Panhandler approaches ARC Owner - 4/20/15

An ARC owner was approached by a panhandler in the parking lot of Target.  The woman claimed to be a single mom living in a motel at the moment and was receiving a small amount of disability benefits.  It was towards the end of the month and she was about a week away from receiving her benefits.(She produced her disabilities papers and ID showing her payments of approx. $800 per month)  As she had not yet established South Carolina residency she was not yet eligible for food stamps.  She had spent the last of her money for the room for her and her two children but had no money for food.  She was told that they would not give her cash but offered to help buy some groceries.  She graciously accepted a gift card to Target for groceries.

 

Amount: Target Gift Certificates - $40

Food Gift Certificates for homeless - 4/14/15

An ARC owner reached out to several homeless folks from Summerville about their needs.  One woman who has been living in her truck for several months and struggles with some mental health issues welcomed the help in the form of $50 worth of gift certificates (alcohol and tobacco excluded) for Piggly Wiggly where she routinely shops.  Another woman who frequents the “Square“ in town during the day spends her nights at a small local church in the middle of town.  Her and her boyfriend relocated here from Pennsylvania for a better way of life but he lost his job shortly after arriving and found themselves on the street.  The small local church has been housing them but they were very much in need of the gift certificates ($50) making it possible for her to shop at the “Pig” for necessary items.

 

Amount: Piggly Wiggly Gift Certificates - $100

Neighbor of ARC Owner seriously ill - 3/24/15

An ARC owner informed Change for a Dollar that her neighbor was recently hospitalized and diagnosed with a very serious and rare lung disease.  The prognosis is very poor and he is being treated at MUSC.  Also, the wife of the sick gentleman only recently stated a new job and has no paid leave to visit and stay with her husband while he is in the hospital.  Her boss has been very supportive but there is a loss of income now as well.  While the neighbors have been very helpful to the family the loss of the wife’s income on top of everything else has put additional strains on the family.  Change for a Dollar helped out the family with some gas cards to cover the cost of repeated trips downtown to MUSC.  Additionally, they were given some BiLo food cards to help relieve some of the strain on the budget.

 

Amount: Gas Card & BiLo food card - $250

Summerville man lost his home / now homeless - 3/19/15

A Summerville man has been struggling with health issues and recently got divorced.  He was continuing to pay his mortgage but lost his job due to health issues.  He started selling goods at the local flea market and spent what was left of his savings.  He ran out of funds and recently was foreclosed on and evicted from his home and is now homeless.  He had a prescription from his doctor for his medication but could not afford to pay for it.  ARC Change for a Dollar help him by paying for the prescription.

 

Amount:  Prescription - $20

Recovering addict / single mom needed help - 3/12/15

A Summerville woman who is a recovering drug addict has been doing well in putting her life back together for herself and her 12 year old son.  She is part of a very small local church who has been helping her with her recovery.  She was going to school for a period of time and is now seeking employment.  She was getting some income while attending school but has fallen behind on the bills while looking for employment. The small church she attends had helped her financially in the past but was unable to continue to do so.  The pastor of the church approach ARC Change for a Dollar to see if there was some help available.  Change for a Dollar paid a portion of her electric bill and put her in touch with the SCE&G Customer Advocate who is helping her get her bills under control.

 

Amount:  SCE&G Payment - $330

Prescription assistance for mentally challenged man - 2/26/15

A 52 year old patient the Medical Outreach Clinic in Summerville is mentally challenged and still lives with his elderly mother.  He recently suffered a mild stroke for which he was hospitalized and thankfully recovered quite well.  He was directed to continue with follow-up medical care and had been trying his best to continue with his medication.  His mother brought him to the free clinic at the direction of another physician.  He was given a prescription for medication which he was unable to afford.  He had no income and his mother was on a small social security payment so the Change for a Dollar program paid for his prescriptions and upcoming refills.

 

Amount:  Pharmacy bill - $150

Medical clinic patient stranded - 3/5/15

A patient who visits a Summerville free medical clinic was stranded one evening at the clinic.  She had gotten a ride to the clinic by a friend but the friend was not going to be able to pick her up.  She had made several calls to other friends who were not able to assist.  She called a taxi company and was quoted a price for transport to North Charleston but she only had $10 to her name.  ARC Change for a Dollar assisted with the cab fare.

Amount: Cab fare - $20

Wounded Warrior family assistance - 3/3/15

An SC&G Customer Advocate notified ARC Change for a Dollar of a wounded Afghanistan war veteran that was in financial trouble. The wounded warrior suffered multiple injuries in a roadside bombing including severe brain trauma.  He is currently disabled at over 100% and is receiving benefits and medical care through the VA.  The young man has been trying to live independently but suffers from a variety of seizures that he routinely needs to be hospitalized and treated for.  Ironically, a couple of the prescriptions, of the many he is on, are not covered by the VA or his insurance.  The prescriptions cost him over $1,000 per month.  Between the hospital stays, the seizures, and the high cost of living he has had to move back in with his parents.  The family continues to try to find additional doctors to assist in his care and spends a lot of time monitoring him so he does not get hurt during his seizures.  The family has decided to forego the rent and any utilities on his place as any hopes of him living independently in the future are slim at best.  This has put a strain on the family financials and Change for a Dollar tried to ease some of that burden with some food gift cards.

 

Amount: BiLo food card - $200

Homeless man in need of medical care- 2/16/15

A Summerville homeless man was recently dealing with a severely infected finger.  The infection had gotten so bad his finger was swollen to twice its normal size.  He was self-treating with no success and when the pain got unbearable he was looking for transportation to the emergency room.  His infected finger did not warrant tying up very expensive emergency room resources.  ARC Change for a Dollar convinced him it was not a good idea to use the ER and offered to take him to a walk in urgent care facility which he agreed to.  The urgent care doctors drained, treated and bandaged the infected finger and prescribed an antibiotic.  Change for a Dollar assisted by paying the doctor bill and the cost of the antibiotic.

Amount: Medical bill and prescription - $238

Local Church Warming Center Support - 2/6/2015

A small local Summerville church opens their doors in the winter as an emergency warming center for the homeless in the community any time the temperature gets below freezing. The church also has a small food pantry that they use to prepare meals for the folks who are spending the night to get out of the cold.  They will also give their guests and others in need a small bag of groceries from time to time.  This winter they were open for several nights and had a significant number of guests that resulted in the pantry getting much depleted.  Between breakfast and dinner for all the guests these past weeks they were in need of help to restock the pantry.  Ashley Ridge Church Change for a Dollar helped out the church pantry by purchasing some bulk groceries for the pantry until they could get some significant donations of food.

Amount: Costco groceries - $105.68

Disabled Mom needs help with electric deposit - 1/26/15

A single mom who is on disability and was homeless for a period of time was recently approved for subsidized housing.  She was thrilled to be able to have a home for her and the two girls but found that when it came to getting settled into the new home there was some unexpected expenses.  When she applied for the electric service to be transferred into her name there was an outstanding balance due on an account she was joint with her ex-husband.  SCE&G worked with her to pay off the past balance due but she only had enough money for a partial deposit on the new account.  ARC Change for a Dollar helped her out by paying a portion of the deposit.

Amount: SCE&G Deposit - $150

Clinic patient without means to pay for prescriptions - 1/9/15

A patient from the Medical Outreach Clinic of Summerville came to the clinic just prior to Christmas.  She is a single Mom who recently escaped form an abusive relationship with her two children.  She was staying with family but was unemployed at the moment due to health reasons, in part related to her situation.  She was prescribed several medications by the clinic doctor but did not think she would have the means to pay for them.  She hoped family, who was also of limited means, could help but they could not.  Ashley Ridge Church partners with a local pharmacy in Summerville who will help by giving discounts to patients we refer.  Change for a Dollar helped this woman out by covering the cost of her prescriptions.

 

Amount: Four Prescriptions - $100

Homeless grandmother - no place for Christmas - 12/23/14

ARC Change for a Dollar had previously assisted a homeless, disabled grandmother with two middle school age granddaughters.  There was hope that this family would soon find housing for which they have been approved.  The grandmother had been in contact with several agencies that have been assisting her in finding a vacancy but given the time of year there was no housing available in the Summerville Community at this time.  They did look at some temporary housing in a Charleston shelter but the facility left one of the granddaughters in tears.  The facility, while old and dated was clean and welcoming, but appeared more like a prison than a shelter.  The grandmother being sensitive to the girl’s feelings, was able with the help of some friends, to come up with some funds for an extra day or two in a motel in hopes that some permanent housing would soon open up.  As Christmas approached Ashley Ridge Church checked in on them to see what kind of Christmas they would have.  The grandmother had a meal donated to them but stated they would be out on the street by Christmas Eve.  Change for a Dollar extended their stay in the motel until the weekend following Christmas as other options continue to be explored.

 

Amount: 3 nights hotel stay - $189.01

Single woman new to Summerville without a job - 12/22/14

A single woman recently relocated from Chicago to Summerville SC for a better way of life and in hopes of finding work which she was unable to find in Chicago.  She has a friend who lives in Summerville who has very limited means but has offered for her to stay with her until she can find a job.  Both women attended the Community Christmas Dinner sponsored by Ashley Ridge Church and Antioch Community Ministries the other night.  As part of socializing with the women we found out she was actively seeking a job but had run out of money and was in need of some help.  Antioch Community Ministries gave her some clothing and some food from their pantry and ARC Change for a Dollar helped her out with a gas card so she could continue to go on interviews for a job.

 

Gas card - Amount: $50.00

Clinic patient in need of ride home - 12/18/14

A single Mom with two kids is a new patient at the Medical Outreach Clinic of Summerville.  She just recently was able to get out of a physically abusive relationship and was now living with her parents in Berkeley County.  She was able to get a ride to the clinic with a friend / acquaintance as her parents did not have the means to provide transportation.  The “friend” who drove her to the clinic became very angry with her when she became aware that there would be a bit of a wait before the woman could be seen by the doctor.  She told her that she could not wait any longer and was leaving with or without her.  This left the patient in tears and she really needed to see the doctor and was going to be stranded if she did so.  One of the volunteers at the clinic offered her some money for cab fare which covered about half of the cost.  ARC Change for a Dollar picked up the balance of the cab fare bill to get her and the kids home safely following the doctor visit.

 

Cab Fare - Amount: $34.00

Single Dad with three children - 12/16/14

A single Dad whose wife abandoned him and their three children has been homeless as a result for the past several months.  He and the kids were taken in by a small local church and have been living there in a small prayer room converted into living space with four beds.  The three children attend a local Summerville elementary school and an aunt who is local gets the kids off to school each day.  The dad has a job as a sub with the post office and recently became approved for an apartment in subsidized housing.

 
ARC Change for a Dollar was paying a chance visit to a local hotel that was upgrading their rooms.  We inquired about what was happening with the old furniture in hopes of getting a piece or two for the family.  When asked why, we explained this situation and the General Manager for the hotel donated a full room full of furniture to this family; two double beds, a dresser, two night stands, a table and two chairs.  ARC volunteers donated a kitchen table with 4 chairs, bed frames, bedding and other items.  The furniture was delivered over the past few days to their new apartment.  Making their home more livable for the Christmas holiday.
 

Amount: $0.00

Disabled Mom supporting family - 12/15/14

An ARC Owner notified ARC Change for a Dollar that a coworker of hers is disabled and struggling to support two adult children, one a college student, the other an unemployed  mother of two.  While the woman has a part time job it has been become ever more difficult these past months to make ends meet.  The family was in danger of the electric service being disconnected.   ARC Change for a Dollar the necessary minimum to prevent the disconnect.

Amount: SCE&G payment $235.41

Widowed Grandfather with 2 small children- 12/13/14

An ARC Owner notified ARC Change for a Dollar of a 75 year old widowed man who has custody of his two great grandchildren, ages 6 & 7, who was having some difficulty.  His wife, who was a hoarder, died about a year ago and he was still struggling with some of mess from the hoarding.  A local elementary school had concerns for the children’s wellbeing and Dorchester County Sherriff’s Deputies were dispatched to investigate.  Dorchester DSS/CPS visited the family as well.  The grandfather has a serious heart condition and has difficulty with the daily chores in caring for two young children.  It is a loving family and both the Deputies and DSS felt the children were in no present danger but the living conditions needed some serious improvement.  Additionally, his water heater failed and the heat went out shortly thereafter.  Change for a Dollar arranged for an HVAC contractor to respond to fix the heat at no charge. A crew of volunteers from Ashley Ridge Church spent the day getting the house cleaned and decluttered.  Additionally, the volunteers supplied new beds, other household items for the children’s bedroom and did other household repairs.  Other issues are to be addressed in the near future to help this family stay intact and back on track to living effectively.

 

Amount: Cleaning supplies $82.66

Homeless grandmother with 2 children - 12/12/14

ARC Change for a Dollar was contacted by the principle of a local Summerville middle school regarding two of their students.  The two girls live with their grandparents who have custody of the girls.  Recently the grandfather decided to leave the family and it wasn’t long after that the grandmother, who is disabled, and the two girls became homeless.  Their small savings and the small disability payments that the grandmother receives soon ran out paying for hotel stays.  The school took up a collection to help pay for additional time in the hotel.  The family is eligible for subsidized housing but is on a waiting list for that plus on a waiting list for the One80 Place Summerville residence.  Change for a Dollar paid for a few additional nights as additional options are explored.  C4$ also gave the grandmother two local restaurant gift cards for the family to eat through the weekend.

 

Amount: 3 nights hotel stay and gift cards - $306.89

Homeless couple living in car, no gas - 11/23/14

A homeless couple has been living in their car for the past few weeks.  Mike lost his job a few months back and has not been able to find work yet.  They eventually were evicted from their apartment.  A small local church has allowed them to stay in the parking lot with an extension cord run to the car so they can access the Internet through the church Wi Fi.  They have been applying for jobs on line and are hopeful something will come through soon. This past weekend their car was on empty and they had no money.  ARC Change for a Dollar filled their car with gas so they could keep warm and have gas to go on interviews as they came up.

 

Amount: Fill gas tank - $42