Single Mom struggling to make ends meet – Jan 5, 2017

An ARC owner was serving on the Expanding the Table food truck one evening when he became acquainted with a new guest, a single mom.  She had been coming to the truck for several days and the ARC Owner got to know her a little better.  She shared that she recently became single and was struggling to make ends meet as she cleaned houses for a living.  She recently lost a big customer and was have trouble keeping up as she didn’t have enough for day care to work when the child was not in school.  We referred her to several Lowcountry Human Services organizations that assist people but she had come up dry as the Christmas season had drained most resources.  The ARC owner ask if Change for a Dollar could assist with paying a past due electric bill to help avoid the service being disconnected.  Change for a Dollar paid the amount necessary to prevent the disconnect.

SCE&G Payment - $180.00

Heater for Elderly Woman– Dec 17, 2016

An ARC owner was on Facebook and became aware through a FB Friend that there was an elderly woman who didn’t have sufficient heat in her home.  She had one portable heater but it was not enough to keep her warm.  He asked if Change for a Dollar could help with an additional heater.  He reached out to the FB friend and told her Change for a Dollar could assist the elderly woman.  He purchased the heater and delivered it but in the process he learned that his FB friend had a son who really wanted a train set for Christmas but she didn’t have enough for that additional Christmas gift.  The ARC owner delivered the heater along with buying the train set himself as gift for the young boy.  Two folks had a good Christmas.

Cost of Heater - $34.99

Christmas for single mom with 2 kids– Dec 5, 2016

A single mom trying is to make a go of it after leaving an abusive relationship and was looking for a job.  She had no transportation and was walking everywhere but it limited her ability to get work.  Change for a Dollar bought her a bicycle to extend her ability to travel to and from a job. She subsequently got a job within a few days.  In the process it was discovered the family did not have a Christmas tree for Christmas.  The mom had a few presents for the kids but no decorations or tree. Change for a Dollar also purchased a pre-lighted 6 foot tree and few ornaments so the family could have a tree for Christmas morning.

Total cost, Walmart - $175.95

Homeless and poor in need of medications – Dec 2, 2016

Ashley Ridge Church has a relationship with a local pharmacy in Summerville where Change for a Dollar can acquire discounted prescriptions for folks in need.  The free clinics in town try to either provide medications or prescribe from the major chain stores discounted medication lists for the uninsured.  At times an individual will be discharged from the hospital or given a prescription from a clinic that is beyond their means to pay. Change for a Dollar refers them to our partnering pharmacy and Change for a Dollar covers the cost of their medications.

Total cost - $150.00

Family in trouble financially – Dec 1, 2016

An ARC owner works with a woman who recently shared some family troubles.  It appears the husband was not staying on top of the bills and now the family is looking at some serious financial difficulties. Their electric bill was in arrears and they would soon be facing a disconnect if a payment was not made soon.  Change for a Dollar was able to help the family out by making a payment on the electric bill which will help them get their finances back on track.

SCE&G payment - $200

Homeless man needed car part – Nov 23, 2016

A homeless man living in the local homeless shelter uses a late model vehicle to go to work on odd jobs.  He is currently trying to clear up many outstanding bills from a recent divorce.  He is currently looking for full time employment but vehicle problems have made that difficult.  He has made a few dollars to keep up on the repair the vehicle but recently came up short.  Change for a Dollar assisted in purchasing some of the parts he needed.

Total cost - $88.90

“Homeless” single mom assisted with residence – Nov 5, 2016

A single mother recently relocated back to Summerville from Florida.  She was staying with family in Florida but needed to leave due to an unhealthy environment for her children.  Her hopes for Summerville didn’t materialize and she and the kids wound up in the One80 Place homeless shelter.  After a month in the shelter it became difficult for her to stay for a variety of reasons, mainly that the kids were having difficulty dealing with the conditions.  She knew a landlord in Summerville and was able to secure a trailer and got assistance with paying the rent for the first six months.  Unfortunately, her only income was $500 in food stamps and she has been selling plasma for additional cash.  Change for a Dollar assisted with getting her settled into the trailer as they had nothing but a couple of bean bag chairs and a small table.  Donations of beds and other furniture were arranged and Change for a Dollar paid for sheets, bedding, some clothing for the kids, and a couple of heaters for the trailer which had very poor heating.

Total payments - $185.18

Couple displaced by hurricane, hotel stay – Oct 30, 2016

A couple was displaced from their home when a tree crashed through their trailer during Hurricane Matthew.  They have a claim that is in process with FEMA but that takes time.  The husband is disabled and receives regular disability checks but that is not due for another week.  They have run out of funds paying for stays at a local hotel.  A couple of churches in town have helped with a few nights but they were facing the need to check out.  The hotel manager has a relationship with ARC and gives Change for a Dollar a special rate.  The manager referred the case to Change for a Dollar.  We were able to help with an additional two night’s stay.

Two nights hotel stay – $125.34

Divorced single mom in need of assistance – Oct 23, 2016

A young single mother recently got divorced and wound up losing her job shortly thereafter.  An ARC owner became aware of her situation.  She had secured a new job but was struggling with some past due bills from when she was out of work.  The ARC owner asked if Change for a Dollar could assist.  Upon checking with her the most pressing need was that her electric was due to be disconnected.  Change for a Dollar assisted by paying the amount needed to prevent the disconnect.

SCE&G Payment - $131.00

Young homeless couple has a baby – Oct 12, 2016

A young homeless couple was living in their car.  The woman was pregnant and expecting in October.  The hurricane was coming around the due date for the baby so the couple scraped up as much money as they could and rode out the storm in a hotel.  The woman went into labor the day after the storm and the baby was delivered.  The couple was looking for and getting some assistance from a very benevolent woman who was allowing the mother to temporarily move in with the baby. The baby’s father is waiting to enter the homeless shelter.   Change for a Dollar helped with several days stay in the hotel for the couple.

Three days EconoLodge - $168.54

Young mother fighting cancer – Oct 2, 2016

A young woman is battling cancer.  An ARC Owner reported she was undergoing chemotherapy and radiation for the cancer.  She continues to miss work on the days she has chemo and as a result she is struggling to pay the bills.  ARC Change for a Dollar has helped them out by paying current electric bill.

SCE&G Payment - $258.12

Homeless man needed new car battery – Sept 21, 2016

A homeless man owns a late model vehicle that has some minor problems.   He recently got divorced and lost his job at the same time.  He has been working odd jobs and has applied for unemployment but still is not earning enough to get an apartment.  He recently had car problems with a bad battery and bad alternator.  He had some funds to pay for the new battery but it would have depleted most of his savings.  Change for a Dollar assisted him in paying for a portion of the cost of the battery so he can continue his job hunt and periodic work days.

Partial battery purchase price - $70

Elderly homeless woman has cancer – Sept 21, 2016

A 76 year old homeless woman is battling lung cancer.  She has been living in her van for some time but has managed to get by on her small income, at least until her illness has recently gotten worse.  She was in the hospital earlier this month but when discharged the hospital put her up in a local hotel for one week.  She is scheduled for ongoing chemotherapy and was concerned about enduring the treatments while living in her van.  When her hotel stay ran out she was found sitting on the curb at the hotel by a young woman who was staying at the hotel who knew of Change for a Dollar. She gave our contact info to the hotel clerk who called us.  Change for a Dollar met with the woman and talked to her about options in the community.  Nothing seemed to be of any help to her.  In the end Change for Dollar paid for an additional night at the hotel so she didn’t have to stay in her car during a very rainy evening.   Unfortunately, there was little more we could do than to pray for her.

One night hotel stay - $60

Homeless man needs transmission repair – Sept 14, 2016

A homeless man living at the local shelter has been living there for several months. He has worked diligently to address his issues and has been working, saving and has been able to purchase a used vehicle.  He has the opportunity to promote himself to a new job at the Vovlo plant construction but was in need of the vehicle to complete that process.  He recently purchased a nice vehicle for a good price but unfortunately shortly after he picked it up there appeared to be some transmission problems.  He had additional savings to pay for most of the repair bill but was a bit short.  Change for a Dollar assisted in helping him pay for the transmission repair.

Transmission repair -  $350

Disabled homeless man in crisis – Sept 5, 2016

A local homeless man was in the hospital.  The hospital discharged him to the street where he had no options.  He is disabled in that he has kidney failure and is on dialysis three days per week.  To complicate his situation he has a bad hip and struggles to walk with a walker.  To make matters worse he battles an addiction to crack that he was pleading for help with.  Unfortunately there was no shelter that could take him in due to his conditions.  A couple of ARC owners were trying to find a way to help.  Thankfully he agreed to attend an NA meeting and connected with the folks there.  He still was living on the street and was in great despair and begged for help.  An option for him to stay with his brother in Texas materialized.  The ARC owners got him to dialysis the next day in preparation of the trip and bought him the bus ticket.  He was also set up with a large duffle bag to replace his plastic trash bag “luggage”.  Additionally he “negotiated” himself a loan of a much needed wheelchair from the dialysis center for the trip to Texas.  The ARC owners felt compelled to replace the wheelchair at the dialysis center as well.  A day later he contacted the ARC Owners to say he made it.  He was very appreciative of all the help and was headed for an NA meeting followed by looking for a good church.  TFJ!

Bus ticket –$165, duffle bag $26.95, wheelchair $157.32 – total $349.28

Local man needed a rain coat – Aug 25, 2016

An ARC owner serves on the ETT food truck.  She was talking with one of the guests that frequents the truck and only has a bicycle for transportation.  He needs to ride his bike to get to occasional work and at times gets caught in bad weather.  He was in need of a rain coat slicker to stay dry on days that it rains.  Change for a Dollar helped out by paying for the coat and the ARC owner delivered it to him.

Dick Sporting Goods - $43.19

Women getting divorce in need of assistance – Aug 19, 2016

An ARC owner has a routine appointment with a massage therapist in Summerville.  The young woman recently found herself in the middle of an unexpected marital separation/divorce.  She shared her story the ARC owner.  The woman has two children and she was left with several outstanding bills that she was unaware since her husband was not paying the bills.  The ARC owner inquired as to the most pressing need, there were many, and Change for Dollar assisted with a grocery food gift card to help ease the burden on the budget.

BiLo gift card - $150

Several homeless and poor in need of medications – Aug 6, 2016

Several men from the Lowcountry Home of Hope, a men’s homeless shelter in Summerville, had emergency room stays and visits to the doctor. Out of the three only one had a job but it was small hours and minimum wage.  For all of them the cost of medications were too expensive to purchase.  Change for a Dollar worked out an arrangement for a small discount with Gurerin's pharmacy and had their prescriptions filled.  Additionally, there was a women in the MUSC program for battered women who was also having difficulty paying for her medication.  MUSC contacted Change for a Dollar to see if we could assist.  Change for a Dollar assisted by paying for two prescriptions for her as well.

Guerin's Pharmacy - $100.00

Family of four needs AC – Aug 1, 2016

A family who attends the Expanding the Table dinners was talking with one of the volunteers. The volunteer found out that the family did not have any air conditioning in their home in this current oppressive heat wave.  A visit to the home verified it was hotter inside the house than it was outside.  Change for a Dollar purchased a window unit air conditioner for the family of four to provide some much needed cooling for their home.

Air-conditioner - $193.32

Kids need school uniforms / family needs AC – July 28, 2016

A family from Lincolnville attends Expanding the Table dinners. Two of the young children actively participate in the evening’s activities.  As the volunteers got to know the kids it became evident that the family didn’t have the money to purchase school uniforms for the young boy and girl.  They live within the N Charleston School district and must wear a school uniform consisting of tan khakis and blue shirts.  One of the volunteers offered to take the two shopping and Change for a Dollar provided the funds for the boy and girl to get uniforms for school.  Additionally, the volunteer found out that the family did not have any air conditioning in their home in this current oppressive heat wave.  Change for a Dollar also purchased a room air conditioner to provide some minimum amount of cooling for their home.

School uniforms plus Air-conditioned - $150.00 + $193.32