COVID-19 and Our Impact on the Community

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Updated May 6, 2020

All of us are processing through the magnitude of our current situation in different ways and our hope is we will continue to lean on each other as we cope with these unprecedented times. We know each of our members have been impacted by this virus in different ways and we encourage you to reach out to your At-Large Directors Brooke Fonder and Meg Mohan if you or your family need anything.

In case you were wondering how our league has been supporting our community so far, we have:

  • Donated $2500 to support our local food bank and purchased 38 family box dinners for staff at Harvest Hope.
  • Purchased 38 family box dinners for Harvest Hope staff.
  • Donated $2,000 to help Senior Resources provide food for their Meals on Wheels Program.
  • Purchased 50 box lunches for volunteers and 10 family dinners for Senior Resources staff.
  • Purchased hygiene products and cleaning supplies for their Senior Pantry program.
  • Donated $2,000 to Homeless No More to help pay for the installation of Wi-Fi for tenants at St. Lawrence Place and The Family Shelter. Also, the JLC is providing Wi-Fi for two months for residents.
  • Purchased three months of diapers at various sizes for the Power in Changing diaper bank.
  • Purchased healthy snacks, school supplies, and girl scout items for care packages for JP Thomas Elementary Girl Scout Troop.
  • Donated $350 in cloth masks for hospital employees at Providence Hospital employees.
  • Also, the JLC purchased 51 boxed lunches for the front-line teams in the ER, ICU, COVID-19 floors and hospital cleaning staff on Friday April 10, April 17 and April 24.
  • Donated $2,000 for COVID-19 relief to provide funds for groceries and expenses at Palmetto Place.
  • Also, the JLC purchased board games and activity books for children and 50 boxed lunches for children and staff on April 15 and April 22. 
  • Donated 146 boxed lunches to Student Nutrition Services staff and volunteers in Richland County School District 1 that work at nine sites and has served 120,000 meals to children and families since schools have closed.
  • Donated $3,413 for activity kits, groceries and gift cards to families with children with special needs for Therapy Place and Family Connection
  • Donated $2,000 to Girls on the Run and $300 for their virtual raffle in connection with the GOTR Virtual Race on May 16. 
  • Donated $1,000 to Wiley Kennedy Foundation’s Saks of Luv to provide backpacks of food to children in the 29203 cluster.
  • Donated $4,000 to the South Carolina Department of Social Services (DSS) to provide gift baskets for the nearly 200 graduates in lieu of an in-person graduation ceremony for transitional young adults. (Updates in italics.)

If you are looking for ways you can make a direct impact in our community, you can:

  • Donate food items to Harvest Hope: canned goods (beans, fruits, meats, pasta sauce, soups, and vegetables), cereal, dry beans, macaroni & cheese, pasta, peanut butter, rice, and other non-perishables. (No glass, please.)
  • Volunteer to distribute food in the Harvest Hope drive-thru line. There are two volunteer shifts a day at our Shop Road location. The sign-up link for shifts is here.
  • Donate to the Coronavirus Response Fund for monetary donations to help those with the increased needs.
  • Donate to help Senior Resources help more of our elderly neighbors through their COVID-19 Disaster Relief Fund.
  • Volunteer to deliver meals to seniors. Learn about volunteering opportunities with Senior Resources here.
  • Purchase food and hygiene products for the Senior Pantry. Items that are particularly in need: pop-top cans of soup, tuna or chicken, pasta & pasta sauce, chewy granola bars or cereal bars, raisins or other dried fruit, fruit cups or applesauce, peanut butter & jelly, powdered or shelf-stable milk, juice boxes (no grapefruit juice, as it interferes with the medications of many of our clients), and bottled water. Donations of toiletries and household items are also appreciated. Donations can be dropped off at the Senior Resources office (2817 Millwood Ave.) Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
  • Purchase items for Homeless No More families through this Amazon Wish List.
  • Donate financially to Homeless No More as they support families in transitional housing.
  • Purchase diapers of any size for Power In Changing and in any quantity. Diapers can be dropped off at 6615-b Two Notch Road, Columbia, SC 29223. (Power in Changing headquarters)
  • Donate to the United Way’s COVID-19 Response Fund.
  • Donate to JLC’s COVID-19 Response Fund. Read more about our fund. 

We are so thankful to all of you, our committed members who are consistently finding ways to promote voluntarism, develop the potential of women, and improve our communities.