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-PREPARED 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, 85 EASTER HAMS, AND AT LEAST 500 GIFT CARDS RANGING FROM $10- $20 WERE DISTRIBUTED FOR MEAT AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR.

EDUCATION PROGRAM - THIS PROGRAM AIMS TO REINFORCE LEARNING AND BUILD SELF-ESTEEM. VOLUNTEER TUTORS ASSIST CHILDREN IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE 5 WITH HOMEWORK AND LEARNING SKILLS. AS AN INCENTIVE TO EARN GOOD GRADES, COMPLETE HOMEWORK AND EXHIBIT GOOD CONDUCT, THE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS IN THE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM ARE REWARDED WITH ENRICHMENT PROGRAMS AND EDUCATIONAL FIELD TRIPS.DUE TO COVID, THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WAS CLOSED DOWN FOR QUITE A WHILE STARTING MARCH 2020. THEREFORE, WE NEEDED TO REVISE OUR LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO ONCE A MONTH EDUCATIONAL KID EVENTS WITH MASKS AND SOCIALLY DISTANCED. ACCOMPANIED BY AN ADULT, THE CHILDREN WHO WERE REGISTERED PARTICIPATED IN LEARNING ACTIVITIES STATION BY STATION. THERE WAS ALSO A TAKEAWAY FOLDER/BAG OF OTHER KINDS OF ACTIVITIES TO DO AT HOME RELATED TO THEMES EG. COUNTING MONEY, MATH, HOLIDAYS. SOME CHILDREN WERE SPONSORED TO AREA SUMMER CAMPS AND THE FELICIAN CENTER OFFERED VARIOUS DAY CAMPS IN MATH, SCIENCE, ART, AND COOKING TO LIMITED NUMBERS OF CHILDREN. ABOUT 190 CHILDREN PARTICIPATED IN SOME OF THE EVENTS. APPROXIMATELY 500 HOURS OF SERVICE WAS PROVIDED FROM JULY 2020 THROUGH JUNE 2021.

CLOTHING CLOSET - LIKE THE OTHER PROGRAMS, THE CLOTHING CLOSET WAS SHUT DOWN IN MARCH 2020 DUE TO THE COVID PANDEMIC AND REMAINED CLOSED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE 2021 FISCAL YEAR. HOWEVER, ON MANY FRIDAYS, FREE CLOTHING WAS PLACED OUTDOORS, WEATHER PERMITTING. VARIOUS MODIFIED RE-OPENINGS OCCURRED BASED ON THE PANDEMIC SURGES. APPROXIMATELY 500 INDIVIDUALS WERE SERVED FROM JULY 2020 TO JUNE 2021.

OTHER SERVICES PROVIDED BY FELICIAN CENTER 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, 450 INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED COVID ASSISTANCE WITH PERSONAL TOILETRIES AND CLEANING SUPPLIES. THIS INCLUDED COMPENSATING STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS. A $50,000 GRANT RECEIVED IN APRIL 2021 PROVIDED A ONE YEAR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM NAMED THE NEIGHBORHOOD FORUM. RESIDENTS OF ONE STREET ATTENDED QUARTERLY MEETINGS, DID CLEAN UP OF THEIR OWN PROPERTIES AND COMPLETED APPLICATIONS AFTER A SITE VISIT. WITHIN ONE YEAR, THIRTY-ONE HOMES RECEIVED SOME NEW RAILINGS, STAIRS, HANDICAP RAMPS, EXTERIOR DOORS AND/OR SOME PROPTERTY BEAUTIFICATION AS PART OF A FOUR PHASE CYCLE. FOUR PHASES WOULD COMPLETE THE GRANT BY APRIL 2022.