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

Help with a phone bill - 11/20/14

A friend of an ARC owner has been struggling for some time but has been getting by.  He is reluctant to ask for help and his phone bill is always the last thing he pays for each month.   This month he was going to lose his phone service because of lack of funds to make a payment.  There is no family locally and the phone was his only means of staying in touch with those he cared about.  The ARC owner helped him with a partial payment on the account and Change for a Dollar picked up the balance keeping his phone in service for the next month.
 

Amount: $25

Disabled Single Mom in need of help - 11/19/14

A disabled N. Charleston single mother who receives no support from her ex-husband was in financial trouble.  Upon her divorce she did not get the necessary documents to remove her husband from joint accounts and therefore was stuck with large past due electric bills.  She paid off the bills but has fallen behind with two teenage boys with big appetites.  Her food stamp card had run out a week short of being replenished and with the additional expenses has fallen behind on the electric bill again.  ARC Change for a Dollar helped with a payment to SCE&G to prevent any shut off and also sent her a Bi Lo food card to help with groceries until the beginning of the month.
 

Amount: SCE&G Payment - $100, BiLo card $50 total $150

  

Free Clinic Patient in financial trouble - 11/14/14

A patient of the Medical Outreach Clinic was seeking medical attention when during his intake his financial situation came up.  The single man is disabled and has been seeking disability but in the meantime has been supplementing his food stamps by selling items at the flea market at the Fair Grounds.  Normally he makes enough to just get by but these past few weeks with the Coastal Carolina Fair in town the flea market has lost a lot of business.  He had an electric bill that was due and hoped to be able to pay it but with the decrease in his sales / income he was unable to pay the bill.  Change for a Dollar offered to help him in part on his bill and made a payment towards his balance due.  He was confident he could pay the balance in the weeks to come as SCE&G would give him additional time since a substantial payment was made.

 

Amount: SCE&G Payment - $200

Single Mom with no heat - 11/11/14

A referral came from Rural Missions, a Johns Island ministry directly to the Ashley Ridge Church office.  A Summerville single mom with four kids living in a house within the East Edisto region was without heat in the home she recently purchased.  The house needed a full heating system which was beyond the means of Change for a Dollar.  During discussions as to how Ashley Ridge Church could help in some other way the thought of an indoor Kerosene heater came to mind.  The mother was comfortable using the heater as she had used them in the past. Change for a Dollar supplied a 23,000 BTU heater and a container with 5 gals of kerosene to get her started.  The heater appeared to be able to heat the small house until a more permanent solution could be found.

 

Amount: Kerosene Heater - $206

Rent deposit for displaced family - 11/11/14

An ARC owner referred a Summerville family with children for consideration for Change for a Dollar.  The father of the family works but his income is seasonal and they had been getting by.  Recently they were told that they needed to relocate as their lease was not going to be renewed.  The news was sudden and unexpected and put a hardship on the family finances.  The new apartment they were moving to required a significant deposit for which they did not have.  Change for a Dollar helped the family by paying the deposit on the new apartment

 

Amount: Apartment Deposit - $400

Phone card for homeless man - 10/2/14

There is a homeless man from Summerville has been helped in the past by Change for a Dollar.  He was very appreciative of past help and as a result his faith has continued to grow.  As his faith grew he asked those who were in his phone contacts if he could share a daily devotional / periodic bible verses with them.  He has been doing that for the past couple of months.  This past month he was unable to come up with the funds to pay his monthly phone charges and notified his contacts he would be stopping his texts as a result of termination of phone service.   Ashley Ridge Church Change for a Dollar anonymously paid his monthly charges – he texted his appreciation and his devotional texts continues.

Amount: Boost Mobile - $49

Food card for homeless man - 10/20/14

An ARC owner works in Charleston.  On her morning commute she often sees a homeless man on the corner seeking help.  She felt compelled to do something for him.  ARC Change for a Dollar suggested a food card to offer him to establish a relationship and see if additional assistance may be needed.  She agreed and gave him a $25 gift card.

 

Amount: BiLo Gift card - $25

Summerville family financial bind - Sept 24, 2014

An ARC owner from Summerville became aware of a family with four children that has fallen on hard times.  The husband works as a landscaper and with the inclement weather has missed many days of work.  With four kids in school and one starting college the family finances that were barley covering expenses became further stretched with the loss of the work days.  Due to the shortfall of income they fell behind in their bills and the electric was in danger of being turned off.  Ashley Ridge Church, Change for a Dollar plus some assistance from other churches has prevented the electric from being turned off.  The family was confident that once the husband got back to a regular work schedule they will be OK.

 

Amount: SCE&G $150

Abusive family situation - 9/16/14

An ARC owner from Summerville has a neighbor who is a young mother and has been in an abusive relationship.  Last week the abuser was jailed for assaulting the mother and the mother needed to be hospitalized.   She does not have a job and relatives (who are temporarily caring for the children) don't really have the means to provide for the family.  Ashley Ridge Change for a Dollar helped the family out with a food gift card.

 

Amount: Bi Lo $100

Single Mom with Autistic son needed help - 9/11/2014

An ARC owner works at the Trident Health system has a coworker who recently relocated to the Charleston area.  She is a single mom who has an Autistic son who moved to SC for a better way of life for her family.  She has been struggling with care for her son and has met with delays in getting him into the care system in SC.  As a result she has incurred large amounts of debt for the care for her son while she works.  Her son remains on waiting lists for assistance but in the meantime her finances have been stretched to the breaking point and is behind in some bills.  The ARC owner referred her to ARC Change for a Dollar and we helped her out with a Bi Lo food card and paid her SCE&G bill

 

Amount: SCE&G - $340.00, Bi Lo $80

Man just released from prison – needs prescriptions - 9/6/14

A local Summerville man who was just recently released from prison was dealing with several health issues.  He came to the Medical Outreach Clinic of Summerville for medical attention.  The prison had released him with some medication, which has run out, and he remains unemployed but is staying with a friend.  As a result of his exam he needed several prescriptions that he could not afford.  ARC Change for a Dollar worked with Guerin’s Pharmacy in town to provide the prescriptions that Change for a Dollar paid for.

 

Amount: Guerins - $86

Woman battling cancer needed assistance - 9/3/14

A single mom who is battling a recurring cancer asked for assistance.  Her disability was expected to kick in at the end of the month but currently she was in financial need.  Her greatest need at the moment was the electric was in jeopardy of being shut off for outstanding balance. Ashley Ridge, Change for a Dollar helped her out by paying the outstanding balance on her SCE&G account.

 

Amount - SCE&G $200.00

Military family with unexpected expenses - 8/26/14

A young Air Force family with two small children were caught up in difficult situation.  The wife recently had to seek employment with a new employer and was required to attend a two week training program in North Carolina.  The job was an excellent opportunity for the family but as luck would have it the husband was temporarily assigned to a mandatory one month out of state training assignment for his job within the Air Force. The two training assignments overlapped and put the family in a difficult situation for child care while they were both away at training.  The only available option was to drive the two young boys to Texas to stay with grandparents.  The round trips to Texas and the lapse in pay between jobs stretched the family finances to the breaking point. They had to borrow money from the other out of state grandmother just to buy groceries.  Ashley Ridge church helped them out by providing food cards to help lighten the load.

 

Amount: Bi Lo $200

Auto accident results in job loss - 8/24/14

A young man from Summerville was involved in an auto accident where his car was totaled.  Unfortunately he had only basic insurance and no collision.  As a result of the accident he suffered a bad head injury that need significant medical attention as well.  Between doctor visits and loss of transportation he lost his job at a local retail store.  He was getting some help from local friends which has been significant.  Change for a dollar helped with a food card to Bi Lo and also helped lightened the financial stress by paying his electric bill.

 

Amount: Bi Lo $100, SCE&G $250.00

Homeless person phone card – 8/20/14

A local Summerville homeless person was approached by and ARC Owner and asked if he needed any assistance.  He indicated he was OK with food, etc. but says his phone had run out of minutes and it was his only means of staying in touch with the outside world.  He said he would greatly appreciate any assistance with getting his phone recharged.  ARC Charge for a Dollar purchased for him a prepaid phone card to recharge his phone.

Amount: $50

Sisters living together - 7/20/14

A teenager and her older sister live together. Both girls have been abused by family members so there is no family support what-so-ever. Older sister has many medical problems and was on disability but her disability has expired (she is in the process of disputing this). They live with a roommate who also has medical issues, but is employed. Teenager has been working 40 hours a week and going to school. Teenager’s and Room-mate’s income is not enough to cover all the medical bills and living expenses. Change for a Dollar was able to give them $100 in grocery gift cards and $100 in gas gift cards (Older sister’s doctor is in Mt. Pleasant and they didn’t have enough gas to get there and back).  Also, due to the loss of income, they got behind on their electricity bill. Change for a Dollar paid $250 towards their electricity bill.

 

Amount: $200 in gift cards & $250 towards Electric Bill

Woman needs to see Oncologist - 7/10/14

Cathy, a single woman who is a cancer survivor and is currently applying for disability.  During a routine doctor visit a specific complaint of pain was being treated by the doctor at the local free medical clinic.  In a chance follow up call from the MUSC program that treated her for cancer two years ago she shared her recent complaint.  They arranged for some tests and as a result she needs to have another visit with an Oncologist to review the test results.  There is a fear that the cancer has returned.  She currently has no income and up until now has had help from family members.  A friend has offered to drive her to MUSC but needs gas for the trips.  Change for a Dollar provided her with a gas gift card to cover the cost of being driven to her appointments.

 
Amount $50.00

Working single Mom fell behind in bills - 7/11/14

Jane, a working single mom with a young child recently got out of an abusive relationship.  Her ex-husband has not been providing any support for his child.  Jane has been working for temp agency and is currently with a local bank and is hopeful that soon she will be taken on as a full time bank employee.  Last month she had an auto accident and missed several days of work,  She also had an unexpectedly high electric bill.  Her rent and all the other bills are current but she does not have enough income this month to make all her payments.  She has applied for and been approved for food stamps but the EBT card is not due until mid-month.  Change for a Dollar inquired about this month's electric bill (~$100).  Change for a Dollar paid this month's electric bill and provided her with a $50 gift card to Bi Lo for groceries to tide her over until she gets the EBT card.

Amount $150.00

Cancer survivor needs PET Scan – 6/22/14

Cindy a single mom with two teenage children is a cancer survivor.  Cindy had to undergo treatment two years ago for cervical cancer and was cared for through a program offered at MUSC.   The surgery and treatment was covered by Medicaid at that time and was successful.  Earlier this year she had begun complaining of pain in her right hip and lower back and was being treated for that by a family medicine physician.  The MUSC program doctor recently made a follow up contact with Cindy to check on her health.  She shared with him the issue of the hip and back pain and he asked her to come in for a visit.  Based upon the consult with the MUSC doctor he wanted her to get a PET Scan at MUSC.  Unfortunately, she is no longer covered under Medicaid and needs to pay cash for the PET scan.  MUSC required a $100 deposit for the procedure and Cindy would be billed for the remainder at a later date.  Change for a Dollar coordinated with MUSC to pay the deposit so she could get the scan enabling her doctor to better diagnose her problem.

Amount $100.00

Two Free Clinic patients need medications – 6/13/14

Two patients from the Medical Outreach Clinic in Summerville, a free clinic that serves the uninsured who have limited resources, were in need of prescription medications following their doctor visit.  Raymond and Angela were not able to afford the medications prescribed.  Guerin’s pharmacy in Summerville partners with the Medical Outreach Clinic of Summerville in providing medications to patients from the clinic.  Ashley Ridge Church, Change for a Dollar, on occasion will help those patients in paying for their prescriptions through the clinic and pharmacy relationship if they do not have the means to do so.  Change for a Dollar covered this month’s prescriptions, plus a refill for both Raymond and Angela.

Amount $100.00

SIngle mom w/ 4 kids becomes homeless – 5/16/14

Stephanie, a Summerville mom is a mother of four children, ages 9, 9, 4 and a one year old.  Her husband was recently arrested and jailed for some outstanding bench warrant and they have been renting a house in town.  Recently the electric and water were shut off and she called the landlord about it and he told her the house was foreclosed on, utilities were terminated and they needed to get out.  Her case came to Change for a Dollar through an ARC owner who works for the school district and shared the details of the circumstances. 

Stephanie was trying to find a place to stay and was reaching out to various agencies for help but was overwhelmed at the moment.  She had sought help from her husband’s parents (the children’s grandparents) but when she stopped by they told her they did not have room for the five of them and they gave her a bag full of candles and told her to go back to the house they were being evicted from.

The needs of this woman are great but Change for a Dollar at a minimum offered to put her up in a local hotel for two nights so the children would have a place to stay and it bought her some time to try to find additional resources and help for her family.

Amount $158.94

Change for a Dollar – 5/12/14

Lisa, a single mom from Summerville, who had to recently leave her husband due to domestic violence is caring for her 3 yr. old granddaughter as well as her two teenage sons.  Her daughter had been living with her since March but left the house a few weeks ago and has abandoned her daughter to her mother’s care.  It also became evident this past week she was arrested and is currently in jail.  The mother's case came to Change for a Dollar through an ARC owner who works with the woman and was made aware of the circumstances.  Also the grandmother’s car recently broke down and she is borrowing a car to get to work but has missed some work as a result of the extra burden of caring for her own children and the grandchild.  She is seeking help from Social Services who is helping her get legal custody so she can get some assistance for the grandchild.  Her co-workers have been helping her as well but she complained this week she had no food for the children and her rent was past due as she didn’t have the full amount to pay this month because of the cost of child care etc.  ARC Change for a Dollar helped out with a gift card to Bi Lo and made a partial payment towards her rent

Amount $75 plus $300 – total $375

Change for a Dollar – 5/9/14

Mark, a Summerville homeless man who suffers from a bone disorder has been in and out of a cast for the past 59 weeks.  His fracture has finally healed to the point where the doctors have permanently removed the cast.  He was relieved to get out of the cast but has a long road ahead to gain back some strength in his leg.  He asked if ARC Change for a Dollar could put him up for one night in a hotel so he could spend some time soaking in a nice hot bath and get a good night rest in a bed.  To help him start to feel more normal again on his road to recovery, Change for a Dollar reserved a room for him at the local EconoLodge where he spent the night cleaning up and relaxing.

Amount $ 79.47

Change for a Dollar – 5/4/14

Carol, a single woman who is a patient at the Medical Outreach Clinic of Summerville is battling cancer and is awaiting a disability determination.  During her eligibility update interview it became known that she was struggling financially.  Her ex-husband does not pay any support to her for her teenage son who has been looking for work to help his mom pay the bills.  The son has a job offer at BiLo but needs a replacement birth certificate to get his photo ID but the family does not have the funds to apply for a replacement birth certificate.  The woman also stated her electric bill was in arrears as her brother is no longer able to help her pay her bills.  Change for a dollar provided a money order to the State of Kentucky Vital Statistics office for the birth certificate and made a payment to SCE&G on the electric bill.  She hopes her disability will soon be approved and her son is also looking forward to helping out.

Amount $ 16.00 plus $296.00 total $312.00

Change for a Dollar – 4/28/14

A Summerville man who is a patient at the Medical Outreach Clinic of Summerville came to the clinic a few weeks ago.  During his eligibility review it became known that he was struggling financially.  He is on Social Security Disability and was holding his own until the ice storm and frigid winter.  The HVAC unit in his rented trailer is very old and in need of repair but the landlord has failed to address the problem.  His electric bill was $600 for February and March as opposed to $150 per month due to the faulty heating unit.   He initially stated he was managing and getting help.  He returned to the clinic for a follow up visit last week and shared that he was struggling in making the SCE&G payment after all and asked if Ashly Ridge Church was still offering to help.  ARC Change for a Dollar inquired as to what the arrangements were with SCE&G and he needed $364 by May 5^th for his current bill and payment plan.  A payment to his account was made on April 28^th and his account is current till next month which he feels he can handle.  

Amount $ 364.00

Change for a Dollar – 4/11/14

A Summerville man, who is a patient at the Medical Outreach Clinic of Summerville, came to the clinic very upset.  He has been unemployed due to a disability, his wife had left him a while back and his house was in foreclosure.  He was at the clinic for medication refills and shared that his electric was disconnected that afternoon in spite of having paid a couple of hundred dollars the week before.  His only source of income at the moment, while waiting on approval for disability, was to sell items at the flea market on weekends.  ARC Change for a Dollar inquired as to what the arrangements were with SCE&G to get his electric turned back on.  A payment to his account was made the following day and his electric was restored that afternoon.  

Amount $ 285.00

Change for a Dollar – 3/31/14

A Summerville Mom with several kids had to relocate their residence.  Following the move while setting up their electric account a past due bill resulted in a significant deposit being required.  Initially SCEG worked with the woman and established a payment plan for the deposit which she thought was workable.  As weeks progressed it became apparent that the payment plan was beyond her ability to pay at the moment given the expenses from the move.  ARC Change for a Dollar helped out this family by making an installment payment towards the required deposit.  

Amount $ 250.00

Change for a Dollar – 3/27/14

A Summerville single Mom with two kids is a recent cancer survivor.  The illness had put a terrible strain on the family budget.  An ARC Owner became aware of her situation and ask Change for a Dollar to reach out to her.  The woman was very upbeat and happy to have successfully dealt with her illness but was anxious about mounting bills as she lost a lot time from work.  Change for a Dollar inquired as to her most pressing need at this time and she shared her electric bill was in arrears and she was in danger of her power being turned off.  Change for a Dollar paid her past due amount on her SCE&G account thus preventing the disconnect.

Amount $ 317.00

Change for a Dollar – 3/24/14

A Summerville Mom has relocated as a result of some marital issues.  Her and her children have moved into a new place of their own at this time.  There were expenses associated with the change of residence for her and the kids that put a strain on the budget.  While she is employed she needed some temporary assistance.  ARC Change for a Dollar provided a gift card to Walmart to help her get the new place set up for her and the kids.

Amount $ 150.00

Change for a Dollar – 3/10/14

There is a young special needs homeless man, who has been spotlighted in the Summerville Journal Scene and has been helped by local police and fire department personnel since he finished high school.  He has been assisted in various ways by other local churches and other organizations but remains in a difficult / fragile situation since he needs minor supervision and his family is incapable of caring for him, they are a family in need as well.  ARC reached out to representatives from the police department to see if he had any needs not currently being met.  They indicated he could use gift cards to a local fast food restaurant that he frequents which they would share them with him as he needed. Change for a Dollar purchased six, $10 gift cards to one of his favorite places and presented them to the police officer to give to the young man to use.

Amount $ 60.00

Change for a Dollar – 3/10/14

Guerin’s pharmacy in Summerville partners with the Medical Outreach Clinic of Summerville (a free medical clinic for those with no insurance and limited means) in providing medications to patients from the clinic.  Ashley Ridge Church, Change for a Dollar, on occasion will help those patients in paying for their prescriptions if they do not have the means to do so.  There was an outstanding balance at Guerin’s pharmacy along with some pending prescriptions that Change for a Dollar covered this month for those patients.

Amount $ 125.00

Change for a Dollar – 2/10/14

A homeless couple who had been previously living in the woods in Summerville have been making progress on getting back on their feet.  The husband had been working part time with his brother but recently has not had the hours he needs to stay current with their rent.  The wife works for a local fast food restaurant and between the two have been able to afford a room at a boarding house.  Due to the lack of work for the husband they were coming up short for their full rent.  Change for a Dollar help out this couple with a partial payment on their rent.  They were confident that in the weeks to come they would get back on track.

Amount $ 100.00

Change for a Dollar – 2/3/14

A 53 year old woman, who lives in an apartment with her daughter and 15 yr. old grandson sought medical attention at the Medical Outreach Clinic of Summerville.  The woman was just release this week from the hospital following admission for acute kidney failure and is scheduled for dialysis.  The woman has been unable to work since last October due to her serious health conditions and has applied for disability.  She has been able to make payments on the rent and utilities with the help from her daughter but has been falling behind in her electric bill.  She has continued to communicate with the electric company and has made token payments to keep from getting threatened with disconnect but is worried she may get too far behind.  Change for a Dollar made a partial payment to her SCE&G account to help lighten her financial burden.

Amount $ 75.00

Change for a Dollar – 1/27/14

A young lady, a former ARC Community Youth participant now a college student, did some community service over the Christmas break at a North Charleston elementary School.  She and her friends noticed some children scavenging for food scraps and decided to look into their situation.  They found these children were living as a families in a small motel room.  She and her friends decided to search them out and found one family in a local hotel by the school.  A mother and her six children were facing being put out of the hotel because the mother lost her job and could no longer pay for the room.  These young adults took it upon themselves to try to do what they could to help this family, find the mother work, find a less expensive hotel, raise money for food for the family and whatever else they could do the keep the family off the streets. The former ARC student approached Change for a Dollar for assistance and we provided her with funds toward the hotel room.

Amount $168.00

Change for a Dollar – 1/27/14

A women, a single Mom with a middle school aged son, is struggling with several issues, one being she has a part time job and her hours have been limited at this time of year.  She gets no support from her ex-husband and struggles to pay her bills.  Change for a Dollar helped with a Bi Lo food gift card as she is not eligible for food stamps.

Amount $50

Change for a Dollar – 1/23/14

During the week of Jan 20 the weather was forecast to be in the teen’s towards the end of the week.  The Change for a Dollar team was aware of a homeless man living in the woods in Summerville.  When we contacted him to see if he had a place to stay for those two nights out of the cold, he indicated he did not.  He also told us of another man living in the woods in Summerville nearby his location.  We asked that he check with him to see if he had a place and he did not.  Change for Dollar and ARC Outreach put these two men up in the hotel during the two frigid nights.

Amount $63

Change for a Dollar – 1/20/14

A women, a single Mom with two middle school aged children, contacted ARC for assistance with her rent.  The Change for a Dollar team set up an interview with the woman to explore her needs.  She has just switched jobs to pick up additional hours and had fallen behind a bit in her rent while waiting for her checks to start coming regular.  She is also attending school to be a Medical Assistant and was nearing graduation.  Because of school she can only work part time and struggles to make the bills as her ex-husband is not making any regular child support payments.  She brought her children with her and by all accounts the children were well behaved and the woman appears to be a good mom trying to make a better life for her family.  Unfortunately, Change for a Dollar did not have enough funds to pay the entire rent but we did pay 50 % of her past due amount for which she was very appreciative.

Amount $300

Change for a Dollar – 1/17/14

A women, a single Mom with two young girls, arrived at the Medical Outreach Clinic of Summerville seeking assistance with getting prescriptions refilled.  She suffers from PTSD as a result of a rape and needs several medications.  Her husband recently left her because he was unable to deal with the wife’s mental health condition (and the youngest child is also the result of the rape) so she is no longer able to afford the doctor as that was her only source of income.  The woman has two children ages two and three and lives in a small house she inherited from an uncle so thankfully she has no rent or mortgage.  She has applied for disability as she is unable to work as a result of her condition and is scheduled to receive assistance and services but that is still weeks away.  Change for a Dollar inquired as to her overall financial situation and her electric bill was past due and she did not have the means to pay it.  Change for a Dollar made a payment to Berkeley County Electric Coop on her account.

Amount $178

Change for a Dollar – 1/14/14

When checking with a past recipient of C4$, a single Mom who is battling breast cancer, we became aware that she needed to make a trip to Virginia for her other sons surgery.  Her 20 year old son who lives with his Dad in Virginia suffers from a brain tumor and is facing a risky surgery with less than an optimistic prognosis.  The mother wanted to be there when he had the surgery but her finances are already stretched very thin that she was fearing eviction from her apartment amongst other things as a result of a being away from work.  Change for a Dollar helped with some of her travel expenses for gas and food so she could make the trip.

Amount $131

Change for a Dollar – 1/14/14

When checking with a past recipient of C4$, a homeless man, he informed us of a need to pay his cell phone bill.  In the past a family member had paid his "pay as you go" cell phone plan but there has been a recent change in some of the family dynamics and he has lost that assistance.  Since he has some serious health concerns and needs to go to the hospital often he needs a way of staying in touch given his limited mobility.  Change for a Dollar helped him by paying for two months of his cell phone plan so he has a way of staying connected.

Amount $100

Change for a Dollar – 1/8/14

When checking with a past recipient of C4$, a homeless man, he informed us of the fact there was another homeless couple living in a tent in Summerville.  We were checking to see if he was going to be OK with the upcoming cold snap when we became aware of this other couple who were going to be exposed to weather also.  He only had a description of the woman and that she worked at a local fast food restaurant in town.  C4$ went to the restaurant to see if we could locate this couple.  She was not working that day but the manager on duty said she had a way of getting in touch with them.  We gave her our phone number to share with the couple and asked they give us a call.  About an hour later the woman called and we discussed their situation and they indeed were still living in the tent and the woman was battling a cold as well. C4$ offered to put them up in a hotel for the two nights where the weather was forecast to be below freezing.  C4$ has a relationship with a local hotel and we put them up in a room so they were out of the cold for those two days.

Amount $125

Change for a Dollar – 1/6/14

Change for a Dollar checked with a homeless person that we had recently helped.  With the coming cold snap there was a concern that he had a way to get out of the cold based upon the forecasted weather.  He was found at his usual spot at the library and we discussed his current situation.  He was still recovering from the surgery on his leg and was still living in the tent.  C4$ bought him breakfast that morning and talked to him about the weather situation and his current living conditions.  He was in need of some items for his “home” / tent and we purchased those items and set him up with a tab at Waffle House for a week’s worth of meals.  Additionally C4$ offered to put him up in a hotel for the two nights that the weather was forecast to be below freezing.  He said he had an offer for a stay at a friend’s house for one of the nights and I was to check with him the following day to see if he needed the second night out of the cold.  The friend extended the offer for the second night so he did not need the hotel room.  He was thankful for the meals and the supplies for his tent

Amount $115