This year $23,200 was awarded through the WAHHI Competitive Grant process to local nonprofit organizations.  Listed below are the grant recipients and their plans to use these funds to support our neighbors.  The theme for WAHHI this year is Joy. By supporting WAHHI programs throughout the year, WAHHI members help foster a strong sense of community and connection across the area and bring joy to our neighbors who are served by these local nonprofit organizations. Together we can make a difference!

 

2023 WAHHI Presidential Grants

  

The Celebration Projects

The Celebration Projects creates joy in our community by providing birthday celebrations for children who otherwise might not have the opportunity to celebrate their special day. Working with other local nonprofits children are selected to celebrate their special day with cake, activities, and gifts.

 

Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park

This Presidential Grant will be used to highlight the place where freedom began for America’s Black citizens. The Board of the Historic Mitchelville Park have set their plans on creating an activated park to broadly attract and inspire visitors. The grant will support one of the new initiatives of the Historic Mitchelville Historic Park.

 

WAHHI 2023 Competitive Grants

 

 

American Heart Association

Cardiovascular disease and strokes are the #1 and #5 killers in America. The AHA will use this grant to increase CPR training in local schools, workplaces, and community groups so that more residents are prepared to respond to cardiac emergencies.

 

Born to Read

Born to Read promotes early childhood literacy and language development and helps parents to understand their role as their child’s first and most important teacher. Born to Read conducts an initial visit with new parents at Hilton Head Hospital, Coastal Carolina, and Beaufort Hospital and provides a gift of a first book. They offer three follow up new parent workshops to promote oral language development and literacy.

 

The Children’s Center

This grant will support new teacher training and professional development in early childhood education.to help teachers foster young learners’ skill development in the areas of socialization, communication, critical thinking, self-control, and focus. Additional training will assist teachers to better serve their students.

 

Family Promise of Beaufort County

Family Promise will use this grant to support the Get on Track Program, which focuses on developing the skills to maintain a well-functioning home situation. The funds will enable case managers to work with families to learn skills to create and live within a budget and to learn to navigate community resources. The goal is to assure families remain housed and do not end up in a shelter program.

Foundation for Educational Excellence

This grant will help fund special projects and supplies for three beginning teachers in the Beaufort School District. Recipients will be selected by leaders of the Foundation for Educational Excellence. This will allow these new teachers to add new materials and projects for their students.

 

Memory Matters

Memory Matters will utilize this grant to develop a marketing outreach program to improve community knowledge and participation in new programs for women who are impacted by Alzheimer’s and women who are caregivers. The expansion of the range of Memory Matters programs provides support to the families and caregivers of those affected by dementia.

 

Neighborhood Outreach Connection

This grant will enable NOC to establish a new program focused on the socio-emotional needs of children. Selected students will participate in a weekly program to learn to manage their emotions and behavior. Activities will include art therapy, yoga, and music therapy.

 

The Pregnancy Center

The Pregnancy Center provides counseling and support to the uninsured and undeserved women in Beaufort County. The WAHHI grant will enable the Pregnancy Center to provide educational and support groups for women pre- and post-delivery.

 

Sandalwood Community Food Pantry

This year’s grant will enable the Sandalwood Community Food Pantry to help meet the daily needs of families with young children by funding the purchase of diapers and wipes. Due to lingering employment issues and increasing daily living costs, little money is left to cover these daily necessities.

 

The Sandbox

The WAHHI Grant will enable the Sandbox to provide opportunities for families to participate in a Family Fun Night event. The Sandbox Family Fun Nights target those populations who may not otherwise be able to afford the admission fee. The Sandbox reaches out to The Boys and Girls Club, Deep Well, Bluffton Self-Help, NOC and local elementary schools to identify participant families.

Kiwanis Chili Cook-off/ WAHHI Grant

The Outside Foundation

The Outside Foundation’s mission is to get kids outside! To facilitate access to the outdoors for all kids. The Foundation organizes the Kids in Kayaks program, which aims to get every 7th grader in Beaufort County out kayaking. These programs are run several times a year and offer, in addition to kayaking hands-on learning about the local culture and ecosystem. The WAHHI grant will enable the Foundation to provide scholarships for students who are unable to afford the program.