The MUSC and Friends weekly Bible meets each Tuesday night for dinner and Bible study. We begin with dinner at 6:45 and are studying Jesus In His Own Words.
Please let Pastor Ross know if you have any questions. ross@christchurchcharleston.org
When: Every Tuesday until December 18, 2018 – 6:45pm – 8:45pm
Where: Christ Church Presbyterian – 104 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401
Christ Church Presbyterian Official Website
By Mark A. Leon
This commentary is brushed with admiration and fueled by optimism, but must be posed with an air of caution, because with change comes adjustment; with adjustment, comes resistance. Given the rapidly changing landscape, education and acceptance are critical for ensuring a positive future for Charleston.
Last week, a story broke centering around an attack on a transgender female outside a downtown Charleston nightclub. This led to questions on whether this was a targeted attack. Yet, a hush remains over the community. As an active resident for many years, I have observed some clear cultural practices:
We hear that Charleston is the friendliest city in the country and one of the top destinations for new residents and career opportunities, but look at some other issues that will arise as we continue to become one of the fastest growing regions in the South and the country.
These are questions that have run through the minds of many and unfortunately, we seem to be allowing our local governments free reign to capitalize on changes without taking steps to solidify the future. The future is being compromised and contrary to what government and media is saying, it I not for the better.
More tourists, more money, increased costs and more homes are not always the right direction of progress. In addition, progress does takes time. The rate we are progressing is not healthy.
I hope we start to organize and stand in numbers as one voice to either slow down change or prepare for the future. If not for us, for our children.
MEDIA RELEASE: Award-winning UK Company Anticipates Significant Growth in Market
CHARLESTON, SC (August 8, 2018) – Moneypenny, the world’s lead provider of call answering and customer contact services, has expanded its first US office in Charleston on Faber Place Drive. The award-winning employer will have brought 50 jobs to the area by the end of this year, and anticipates adding another 20 positions in 2019.
“Charleston was a natural fit for our first US office because the city’s unique charm aligns so nicely with our own business philosophy,” said Charlotte Glover, Director of Operations for Moneypenny. “We take a unique approach to call answering by offering dedicated professional receptionists that act as an extension of our clients’ businesses. Where better to find the talent for those positions than the cradle of southern hospitality?”
Moneypenny’s office in North Charleston accommodates up to 150 employees, and the company expects to outgrow the space within the next four years. Started as a family business in 2000, Moneypenny now employs more than 650 employees globally, and has twice been named in the top 5 of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” by The Sunday Times in London.
“Today’s ‘always on’ customer has fueled our growth, which we expect to accelerate as more businesses recognize the value in having us cover the phones,” added Glover. “The need
to provide constant customer coverage is taxing small business owners across industries. Nearly every prospective customer hangs up at a voicemail message, but our research shows that a third of businesses still fail to answer their incoming calls.”
Studying the various customer journeys of the 13,000 businesses it works with, Moneypenny has found customers no longer use phones as a research tool. Instead, they now use social media, review sites and media for their initial business inquiries. A phone call today serves as the final reassurance a customer seeks prior to purchase, which means there are fewer calls, but that they are of a higher value.
For further information please contact:
Ariel Herr for Moneypenny
ariel@hargrovepartnership.com
469-235-2708
Leila Bibby for Moneypenny
leila@moneypenny.co.uk
Mary Jane Greenhalgh for Moneypenny
maryjane@moneypenny.co.uk
About Moneypenny
Moneypenny helps businesses earn new and retain existing customers by offering a customized suite of inbound call and customer contact services. From a state-of-the-art facility in Charleston, South Carolina, and the United Kingdom, Moneypenny manages more than 13 million calls, chats, text messages, and emails for more than 13,000 clients annually.
Started as a family business in 2000, Moneypenny has grown to over 600 employees globally. Their industry-leading technology and scalable solutions make Moneypenny the right fit for businesses of all shapes and sizes.
Moneypenny was awarded the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation in 2008 and was recognized by The Sunday Times as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For an astonishing five times including top 5 listings in 2015 and 2017. Moneypenny’s charitable arm helps unemployed and underserved young women in the local community find new opportunities in life and work through its ‘We Mind The Gap’ initiative.
Find more information about how Moneypenny is reshaping the ways businesses interact with their customers at Moneypenny.com.
For immediate release
August 29, 2018
Contact: Greg S. Hart – Folly’s Best Rentals, President
(843) 633-0736 (office)
(843) 224-6031 (cell)
ghart@follysbest.com
Folly’s Best Rentals donates beach accessible wheelchair to the City of Folly Beach
FOLLY BEACH, SC – Folly’s Best Rentals will be donating a ROLLEEZ-4 PVC beach wheelchair to the City of Folly Beach, its citizens, and its guests for use free of charge. The presentation, which is open to the public, will be held at 10:00 am on Friday, August 31, 2018 at Folly’s Best Rentals located at 81A Center Street, Folly Beach, SC.
Folly’s Best Rentals’ President Greg Hart wants this to be the first step of the company’s journey in helping the community increase beach access for everyone. He feels that everyone deserves to “experience where the ocean touches the shore, as this is good for your soul.”
He gives credit to the generosity of Folly’s Best Rentals’ guests and property owners, and feels this would not be possible without them.
The City of Folly Beach currently offers free access to beach wheelchairs any time of year through their Public Safety department. The need for the beach to be accessible to everyone has been steadily increasing over the years, thus sparking the idea for Folly’s Best Rentals to get involved. This specialized wheelchair is only the start for the company to aid in making the beach accessible to all who seek to enjoy its beauty.
For information about renting a beach accessible wheelchair and which beach access points are accessible, contact Folly Beach ADA Liaison Officer Alan Kleinfeld at 843-588-2433.
Folly’s Best Rentals is a local vacation management company operating on Folly Beach since 2011.
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Media Contact:
Minta Pavliscsak, Folly’s Best Rentals
(843) 633-0736 (day)
minta@follysbest.com
About Folly’s Best Rentals
Folly’s Best Rentals is a property management company located on Folly Beach, SC.
Folly’s Best Rentals exceeds the expectations of our owners, guests and associates, all of whom we consider partners. We accomplish this by delivering as we promise and taking the additional step of doing at least one more unexpected thing to improve the experience of all who deal with us. We merge technology with southern hospitality. Each day we work towards improving the experiences we provide our partners.
History:
With over 40 years combined experience in providing accommodations to guest and customer service, Greg and Nancy Hart has lead Folly’s Best Rentals since 2011. The business started after a friend heard how they were doing managing their own beach property and asked for their help. Word spread, and more friends joined in. Today Folly’s Best Rentals is the fastest growing Property Management Company on Folly Beach.
Folly’s Best Rentals – Founded by Greg and Nancy Hart.
81A Center Street on Folly Beach.(843) 633-0269.
office@follysbest.com
https://www.follysbestrentals.com/
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 736 Folly Beach, SC 29439
COUNCIL PARTNERED WITH S.C.-BASED BUS MANUFACTURER PROTERRA
NORTH CHARLESTON (Aug. 29, 2018) – The Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG) has been awarded $1.5 million in funding as a part of the Federal Transportation Authority (FTA) Low- or No-Emission (Low-No) Grant program.
BCDCOG, one of 23 agencies nationwide to receive funds, will purchase an initial trio of zero-emission, battery-electric vehicles from Greenville, S.C. manufacturer Proterra, with whom it partnered on the grant application. The buses will be part of the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) fleet. BCDCOG has managed the transit authority since 2015.
“This is yet another step forward for public transportation in the region,” said BCDCOG and CARTA executive director Ron Mitchum. “Our staff worked diligently to secure funding for these clean-fuel vehicles, which will be the first of many on tri-county streets and highways.”
The CARTA board of directors in July passed a resolution to transition its entire fleet of fixed-route buses, primarily 1996 models that serviced the Atlanta Olympics, to zero-emission battery-electrics over the next several years. Funding from another federal grant program, when combined with Low-No resources, could see the number of battery-electric vehicles increase to as many nine in the near-term. CARTA is in the midst of updating its Express buses and has recently replaced its entire Downtown Area Shuttle (DASH) and Tel-A-Ride paratransit fleets.
A cornerstone of the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act signed into law by Congress in December of 2015, the Low-No Grant program is centered on modernizing transit systems through the purchase of buses which are powered by hybrid or battery engines, according to a Proterra release.
More than $84 million in funding is being made available for 52 projects in 41 states via the Low-No program. About $36 million will be spent on Proterra buses nationally.
“We are extremely happy to see American-made, zero-emission vehicles making their way into our fleet,” said CARTA board of directors chairman Mike Seekings. “Reliable, eco-friendly buses are a core component of what we’re building in regard to public transit in the region.”
ABOUT BCDCOG:
The BCDCOG is a voluntary association of, by and for local governments, and was established to assist Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester county leaders in planning for common needs, cooperating for mutual benefit, and coordinating for sound regional development. BCDCOG’s purpose is to strengthen the individual and collective power of local governments and to help them recognize regional opportunities, eliminate unnecessary duplication, and make joint decisions. For the latest on BCDCOG, visit www.bcdcog.com, like us on Facebook or follow on Twitter at @BDCCoG.
ABOUT CARTA:
The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) is a public transportation system dedicated to providing affordable transit in the Charleston community through local fixed routes, on-demand paratransit service and express commuter routes. For the latest on CARTA, visit www.ridecarta.com, like us on Facebook or follow on Twitter at @RideCARTA. All customers are encouraged to plan rides and track buses with the CARTA-endorsed Transit app and the CARTA Bus Tracker.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Daniel Brock
Rawle Murdy Associates
(919) 820-2612
dbrock@rawlemurdy.com
By Mark A. Leon
By no means is this an all encompassing list. For some, it is the seeds to plant the tree. For others, it is a blueprint to build upon. Whatever place you are in life, these fundamental truths will help set you on course for a life of goodness, happiness and fulfillment.
We value the thoughts of our readers and welcome comments to build upon this list. Here are our basic fundamentals to provide you with a life filled with warmth and love.
Fundamental Truths of Humanity
DARKNESS TO LIGHT ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION CONFERENCE
Conference, presented by the Monique Burr Foundation for Children, brings together sexual abuse prevention leaders from across the country around the common goal of making communities safer for children
Memphis, TN – Darkness to Light has officially announced the schedule of sessions and speakers for the upcoming Ignite 2018 National Prevention Conference, presented by the Monique Burr Foundation for Children. The event, scheduled for October 9th and 10th, 2018, in Memphis, TN, will also feature pre-conference day activities on October 8th. Ignite 2018 will bring together child advocates from all over the world. Early registrants receive a discounted rate by registering before August 31st.
The conference equips attendees with resources and tools to strengthen and organize their prevention initiatives, no matter the size and scope. Advanced training and thought-provoking, interactive sessions led by some of the most respected experts in child sexual abuse prevention will help individuals and organizations bring fresh ideas to their communities.
This year’s conference will welcome Dr. Alice Forrester and Laura Porter as keynote speakers. Forrester and Porter are featured in the film Resilience, an official selection at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. Resilience chronicles the promising beginnings of a national movement to prevent childhood trauma, treat toxic stress, and greatly improve the health of future generations.
Dr. Forrester is the CEO at The Clifford Beers Clinic and provides mental health services for children by including the entire family in their programs. Porter is co-founder of ACE Interface, LLC. She develops and disseminates educational products and empowerment strategies that help leaders throughout the nation to dramatically improve the health and well-being of communities.
“Last year, nearly 200 attendees from 32 states and four countries came together for Ignite. This year is going to be bigger and better,” said Katelyn Brewer, President and CEO of Darkness to Light. “With the expertise of our keynotes, panelists, and session speakers, attendees will be inspired and encouraged, bringing that passion back to their community efforts to better protect children.”
“We are extremely honored and proud to be the presenting sponsor of Darkness to Light’s Ignite 2018 Prevention Conference,” said Lynn Layton, President and CEO of the Monique Burr Foundation for Children. “Our support of Ignite reflects our commitment to collaborating with Darkness to Light and complementing their focus on adult prevention education. Combined with our focus on child prevention education, we will create a 360° circle of prevention and together we will better protect children.”
Conference panelists and speakers include representatives from Microsoft, the Memphis Child Advocacy Center, Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, the Monique Burr Foundation for Children, the Clifford Beers Clinic, ACE Interface, Childhood Fractured, SCARS, The Medical University of South Carolina, and Darkness to Light.
Sessions include:
Other conference sponsors include the HAND Foundation and the Redwoods Group.
For more information and to register for the conference, please visit www.D2L.org/Ignite2018.
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Media Contact
Gwen Bouchie
843.513.1623
gbouchie@D2L.org
About Darkness to Light
Darkness to Light is a nonprofit organization with the mission to empower adults to prevent child sexual abuse through awareness, education, and stigma reduction. Darkness to Light’s flagship program, Stewards of Children®, is an evidence-informed, award-winning training that teaches adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse. More than 1.6 million adults have been trained using Darkness to Light trainings. For more information, visit www.D2L.org.
About the Monique Burr Foundation for Children
The Monique Burr Foundation for Children, Inc. (MBF) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1997 by Edward E. Burr in honor of his late wife, Monique Burr, a devoted child advocate. MBF Prevention Education Programs, including MBF Child Safety Matter® for elementary schools and MBF Teen Safety Matters® for middle schools, are research-based, primary prevention programs that educate and empower students and all relevant adults with information and strategies to prevent, recognize, and respond appropriately to bullying, cyberbullying, digital dangers, and all types of child abuse and exploitation.
For more information about the Monique Burr Foundation for Children, call (904) 642-0210, visit www.mbfpreventioneducation.org or follow the Foundation on Facebook @MBFChildSafety and Instagram @MBFChildSafety.
What: Grand Opening – Duck Donuts
When: Wednesday, August 29, 2018 – 8:00 AM
Where: 1812 Sam Rittenberg Blvd – Suite 16B
Wednesday, August 29, 2018 at 8:00 AM is the grand opening of the first area Duck Donuts.
Get your warm, made to order donuts starting today at 1812 Sam Rittenberg Blvd, Suite 16B (West Ashley)
Store Hours
Independent study shows how a healthcare organization can more efficiently identify patients who want to give back as thanks for exceptional care
CHARLESTON, S.C., Aug. 28, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — Blackbaud BLKB, +1.26% today announced the results of a commissioned Total Economic Impact™ (TEI) [1] study conducted by Forrester Consulting, which examines the return on investment that a healthcare organization may experience by deploying Blackbaud’s smart cloud fundraising and relationship management solution along with its wealth and asset screening solution. Forrester found that over a three-year period, a healthcare organization can achieve a 90 percent return on investment, increase the volume of grateful patient gifts raised by gift officers by 40 percent and increase the average size of grateful patient donations by 28 percent.
To evaluate the economic impact, Forrester took a comprehensive approach to its study, interviewing Blackbaud subject matter experts, Forrester analysts and a hospital foundation (Inova Health Foundation) currently using Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT™ and Grateful Patient Solution. Using the data, Forrester analysts constructed a financial model representative of the interview using its TEI methodology to identify the cost, benefit, flexibility and risk factors that affect the investment decision.
“For over 35 years, Blackbaud’s innovation, industry expertise and value-added services have helped healthcare organizations excel in fundraising and constituent relationship management,” said Page Bullington, president and general manager of Blackbaud Healthcare Solutions. “The ROI that Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT and Grateful Patient Solution brings Inova goes further than its financial results. Our innovations allow Inova to learn more about its constituents and leverage the combination of better data and enhanced functionality to focus its fundraising efforts, ultimately increasing its efficiency and effectiveness.”
Inova Health Foundation (“Inova”), based in Falls Church, Va., is part of the Inova Health System, a large nonprofit health organization that employs over 17,000 staff throughout five hospitals, 25 assisted living and long-term care facilities, 26 primary care locations and a variety of other health-related services. Previously struggling to identify and target ideal donor prospects, Inova turned to Blackbaud to enhance the technology powering its research, direct mail and gift officer outreach.
Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge NXT and Grateful Patient Solution helped Inova identify grateful patient prospects with high giving potential. “It would be impossible to identify the right patients to talk to without Blackbaud because of the volume coming into our system every day,” said Paige Moses, associate vice president, Foundation Services at Inova Health Foundation. “We’ve been able to set up a process that can handle the volume of constituents Inova sees every day with a very lean staff. Before, we couldn’t get through this volume of constituents.”
After deploying Raiser’s Edge NXT with the Grateful Patient Solution, Inova experienced:
“Being able to establish a direct mail program that drove over 800 donors in one year versus a former program that only drove 78 donors in 2015 and 105 donors in 2016 is a huge win,” said Jeff Johnson, senior director of Inova Health Foundation.
Learn how Inova increased patient donations while improving productivity using the Blackbaud solutions by downloading the full study at https://hello.blackbaud.com/12227_Healthcare_Forrester_Report.html. Hosted by Blackbaud, join Inova Health Foundation and guest Forrester on September 19 at 2 p.m. ET to learn more about this report in webinar form.
Click to tweet : .@InovaHealth increased its volume of grateful patient gifts by 40% with @blackbaud’s help – learn how! http://bit.ly/2wt0LYB
About Blackbaud
Blackbaud (NASDAQ: BLKB) is the world’s leading cloud software company powering social good. Serving the entire social good community—nonprofits, foundations, companies, education institutions, healthcare organizations and individual change agents—Blackbaud connects and empowers organizations to increase their impact through cloud software, services, expertise, and data intelligence. The Blackbaud portfolio is tailored to the unique needs of vertical markets, with solutions for fundraising and CRM, marketing, advocacy, peer-to-peer fundraising, corporate social responsibility, school management, ticketing, grantmaking, financial management, payment processing, and analytics. Serving the industry for more than three decades, Blackbaud is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina and has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.blackbaud.com.
Blackbaud Media Contact
Nicole McGougan
Public Relations Manager
843.654.3307
media@blackbaud.com
On March 20, 2013 at the wish of his wife, the owner of the Fillin’ Station Diner opened this ode to the automotive industry and kick back to traditional diners in the small town of Hollywood, South Carolina. We mean small. In fact, if you blink and miss the one traffic light, you are out of the town limits. For many, Hollywood is the town you pass through from Charleston to Edisto Beach. Even its famed antique warehouse has shut down, but five years later, the Fillin’ Station Diner is thriving as well as the recipient of two Best Burger Awards in the Lowcountry.
The model is simple, husband and team do the grilling and the wife makes some of the best homemade cakes and pies this side of the Mississippi. No disrespect to the good folks in Key West, but the Key lime pie here opened up taste buds and tickled them like no other dessert has in a long time. This is a true family built restaurant.
This diner, filled with old automotive decor, a bathroom sink designed like an tool box, murals all around the building, old signs and license plates, kid meals served in car plates and burgers and fries and pie to die for, is a worth the 30 minute drive outside of Charleston.
Here are a few reasons why you need to dine here:
During our first visit, a group of missionaries down from Massachusetts stopped their bus for a bite to eat and we observed some unique behavior. They looked like a group of 5 year old children on a playground the way they took pictures of everything from the outside to the inside. It was a precious moment.
Fillin’ Station Diner has earned the respect of the Lowcountry with their exceptional comfort food, true family environment and classic feel. If you have not made the journey, pack up the family and experience the Fillin’ Station Diner.
P.S. – They are closed Sunday and Monday and opened 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Tuesday – Saturday)
Photo Credit: Fillin’ Station Diner and Charleston Daily
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