Dominique Gray, James Island. Entering his sophomore year at the University of South Carolina this fall, Dominique has a 3.5 GPA in his major, media arts.
Catherine Hodierne, Summerville. Catherine graduated from Summerville High School with a strong record of theatrical accomplishments and will attend the University of South Carolina.
Erin Joseph, Summerville. Erin is recommended for renewal of last year’s Jefferson Scholarship. After studying for two years at Spartanburg Methodist, Erin has transferred to the University of South Carolina Upstate to complete her nursing degree, after which she would like to attend graduate school.
Bailey Koch, Folly Beach. Bailey is a graduate of the Academic Magnet High School. Bailey applied to only one school, New York University, and was accepted.
Kirsten McKeown, Hanahan. A graduate of Northwood Academy, Kirsten will be attending Charleston Southern University this fall. Kirsten hopes to pursue a career in nursing and work in the labor and delivery ward.
Sasha Milleman, Johns Island. A rising senior at Clemson University, Sasha is majoring in health science and obtaining a minor in Spanish.
Matthew Miller, Summerville. Matthew is a graduate of Summerville High School where he was especially active in the arts. He will attend Clemson University in the fall.
Yija “Jimmy” Mu, Mount Pleasant. Jimmy is a graduate of the Academic Magnet High School in Charleston, where he held a 4.9 GPA. Jimmy will attend Duke University in the fall to major in biological science.
Preston Myers, McClellanville. Preston has been accepted to Francis Marion University and is aiming for a career in international marketing.
Martina Nelson, Bonneau. Martina graduated No. 11 in a class of 200 at Timberland High School in St. Stephen and is headed for USC in Columbia this fall.
Lauren Oree, McClellanville. Lauren is a senior at Lincoln High School. She is planning to attend Trident Technical College in the fall to complete the 30 credit hours required to enroll in the bridge program at the University of South Carolina. Lauren hopes to become a nurse.
Jocelyn Paonita, Ladson. Jocelyn is graduating from Fort Dorchester High School and is beginning studies at University of South Carolina in Columbia.
Raven Smalls, West Ashley. Raven, a rising sophomore at Clemson University, is pursuing a major in occupational therapy and achieved a 4.0 GPA in her freshman year.
Ronniesha Smith, Wadmalaw Island. Ronniesha finished her freshman year at the University of South Carolina Aiken with a 3.01 average as a business and finance major. She graduated from St. John’s High School last year.
Chase Yonce, Moncks Corner. Chase is going into his junior year at Clemson with a major in biological sciences. His goal is to be an orthopedic surgeon.

According to a news release, Coastal Community Foundation has awarded more than $86 million in grants in its 35-year history and manages assets in excess of $116 million. Last year, foundation funds generated more than $12.2 million for charitable programming, community projects, educational initiatives and scholarships.

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The Greater Charleston Empowerment Corp., Eastside Community Development Corp. and BB&T will hold the Eastside Financial Education Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at 66 Columbus St., at the entrance of the Trident Technical College Palmer Campus.

The fair will feature the BB&T Bank Bus, a high-tech mobile financial classroom that travels to different communities to offer money management knowledge and answer questions from residents about money management, credit and banking.

The Bank Bus has 10 wireless computer stations that participants can use to educate themselves about money management. Residents can receive a free credit report as well as information about a variety of topics. Banking basics, credit building and repair, and online bill payment are presented through interactive research tools and a one-on-one session with a BB&T representative.

Governmental and nonprofit agencies will be at the fair to provide information on homeownership, financial education, health and more. The event is free and open to the public.

The bus will kick off two five-hour financial education workshops for residents of the city’s Renewal Community. Classes are conducted by representatives from BB&T and are scheduled to take place Sept. 12 and 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Eastside Community Development Corp. building at 60 America St. in Charleston.

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The Summerville Family YMCA is reducing its joining fee to $25 to help families and individuals experiencing financial hardship.

“For over 30 years, the Summerville Family YMCA has responded to the needs of the community it serves,” YMCA CEO Gary Lukridge said. “This reduction in joining fee provides access to stress relief, wellness and fellowship to people when they need support the most.”

The fees for the nonprofit organization were formerly $85 for families, $60 for individuals, $40 for seniors and $30 for students.

The YMCA also offers a financial assistance program to ensure access to programs and services such as membership, wellness activities and child care. Since January, the YMCA has provided financial assistance to more than 800 members.

“The message here is that you don’t have to sacrifice your health,” Lukridge said.

For more information about YMCA membership or programs, please call 871-YMCA (9622).