Felician Center Inc

FELICIAN CENTER INC., IS A MULTI-FACETED MINISTRY LOCATED IN RURAL WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY IN SOUTH CAROLINA SERVING THE NEEDS OF THE POOR AND ALLEVIATING INJUSTICES.

DIRECT FOOD SERVICES - PRIMARILY DUE TO COVID, STARTING MARCH 2020, THE BLESSED ANGELA MEAL WAS CANCELLED FOR INDOOR DINING; INSTEAD AREA CHURCHES PREPARED A BAG LUNCH THAT WAS DISTRIBUTED ON THE LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH VIA THE FOOD PANTRY. THIS SERVED 300 PEOPLE.FOOD PANTRY TOOK ON NEW DELIVERY STYLE WITH PRE-PACKAGED GROCERY BAGS GIVEN OUT AT THE DOOR EVERY TUESDAY; SOMETIMES GIFT CARDS FOR MEAT WERE GIVEN ESPECIALLY AROUND HOLIDAYS, SOMETIMES BAGS WITH HEALTHCARE ITEMS EG. ASPIRINS, NASAL SPRAY, SOAP, KLEENEX, CLEANING AGENTS, SANITIZER, CHOLOROX WIPES ETC. WERE ALSO ADDED.KID FRIENDLY BAGS CONTINUED WEEKLY DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS AND INTO THE ACADEMIC YEAR ONCE A MONTH.OVERALL THE NUMBER OF HOUSEHOLDS SERVED INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY TO ABOUT 5,200 INDIVIDUALS. 200 THANKSGIVING GROCERY BAGS, 100 EASTER HAMS, AND AT LEAST 500 GIFT CARDS RANGING FROM $10- $20 WERE DISTRIBUTED FOR MEAT/FOOD AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR.

OTHER SERVICES PROVIDED BY FELICIAN CENTER INCLUDE AN EDUCATION PROGRAM. WITH SCHOOLS FLUCTUATING BETWEEN VIRTUAL AND ON-SITE EDUCATION, HOMEWORK AND NO HOMEWORK, TEACHERS IN AND TEACHERS ABSENT AND VOLUNTEERS STILL FEARING A RETURN TO THE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM, A NEW FORMAT WAS INTRODUCED. CHILDREN WERE INVITED ONCE A MONTH ACCOMPANIED BY A PARENT/GUARDIAN TO ENGAGE IN A THEME EXPERIENCE THAT WAS ACADEMIC AND FUN. EVERYONE WAS MASKED AND WORE GLOVES. MATH THEMES, READING AND PROBLEM SOLVING, PUZZLES, HANDS ON ACTIVITIES AT VARIOUS STATIONS WERE PROVIDED TO KEEP AN EDUCATIONAL FOCUS DURING THIS TIME. WHEN COMPLETING THE EXERCISES, CHILDREN WERE REWARDED WITH A TAKE HOME BAG THAT OFTEN INCLUDED SOME LEARNING ACTIVITIES, OUTDOOR PLAY RESOURCES EG. BUBBLES, HULA HOOPS, SIDEWALK CHALK THAT WAS CONSIDERED A PHYSICAL EDUCATION COMPONENT. APPROXIMATELY 150 CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN THE PROGRAM. AT LEAST 500 HOURS OF SERVICE WAS PROVIDED BY VOLUNTEERS AND STAFF TO PREPARE AND CARRY OUT THE LEARNING DAYS.OTHER SERVICES INCLUDED A HUGE RESPONSE TO COVID NEEDS. HEALTH SERVICES WERE SHUT DOWN BUT THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WERE DONATED TO LOCAL PHARMACIES TO ASSIST FOLKS IN NEED WITH THEIR PRESCRIPTION PAYMENTS. STARTING MARCH 2020, THERE WERE NO PROGRAMS WITH LOCAL DENTISTS, OPTOMETRISTS ETC. AS MOST WERE CLOSED DOWN. SUCH LIMITED SERVICES DID REOPEN SERVING 22 PEOPLE AT FELICIAN CENTER FYE 2021. THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WERE ALSO SPENT ON HEALTH ITEMS E.G. MASKS, GLOVES, OVER THE COUNTER MEDICATIONS, AND TOILETRIES THAT WERE DISTRIBUTED THROUGH THE FOOD PANTRY AND LEARNING CENTER. EASILY, 500 INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED COVID ASSISTANCE WITH PERSONAL TOILETRIES AND CLEANING SUPPLIES. THIS INCLUDED COMPENSATING STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS.

CLOTHING CLOSET - ON MANY FRIDAYS, FREE CLOTHING WAS PLACED OUTDOORS, WEATHER PERMITTING. VARIOUS MODIFIED RE-OPENINGS OCCURRED BASED ON THE PANDEMIC SURGES. A NEW FORMAT WAS IN OPERATION AS FEATURED ITEMS WERE AVAILABLE EG. NEW SHOES, BLANKETS, BEDDING, TOWELS, BABY ITEMS. THIS GAVE SHOPPERS A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME WITHIN THE BUILDING ALWAYS MASKED AND WEARING GLOVES. NEWER CLIENTS WERE ATTRACTED. APPROXIMATELY 1200 INDIVIDUALS WERE SERVED FROM JULY 2021 TO JUNE 2022.

NEIGHBORHOOD FORUM GRANT PROJECT - A $50,000 GRANT RECEIVED IN APRIL 2021 PROVIDED A ONE YEAR HOME REPAID PROGRAM NAMED THE NEIGHBORHOOD FORUM. RESIDENTS FROM ONE STREET WITHIN THE COMMUNITY ATTENDED QUARTERLY MEETINGS, DID CLEAN-UP OF THEIR OWN PROPERTIES AND COMPLETED APPLICATIONS AFTER A SITE VISIT. WITHIN ONE YEAR, THIRTY ONE HOMES RECEIVED VARIOUS UPGRADES SUCH AS; NEW RAILINGS, STAIRS, HANDICAP RAMPS, EXTERIOR DOORS, AND/OR SOME PROPERTY BEAUTIFICATION AS PART OF A FOUR PHASE CYCLE. FOUR PHASES WOULD COMPLETE THE GRANT BY APRIL 2022. ADDITIONAL DONATIONS RAISED THE SPENDING TO $82,000 FOR THE HOME REPAIRS.