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.

The Summerville Community Orchestra Guild is hosting a Southern Garden Tea on Sunday to benefit the orchestra.

The event will be held in the Gardens of Linwood, 200 S. Palmetto St. in downtown Summerville, at the corner of West Richardson Avenue and Palmetto Street.

Guests will have food and American Classic Tea from Charleston Tea Plantation while listening to an ensemble from the Summerville Community Orchestra.

A special “bouTEAque” will be set up with orchestra concert CDs, cookbooks, sun hats and other items, and attendees can purchase tickets to the next Summerville Community Orchestra concert, Scheherazade, to be performed May 23 at Summerville Baptist Church.

There will be two seatings, at 3 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tickets are $15 per person and may be purchased at The Finishing Touch at 140 W. Richardson Ave., Marigolds at 145 Short Central, the orchestra office at 120 Main St., online or by e-mail.

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A nationally recognized yoga instructor and motivational speaker who was paralyzed in a car accident will be the keynote speaker at the annual litigation seminar of Richardson, Patrick, Westbrook & Brickman LLC.

In addition to speaking to the lawyers group, Matthew Sanford, who has written a book on his experience and has founded a nonprofit organization to help others with paralysis and disabilities, will give a yoga session that is open to the public from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday at Serenity Now Yoga Studio, at 1405 Ben Sawyer Blvd. in Mount Pleasant. 

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The Center for Women will hold its ninth annual “It’s in the Bag” purse auction and reception from 6 to 8:30 p.m. on April 29 at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door, and wine and d’oeuvres are included. The City Gallery is located at 34 Prioleau St.

More than 80 local artists have designed purses that will be auctioned off to raise money for the Center for Women. The event this year will feature a silent auction of the custom purses and a live auction of designer hand bags filled with cash certificates from local businesses.

Tickets can be purchased at www.c4women.org. A preview of the purses to be auctioned will be available online by Monday at the site.

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Cool treats will help honor a hot profession tonight from 5 to 10 when the Mount Pleasant Baskin-Robbins hosts 31 Cent Scoop Night.

The Baskin-Robbins Community Foundation is donating $100,000 to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation, and participating stores across the country will reduce the price of ice cream scoops to 31 cents.

Donation opportunities for local fire charities will be available at selected locations. The Mount Pleasant Baskin-Robbins is located at 280 West Coleman Boulevard. Limit three scoops per person.

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A local hotel is asking to take its guests’ jackets — and keep them to help the area’s unemployed veterans.

Woodlands Inn during the month of May is encouraging guests to donate jackets and other business-type clothing. The items will then be delivered to the Summerville Workforce Center and distributed to veterans seeking jobs.

The idea for the clothing drive originated after the Inn modified its dress code as part of a program designed to make the property more approachable. Men are no longer required to wear jackets in the dining room and the Inn had a number of jackets on hand that it used to lend to guests if they forgot their own.

Inn management said they wanted to do something meaningful with the jackets, so they contacted the Workforce Center and the partnership expanded from there.

Guests who donate receive a free appetizer and are entered to win a two-night stay at the Woodlands. Both offers expire on June 30. Donors will also receive a 50% discounted admission to Patriot’s Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, also valid through June 30.

For more call 800-774-9999 or visit www.woodlandsinn.com.

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The Charleston RiverDogs Be Your Own Fan promotion has expanded to running. The club will host the seventh annual Run Forrest Run 5K Race on May 1.

The race begins at 5 p.m. at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park prior to the RiverDogs’ home game against the Hickory Crawdads.

Proceeds from the event benefit the MUSC Storm Eye Institute.

Early registration ends today and is $25. It includes a race T-shirt, one ticket to the evening’s RiverDogs game, in-game awards ceremony and a post-race party with dinner. Late and on-site registration is $30, and T-shirts are available while supplies last. 

Additional RiverDogs game tickets are $7 each. Saturday’s 7:05 p.m. game against Hickory features a Webkinz giveaway for the first 1,000 fans. The ZOOperstars! will also perform on-field throughout the game.

Registration forms are available at Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, The Extra Mile Running Shop and online at www.active.com  and www.riverdogs.com.  For additional information call the RiverDogs at 723-7241.

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Several employees from the Verizon Wireless Charleston Contact Center were honored during National Volunteer Week earlier this month. The six employees volunteered nearly 400 hours and earned $5,250 for area nonprofits.

To earn a $750 Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) grant from the Verizon Foundation, an employee must volunteer at least 50 hours at that organization and log their time in an online database. Employees can earn up to two VIP grants per year for a nonprofit of their choice.

The following Charleston Contact Center employees qualified for a Verizon Foundation VIP grant in 2009:

• Lorne Shumak, $750 VIP grant for Boy Scouts of America, $750 VIP grant for Wassamasaw Tribe of Varnertown Indians
• Suzanne Weller, $750 VIP grant for Alliance for Full Acceptance
• Catherine Yu, $750 VIP grant for John Acrum Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals North Charleston
• Angela Christian, $750 VIP grant for Charleston Oprhan House
• Monica Woods, $750 VIP grant for Girls Scouts of Eastern SC
• Erin Leininger, $750 VIP grant for American Lung Association of SC

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The Art Institute of Charleston will present the 18th annual Dining with Friends dinner and dessert benefit for Lowcountry AIDS Services on Saturday.

Individuals and groups from across the Lowcountry will host dinner parties at their homes, churches or workplaces earlier in the evening, and all the groups will meet at the Charleston Maritime Center from 9 to 11 p.m. for a champagne and dessert finale.

Hosts are given invitations, donation envelopes, red ribbons and party tips and guests will be asked to make a donation of any amount to Lowcountry Aids Services.

Desserts will be provided by The Art Institute of Charleston, Sugar Bake Shop, Charleston Cookie Co., Publix, Jestine’s Kitchen and others. Entertainment will feature local jazz and blues singer Ann Caldwell.

Event sponsors include the Art Institute of Charleston, Whole Foods, Charleston magazine, Lotus Flower, Nelson Printing, Gil Shuler Graphic Design, Limehouse Produce, Signs Plus, Pearlstine Distributors, All Occasions, 95SX and poster artist Jessica Crouch.

To learn more about Dining with Friends, send an e-mail or call 843-747-2273.