Palmetto Project Inc

THE PALMETTO PROJECT IS A PRIVATE, NON-PROFIT INITIATIVE TO PUT NEW AND CREATIVE IDEAS TO WORK IN SOUTH CAROLINA. LED BY THE BELIEF THAT EVERY PROBLEM FACED BY COMMUNITIES IN OUR STATE IS BEING SOLVED BY SOMEONE SOMEWHERE, WE BRING TOGETHER CITIZENS, CORPORATIONS, AND GOVERNMENTAL AGENCIES TO FIND GOOD IDEAS AND PUT THEM TO WORK STATEWIDE. SINCE WE STARTED IN 1984, WE HAVE BEEN THE CATALYST FOR OVER 240 INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE PROJECTS. WE ARE NOT A GOVERNMENT AGENCY. WE RELY ON FOUNDATIONS AND CORPORATIONS FOR MUCH OF OUR FUNDING. HOWEVER, OUR STRONGEST SUPPORT COMES FROM THOUSANDS OF INDIVIDUAL SOUTH CAROLINIANS WHO SHARE OUR VISION OF THE STATES FUTURE.

ACCESSIBLE HEALTHCARE INSURE SC: PALMETTO PROJECT CONTINUED ITS ENROLLMENT ASSISTER WORK THROUGHOUT 2020, NO LONGER AS FEDERALLY-FUNDED CERTIFIED INSURANCE NAVIGATORS FOR ONLY SC HEALTHY CONNECTIONS MEDICAID AND THE FEDERALLY FACILITATED HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACE (HEALTHCARE.GOV), BUT INSTEAD AS LICENSED INSURANCE AGENTS WHO PROVIDED ENROLLMENT ASSISTANCE FOR MEDICARE ADVANTAGE AND MEDIGAP/MEDICARE SUPPLEMENT PLANS. ALL LICENSED AGENTS ARE SALARIED, WITH COMMISSION REVENUE DIRECTED TO PALMETTO PROJECT, SO THEIR FOCUS IS ON FINDING THE BEST HEALTH CARE COVERAGE FOR THE CONSUMER. THIS ALSO INCLUDED REFERRALS TO PRESCRIPTION ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS, FEDERALLY QUALIFIED HEALTH CENTERS, FREE CLINICS, AND OTHER COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICES. AGENTS WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE WHILE MAINTAINING SOCIAL DISTANCE, COMPLETING MOST ENROLLMENTS VIRTUALLY: 707 ACA CONTRACTS AND 80 MEDICARE ENROLLMENTS. 63 VERY LOW INCOME MEDICARE-ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUALS WERE ASSISTED WITH APPLICATIONS FOR MEDICARE SAVINGS PROGRAMS. CHILDRENS HEALTH SC: PALMETTO PROJECT CONTINUED WORKING WITH LOW- AND MODERATE-INCOME FAMILIES IN SC TO PROVIDE EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND APPLICATION ASSISTANCE FOR SC HEALTHY CONNECTIONS MEDICAID TO IDENTIFY UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED CHILDREN. OUR TEAM OF LICENSED INSURANCE AGENTS AND OUR AMERICORPS MEMBER WORK WITH FAMILIES TO COMPLETE THE SC HEALTHY CONNECTIONS MEDICAID APPLICATION, SUBMIT IT, AND FOLLOW IT THROUGH TO ELIGIBILITY DETERMINATION. APPLICATION ASSISTANCE AND EDUCATION ABOUT DENTAL AND VISION BENEFITS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF SEEKING PREVENTIVE CARE WAS DELIVERED TO 333 FAMILIES REPRESENTING 757 INDIVIDUALS. CAROLINA HEARING AID BANK: THROUGH A SPECIAL PARTNERSHIP WITH STARKEY, A NATIONAL HEARING AID MANUFACTURER, THE PALMETTO PROJECT PROVIDED 15 HEARING AIDS IN 2022 TO LOW-INCOME SOUTH CAROLINIANS.

YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND SCHOOLS MY FIRST BOOKS SC/BEGIN WITH BOOKS: MY FIRST BOOKS SC IMPROVES EARLY LITERACY BY ENABLING YOUNG CHILDREN TO BUILD A HOME LIBRARY AND INCREASE THEIR SCHOOL READINESS. THROUGH ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH DOLLY PARTONS IMAGINATION LIBRARY, PALMETTO PROJECT IS WORKING TO PROVIDE EACH SOUTH CAROLINA CHILD UNDER AGE FIVE A FREE, DEVELOPMENTALLY-APPROPRIATE BOOK EACH MONTH. BEGIN WITH BOOKS OUR AFFILIATED PROGRAM IN CHARLESTON COUNTY, IS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL EXAMPLES OF HOW THIS PROGRAM CAN CHANGE CHILDRENS LIVES. STATEWIDE, WE ARE SERVING MORE THAN 16,000 CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE. FAMILIES HELPING FAMILIES: FOR MORE THAN 27 YEARS, THE PALMETTO PROJECT HAS PROVIDED A LIFELINE TO FAMILIES IN CRISIS THROUGH ITS NETWORK OF SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES AND COMMUNITY-MINDED ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE MIDLANDS REGION. MANY SOUTH CAROLINIANS KNOW FHF BECAUSE OF ITS CHRISTMAS PROGRAMMING THAT PROVIDES FOOD, CLOTHING, AND CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR MORE THAN 3,600 FAMILIES WITH URGENT AND EMERGENCY NEEDS. FOOD SECURITY: PALMETTO PROJECT WAS AWARDED AN AMERICORPS MEMBER WHO HELPED 260 FAMILIES SUBMIT APPLICATIONS FOR THE SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (SNAP), MORE COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS FOOD STAMPS.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT HOMELESS TO HOPE FUND: FOUNDED IN FEBRUARY 2016, THE HOMELESS TO HOPE FUND IS THE NONPROFIT ARM OF A LARGER PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN CHARLESTON, BERKELEY, AND DORCHESTER COUNTIES. TAX- DEDUCTIBLE DONATIONS ARE USED TO ASSIST APPROVED LOCAL SERVICE PROVIDERS IN PROVIDING TEMPORARY SHELTER AND SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS COMMITTED TO TRANSITIONING TO PERMANENT HOUSING AND INDEPENDENT LIVING. THIS INCLUDES THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL CENTER FOR MANAGING ACCESS TO LOCAL SERVICES AND SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS. LOWCOUNTRY MINISTRIES FUND: THIS FUND WAS ESTABLISHED IN COORDINATION WITH AND AT THE REQUEST OF THE CITY OF CHARLESTON AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR THE VICTIMS OF THE JUNE 2015 TRAGEDY AT EMANUEL AME CHURCH BY FURTHERING COMMUNITY CONCERNS THAT WERE IMPORTANT TO THEM, ESPECIALLY IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES IN BEAUFORT, HAMPTON, ALLENDALE, COLLETON, JASPER, AND CHARLESTON COUNTIES. LOW COUNTRY AID TO AFRICA: IN 2003, LEADERS OF CHARLESTON RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER TO CREATE STRONGER TIES WITH NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN AFRICA RESPONDING TO THE CONTINENTS GROWING HEALTH CRISES. EVERY YEAR THE GROUP OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS ORGANIZES A MAJOR FUNDRAISING EVENT THROUGH WHICH SOUTH CAROLINIANS CAN PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THIS PART OF THE WORLD THAT HAS HAD SUCH AN IMPORTANT IMPACT ON OUR STATE.

UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFIT APPLICATION ASSISTANCE: IN RESPONSE TO REQUESTS FROM MUNICIPALITIES, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, AND INDIVIDUALS, PALMETTO PROJECT'S TEAM OF LICENSED INSURANCE AGENTS PIVOTED IN APRIL 2020 TO ASSIST SOUTH CAROLINIANS FROM ACROSS THE STATE IN THEIR QUEST TO ACCESS SC'S UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BENEFIT APPLICATION. THE APPLICATION WAS ONLY ACCESSIBLE ON LINE, AND WAS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH ANY MOBILE DEVICES. THE NUMBER OF STANDARD APPLICATIONS WAS OVERWHELMING THE STATE'S DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT AND WORKFORCE (DEW), BUT WAS FURTHER COMPLICATED WHEN FEDERAL RULE CHANGES ALLOWED SELFEMPLOYED WORKERS TO APPLY FOR BENEFITS. THE TEAM OF FIVE AGENTS FIELDED 1,615 CALLS. PALMETTO PROJECT LEVERAGED ITS EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH THE STATE'S MEDICAID AGENCY TO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION WITH SC DEW STAFF TO TROUBLESHOOT THE DIFFICULT APPLICATIONS. THE RELATIONSHIP WAS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT SC DEW ASKED STAFF TO PARTICIPATE IN A FOCUS GROUP TO SHARE WAYS THEIR APPLICATION AND INCOME REPORTING SYSTEM COULD BE IMPROVED.