Sat barefoot in jeans and a loose shirt in the corner of Mt Pleasant’s Dog and Duck, local musician Thomas Champagne could easily trick you into thinking you were somewhere else. His unique acoustic style and unusual syncopation fuses a myriad of genres, from his country and Cajun roots to reggae and Caribbean influences.

At times there is a pendulous sense Champagne’s innovative renditions of familiar songs will trip and fall. But while you’re not sure where you’re being led, there’s bearing and assurance the journey is somewhere positive and fun.

“The number one thing I want to convey is a positive message, but it’s the ability to catch people off guard I think that is the biggest present I can give to any audience – because that’s how you amaze somebody.”

Champagne achieves this with ease so when he segues into an original song it’s often overlooked because his sets flow seamlessly together. However, this didn’t come naturally to Champagne when he first arrived in Charleston from Austin, Texas. It was a challenge he says he had to grow into and work hard at developing.

“The biggest difference coming to Charleston is it’s primarily a tourist capital. While the thriving tourist scene here is awesome for the economy it can take over a musician’s directive by having to play more cover songs than one would normally like, or have to do.”

Champagne says he embraced the twist to what he was used to because he found ways to present cover songs in his own style. Being patient with this change has seen him over the past summer receive a great deal of encouragement and positive feedback.

The result is a breezy and soulful marriage of sunburnt earth, salt and the sea which could have you convinced you were in some surf shack on the Californian coast. However, this is just one side to the constantly evolving and innovative artist, which began to emerge when Champagne relocated from Austin to Charleston.

“I’ve always been Champagne with Friends and I’ve had over 100 different friends on stage. But when I left Austin I stepped away from having a band back me up and I now play all these solo shows, which I wasn’t doing before. It definitely made me stronger as a musician and as a person by having to say, ‘Hey guys, I love you – I miss you, but I got to go and step into this by myself.’ And I think here in Charleston is the first time Thomas Champagne came out – with friends as my audience.”

Born and raised in Beaumont, Texas from strong Louisiana ancestry, Champagne is proud of his heritage.  He also appreciates the truth and irony that comes with journeying into the unfamiliar, admitting with a chuckle that he became more of a Texan by leaving Texas. Champagnes sees the move to Charleston as another chapter, both as a solo artist and his recent full-time commitment to his profession.

Two weeks prior to the Dog and Duck I first saw Champagne with Friends by accident when I entered the Blind Tiger on Broad Street on a Friday night to catch up with my own friends.  With two local musicians in support they belted out an infectious breed of classic rock tunes, and made the old floorboards at the Blind Tiger pay the price as everyone got caught in the rhythm and groove.

For me it evoked the great Aussie legacy of pub rock offered any weekend night in a beachside bar on the Indian Ocean in Perth, or a St Kilda pub in Melbourne. Continuing this prominent theme of evolution is the rotation of local musicians Champagne uses at every show.

“When you see Champagne with Friends it’s always different players so while you may have seen the show before it’ll be different every time.”

Champagne cites the generosity of Charleston’s music community as being invaluable in helping him gather new musicians to play with when he first arrived.

“The openness of the musical community here is awesome first of all. It’s nowhere near as competitive as it is in Austin, Texas which has advantages and disadvantages. Competition is a primary way to motivate an artist and make them grow, but it can also hurt you in the end.”

Not that Thomas Champagne is leaving Charleston anytime soon, but as someone not prone to taking time off he’s looking forward to opening up a new chapter in his artistic journey. After recording his last album with producer and former Hootie and the Blowfish guitarist, Mark Bryan, Champagne is due to head back to Austin to record another album at the end of the year. He then plans to tour the ski resorts in the Rockies before heading home to Charleston.

Not many may know the name Steve “Skip” Skipton Sr. in passing conversation.  On August 23, less than three months after his diagnosis, Skip passed away from complications due to lung cancer.  Leaving behind a caring wife and four beautiful children,  Skip left a legacy that stretches from his colleagues on the Goose Creek Fire Department to his friends and partners for UMDNJ in Camden City and Newark, New Jersey.  As a 9/11 EMS First Responder, Skip was one of the many brave heroes that worked tirelessly in the chaos and mayhem to selflessly take on acts of courage that are still honored today.  His unyielding commitment to family, patriotism, honor and preservation of life were ones he carried with him until his dying day.

To touch a life is a rare gift, but to touch the lives of some many is a legacy that his wife Jen, his children and all his friends and family will carry in their hearts for the rest of their lives.

As a Goose Creek Firefighter, Skip continued to give of himself with the same level of dedication to the force and the community.  He greeted you with a smile and always looked out for the safety and health of others.

“Steve was a person who always gave of himself and never expected anything in return.  If he had it and you didn’t, he would share or give what he had.  He was a devoted father, brother and son.  He will be sorely missed by everyone he tooted.  He had a knack for bringing out the best in people.  He was always good for advice, a joke or a simple laugh.” said friend Captain Warren Adair

Heroism, often times happens without the time to think or comprehend.  It is a momentary act followed by extraordinary action.  If you met Skip, you would find a soft and kind man, but if you listened to his stories, you would see a man brimming with courage.

In honor of Skip and in an effort to help his family cope with the medical expenses, a group of those that were touched by his life are hosting a charity golf tournament on October 27 at Crowfield Golf Club.

They are seeking sponsors and players to rally around the community for support.  From New York to Charleston, Steve “Skip” Skipton was a model for the community and firefighters/EMT around the nation.

Let’s show our true Charleston spirit and compassion and help support this cause in any way.

If you would like to support the event or the family please contact:

Troy Sanders – Crowfield Golf Club – 843.764.4618 / tsanders@cityofgoosecreek.com

Captain Warren Adair, GCCFD – 843.798.9568 / swing4steve@aol.com

Alan Sammis, Past Captain WTFD (NJ) – 856.207.6676 / swing4steve@aol.com

For More Information on Participation please click to open pdf

As an environmental lawyer in Charleston, Heather Murray’s upstate charm and easy-going nature belies her commitment and focus to environmental conservation and animal protection. Hailing from New York, Heather studied political science at Clemson before going to law school at Georgetown in Washington DC.

“I focused primarily on environmental law because I knew that’s what I wanted to do. I took internships at environmental non-profits. After I graduated I worked for two years at Defenders of Wildlife in DC, which focuses on endangered species work before moving here,” she explained.

As part of a regional non-profit organisation Heather works in a small Charleston office, concentrating on coastal issues mainly related to wetlands protection and water pollution.

“It is the predominant environment here and an extremely sensitive one, and many projects or developments here are going to impact wetlands.”

It’s clear what makes Heather’s work so rewarding is giving a voice to the wildlife areas around Charleston. So it’s not surprising to hear that Heather sees herself primarily as an environmentalist, and views her education, experience and expertise as a lawyer as the tools she’s been given to make a difference.

“I’m an environmentalist who has this education and training and is able to affect change. But I think a lot of other public interest lawyers would say the same thing.”

The challenge facing Heather and other environmentalists is advocating ways to be smarter when developing in a region that is already densely urbanized.

This is why environmental and conservation groups spend a lot of time with state and federal agencies, trying to give them the right information they need to make an informed decision when issuing permits for proposed planning and development.

The wetlands not only provide the supernal backdrop to Charleston’s iconic charm, they are also a major source of recreation and enjoyment to so much of local community. However, in residential and industrial debates championing progress, the environment is often marginalized by invested parties. Some business groups may even view environmental protection grounds as anti-development.

Heather says an important part of the decision-making process for projects affecting the environment is to provide alternatives and to understand the invaluable role natural resources play in maintaining balance in the larger ecosystem.

“Impacting natural resources may have severe and unintended consequences that must be considered before projects move forward.”

Assessing the environmental cost and consequences related to revenue based expansion is a complex issue. In Charleston this is especially the case regarding the controversial redevelopment of the old cruise terminal on East Bay Street and Market Street, as well as the extension of I- 526 to James Island based on original design plans made over 40 years ago when construction of the interstate began.

Heather says it is never difficult to find people and agencies in our local communities interested in protecting fragile habits. The added challenge to non-profit groups is using limited resources to get the right information to decision-makers and the public who have time to listen to complicated issues, which are difficult to package in catchphrases and memorable quotes.

Heather appreciates there’s always going to be different perspectives when discussing commerce and environmental sustainability because they are so entwined with each other. Hopefully, this progressive approach will continue to nurture healthy debate with the array of interested groups concerned about the city’s future and committed to keeping Charleston beautiful.

Katherine DuPre represents a noticeable and enviable trend in Charleston – people who are passionate about what they do and love their work. She currently works with a local hospice while completing a Master of Social Work from College of Charleston.

Katherine describes her family and friends as a major influence in her desire to work in palliative health care.

“I knew I wanted to work in geriatrics. My mum was a geriatric nurse so I would go to her nursing home after school every day when I was growing up and spend time with the patients. I also have social worker friends and have always admired what they do.”

However, Katherine’s journey into social work was an unorthodox one involving a three am epiphany while working in the nation’s capital as a local television journalist. Previously majoring in journalism from College of Charleston, Katherine spent six years carving out a successful career in print and television news both locally and in Washington DC.

“I produced on election nights and produced a documentary on the twentieth anniversary of Hurricane Hugo. I got to talk to survivors and let them tell their story about hiding on the roof when the storm hit. They showed me where the shingles are still broken from climbing onto the roof in the middle of the hurricane. And I loved hearing the stories. But I slowly came to realize if I’m going to give something all of my time, all of my energy, all of my creativity then I want it to be something that makes more of a difference in the world. So I woke up at three o’clock in the morning and said I want to be a social worker.”

Katherine attributes her attraction to hospice work to her passion for hearing stories firsthand. While providing social support to people who need it most, she listens to the stories of veterans who have been through life’s hardest challenges.

“They’ve lived sixty, seventy, eighty years on this earth and learnt all of these lessons and met all of these people and had so much love and so much pain, and at the end of their life their circle shrinks down from that huge system of people to a very small circle. And it’s blessing to me to be able to be in that circle.”

Katherine sees her journalistic background ideally suited to preserving the stories of people who have no one else to tell them to, and at the same time hopes to change the stigma of hospice in South Carolina.

”When I tell people that I’m going to be a hospice social worker I can see them recoil because that’s how much of a negative connotation that word can have. Hospice is not a magical place where people die. It is a delivery of health care that focuses on comfort as opposed to aggressive curative care. It takes a really bad thing and makes it a little bit easier. That sounds great to me. But that’s not what people hear. They hear it’s a place where people go to die because the doctors don’t want to deal with them anymore.”

The modesty and dedication of palliative health care workers are a regular source of inspiration in our local community. So it’s not surprising that while facing these challenges in a new career as a social worker, Katherine says she feels almost selfish for wanting to do this work because she loves it so much.

Lori’s passion dates back to her youth when she watched hours of bouts on television and sought the opportunity once she learned of the league. Along with the other skaters, Lori sees Roller Derby as part of something much bigger than herself. It is a community partnership, an organization fueled on education, awareness and a sense of teaming unlike anything you may ever witness.

Full gear for a roller derby athlete can run about $600 or more. This is a pertinent amount for the dedicated girls who are practicing and competing for nothing more than pride and charity. Sponsor a Skater is one of the many examples of community partnership that embrace the passion of this sport. Donors, sometimes anonymous, provide funding so that the athletes can have the opportunity to skate, hit and score.

During each bout, you will witness banner ads, raffles, announcements, flyers and digital ads promoting businesses from around the Charleston area. These sponsors are part of the well-oiled machine that keeps this league thriving. The athletes, coaches and referees are not paid. In fact, each bout supports a local area charity. All other funds raised provide for rentals, insurance, equipment and marketing to help keep the dreams of these girls alive. The compassion and commitment of the league to support local area charities is infectious. MUSC Sports Medicine even offers free healthcare assistance to any player injured during a bout or practice.

Stepping into a situation with a limited understanding of the rules and regulations was a challenge for me, but meeting the girls and spending time with Lori, put my lack of knowledge at ease. The exuberant dialogue offered a wealth of information about the sport, the dedication year round of the competitors and the community partnership.

Whether you are a member of the Ashley Riverdolls, Swamp Foxes, Heartbreakers or junior derby, conditioning, training and preparation are a part of everyone’s routine. Players interested in competing must complete two stages of assessment before they can clash in a bout. From conditioning to technique, the league takes great precautions to ensure safety and health.

Each and every player is given the chance to learn leadership, project management, marketing and teamwork. This is a beautiful ecosystem in place. Each member must be part of at least two committees (marketing, media, sponsorship, etc.) and there is a rotating coaches program where players take turns coaching a practice or scrimmage. It is, in a way, a utopian society with no hierarchy and a communal lifestyle.

Why choose Roller Derby? For some it is a way to stay in shape. For others, finding a sisterhood bond. Ultimately, roller derby is a healthy escape from the pressures of personal and professional lives. Most of us spend our lives working the “day” job and at the end of the day, a release is a breath of fresh air.

This is a breath of fresh air.

I spent a few minutes watching the scrimmage. Two minute intervals; jammers, blockers and pivot, all packed together. It was a rugged form of poetry. As they bunched together, you could see the competitive drive as well as the strong team concept. It is truly a remarkable experience.

If you have never witnessed a bout, go enjoy the experience. Do it for the charity, do it for the action, but most of all, do it to show your support for the ladies and gentleman that dedicate hours in preparation for each bout.

Before each bout, when each player is introduced and they skate a lap around the track while others eagerly wait for their announcement while listening to their motivational music, watch closely as you cheer them on. Look at the fire in their eyes and the spirit in their glide. It will inspire.

You enjoy all the energy on October 12 at Hot Wheels on Folly Road as The Swamp Fox Militia take on The Holy City Heartbreakers and November 9 for the Home team championships – Roller Derby Schedule

Learn more today – Roller Derby Charleston SC

Established in 2006, the Palmetto Palace will not shine on the cover of a magazine or seek out the spotlight, but what their mission defines is the cultural infrastructure of the Charleston community.  Developed as a family care program, Palmetto Palace assists families of hospitalized critical care patients with the basic necessities and financial assistance necessary to focus their time and efforts on caring for their loved ones.

Healthcare crisis is a difficult physical and emotional time for all of us.  Many South Carolina families do not have the financial resources for healthcare and lodging and this is where Palmetto Palace steps in to provide that extra shoulder to lean on.

How does the Palmetto Palace assist families?

• Financial Assistance – Hotel vouchers for families and meal coupons.
• Care Packages including everyday toiletries which may have been forgotten during a critical situation.
• Partnerships with local restaurants and hotels to provide cost effective means of lodging and eating for families of patients with extended hospital stays.

This organization relies on countless hours of volunteerism to raise funds, establish partnerships and meet families with compassion, warmth and assistance.

Their unyielding commitment to help those that are struggling to deal with overwhelming adversity is part of what makes them special.  Their staff treats each and every person with the same level of respect and their admiration for each dollar raised is genuine and pure.

During the Spring of 2011 and Spring of 2012, The Palmetto Palace providing financial assistance to pay for 149 hotel nights, 1700 hospital meal vouchers and distribution of 1400 care packages to local ICU waiting rooms.  Their efforts continue today.  This is only the tip of the potential.  Their ability to continue is through the kindness of those that volunteer and donate to the cause.

The strength of this foundation is heavily based on awareness.  We are doing our small part to partner with The Palmetto Palace to help Charleston become aware of this wonderful organization.  In a community driven by warmth, it is refreshing to see an organization that is dedicated to help families in their most desperate time of need.

On Thursday, October 16th, 2014, The Palmetto House will be hosting The Palmetto Palace Hearts for Hospitality Bachelor / Bachelorette Auction at the Charleston Music Hall.  This is their most aggressive fund raiser and one they hope will help this foundation continue to support more and more families.

We invite you to come and support a very worthy local cause.  If you cannot attend and would like to donate time or financial support to this foundation, click here to more information or call or email directly at 843.532.3169 / thepalmettopalace@gmail.com 

Thinking of all the families who deal with health emergencies each and every day, it is truly a blessing to know there is an organization that is there to help.

Charleston has a rich tradition of community service, volunteerism and charity. Throughout the area, you can see these partnerships everywhere on billboards, businesses, sporting teams and media. It is such a wonder to see this commitment throughout the Lowcountry. Thank you for all that give generously of their time and money. If you want to learn more about ways you can help, here is a full list of charities and non-profits in Charleston County.

A

• ALS Association South Carolina Chapter – helping people and their families live with ALS while researching for a cure
• American Red Cross – Carolina Lowcountry Chapter – disaster assistance
• Association for the Blind – supporting children and adults living with blindness and visual impairment

B

• Be a Mentor – North Charleston – connects kids with adult mentors
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Carolina Youth Development Center – mentoring program that matches adult volunteers and children ages 6-16
• Bridge of Hope – offers afterschool programs for children and GED programs for adults

C

• Camp Happy Days – hosts a summer camp for children battling cancer
• Carolina Children’s Charity – financial assistance for children with birth defects or diseases
• Carolina Studios – after-school program where children learn to create and record music using digital media
• Carolina Youth Development Center – healing services for children who have experienced physical or sexual abuse, neglect, abandonment, or have severe emotional disorders
• Center for Women – seminars, support services, and professional development for women
• Charleston Area Children’s Garden Project – community-based outdoor learning experience
• Charleston County Human Services Commission – provides housing, emergency services, education, employment, and child care for low-income families
• Charleston County Volunteer Fire & Rescue Squad – offers support to local fire and police agencies when needed with resources and/or manpower
• Charleston Friends of the Library – advocates for enhancing the Charleston County Public Library System
• Charleston Habitat for Humanity – builds affordable housing
• Charleston Junior Woman’s Club – dedicated to community improvement through volunteerism
• Charleston Miracle League – baseball teams for children with physical and mental challenges
• Charleston Moves – works for a safe, bicycle and walk friendly region
• Charleston Peace – social and environmental activism group
• Charleston Port and Seafarers’ Society – assisting international crews while they are in port
• Chase After a Cure – a 501c3 Non Profit Corporation dedicated to children’s cancer research. We raise awareness for children’s cancer and provide funding for research labs who specialize in children’s cancer research. We provide funding specifically for the only childhood cancer research lab in the state of SC.
• Children’s Museum of the Lowcountry – engaging young children’s potential by inviting families of all to explore environments and experiences that spark imagination and curiosity.  Volunteer opportunities such as special events, outreach events throughout the community, art room volunteer, preparing for projects and programs, executing art activities, reading books to children, tending the garden, maintaining exhibits and admin tasks
• Coastal Carolina Council, Boy Scouts of America
• Coastal Community Foundation – issues public grants
• Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy – pastoral care, counseling for employees and families of law enforcement and emergency service agencies
• Communities In Schools of the Charleston Area – dropout prevention program
• Corpus Callosum – sparks learning through experiences in the arts and sciences
• Courageous Kidz – encouraging children that are battling cancer
• Crime Stoppers of the Lowcountry – works to involve the public to fight to identify, prevent, solve, and reduce crime

D

• Darkness to Light – fights child sexual abuse
• Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center – provides services for child abuse victims and their families

E

• East Cooper Community Outreach – Mount Pleasant – provides emergency assistance and social services for low income neighbors
• East Cooper Habitat for Humanity – builds affordable housing
• East Cooper Meals on Wheels – Mount Pleasant – delivers daily nutrition to residents who are unable to provide their own meals
• EMPOWERR Program – provides HIV/AIDS and substance abuse prevention programs for teens

F

• Family Services, Inc. – North Charleston – services include credit counseling, debt management, homebuyer education, family violence intervention, and bankruptcy counseling
• Fields to Families – Mount Pleasant – distributing fresh produce to area hunger prevention organizations
• For the Exceptional – making a difference in the lives of those with disabilities
• Friends of MUSC Children’s Hospital – raises funds for and enhance community awareness of the exceptional care delivered at MUSC Children’s Hospital

G

• Girl Scouts of Eastern South Carolina – provides girls 5-17 programs that build responsibility, leadership, and decision-making skills
• Goodwill Industries of Lower South Carolina – provides job training and help finding employment

H

• HALOS, Helping And Lending Outreach Support – helps abused and neglected victims served by the Charleston County Department of Social Services
• Helping the Underprivileged Grow – hosts fundraisers with proceeds going to local charities
• The Homeownership Resource Center – provides homeownership and financial literacy education
• Humanities Foundation – provides affordable housing

I

• Increasing HOPE – North Charleston – financial education
• ITNCharlestonTrident – North Charleston – provides transportation for seniors

J

• Junior Achievement of Coastal South Carolina – K12 economic success programs
• Junior Girls Day Out Community Project – self-esteem, literacy and healthy living programs for girls ages 6-12
• Junior League of Charleston – all female fundraising and volunteer organization

K

• KARS Institute – Mt Pleasant – provides training, resources, and opportunities for collaboration for nonprofits, organizations, and individuals

L

• Ladies Enriching the Community – enhances the community through education, economic development,and cultural empowerment
• Liberty Hill Improvement Council – North Charleston – increases literacy of students reading below their grade level in the Liberty Hill Community
• LifeManagement Center – assists individuals and families with learning disabilities and ADHD
• Lincolnville Volunteer Rescue Squad – provides basic life support emergency care for life threatening injuries or illnesses prior to the arrival of EMS
• Louie’s Kids – fights childhood obesity
• Low Country Orphan Relief – meets the needs of abandoned, abused, and neglected children and intervenes where government aid ends
• Lowcountry AIDS Services – HIV/AIDS prevention, counseling, and help finding treatment
• Lowcountry Autism Consortium – helps families, friends, and professionals who support individuals on the autism spectrum
• Lowcountry Crisis Pregnancy Center – North Charleston – provides medical services, referrals, and assistance with unplanned pregnancies
• Lowcountry Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy – horse assisted therapy for at-risk children
• Lowcountry Food Bank – feeds the poor and hungry by soliciting and distributing healthy food and groceries plus educates the public about the problems of and solutions to hunger
• LUVnLUGZ – provides rides for low-income families to visit their incarcerated loved ones

M

• MUSC Children’s Hospital Volunteer Services – variety of volunteer opportunities available to adults and students over the age of 16
• My Sister’s House – assists victims of domestic violence and their children

N

• Neighbor To Family – North Charleston – places abused and neglected children with their siblings in safe and stable foster homes

O

• One-Eighty Place – homeless shelter
• Operation Home – North Charleston – making critical home repairs for low-income residents
• Our Lady of Mercy Community Outreach Services – Johns Island – provides educational, health, and direct outreach services to people in need

P

• Palmetto Palace – helps with lodging, transportation, and meals for those in need with a family member in a hospital
• Pattison’s Academy – Mt. Pleasant – serves children with severe or multiple handicaps
• People Against Rape – Charleston – assists adult victims of sexual assault in the tri-county area
• Project Healing Waters – Charleston – dedicated to the physical and emotional rehabilitation of disabled active military service personnel and disabled veterans through fly fishing and associated activities including education and outings.

R

• Rein & Shine – Awendaw – uses horses to heal children and adults with physical, mental, and emotional limitations
• Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston – provides a comfortable “home away from home” where families can stay while their child is hospitalized
• Rotary Club of Charleston – participates in local and global service projects
• Rural Mission – Johns Island – assists sea-island families, including migrant workers, with health care, crisis intervention, and educational programs

S

• Safe Moves – family violence resource center
• Saluting Sacrifices – James Island – recognizes the sacrifices our service members’ spouses and loved ones
• The Salvation Army of Charleston – provides social service programs for those living in poverty
• Sertoma Club of Charleston – helps less fortunate individuals
• South Carolina Blue Ribbon Council – raises awareness of child abuse and neglect
• South Carolina Volunteer Guardian ad Litem Program – Charleston County – voices for children in foster care

T

• Teacher’s Supply Closet – gives teachers in six Title 1 schools supplies for their classrooms and students
• Tricounty Blue Star Mothers – Goose Creek – supports America’s active troops and veterans
• Tricounty Family Ministries – North Charleston – provides vital services to the less fortunate in the Tricounty area
• Trident Literacy Association – North Charleston – increases literacy with instruction in reading, writing, mathematics, English as a Second Language, GED preparation, and basic computer use
• Trident United Way – programs to address education, financial stability, and health needs in the community

U

• US Vet Corps Resources – helps Veterans, first responders, and their families in their transition from active service to civilian life

V

• Veterans on Deck – aids Veterans that struggle returning to a civilian society

W

• Water Missions International – works to bring water and sanitation to developing countries
• West Ashley Optimist Club – develops optimism as a philosophy of life
• Windwood Family Services – Awendaw – therapeutic intervention for abused and neglected boys
• WINGS for Kids – social and emotional learning after school
• Without Walls Ministry – alliance of local churches, organizations, businesses reaching out to people in need

Y

• YMCA of Greater Charleston – personal development through healthy living programs
• Yo Art Project – mentors teach inner-city youth computer and art skills
• Y20 – Folly Beach – getting youth on the water
• YWCA of Greater Charleston – empowering women through programs for women and children

*Note:  Information provided courtesy of sciway.net (South Carolina Information Highway)

Good day to the wonderful community of Charleston. We would like to begin by thanking each and every one of you for making Charleston, SC an amazing place to live and work.  Being such a warm and engaged community is a reward in and of itself. Our channel of communities will continue to  grow based on the knowledge sharing, partnerships and resource exchange.  As we grow, networking and partnership will be even more critical.

We see local and large businesses working together every day and we want that culture to continue to thrive.

We thought we would provide you with some resource links to bookmark and keep you informed on the evolution of the Lowcountry.  They may also open up some doors of possibility:

• Charleston Young Professionals
• Charleston Daily (Local Profiles, Businesses, Retirement, Photography, Food Reviews)
• Women at Work Charleston
• Charleston Networking Meetup Groups
• Small Business Charleston Resource Network
• Charleston Regional Business Journal
• Service Corps of Retired Executives – Charleston
• Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce
• Charleston SC Networking Social and Business Networking / Network Groups
• Lowcountry Local First

These are excellent resources to help you grow and expand your professional network in Charleston. We hope you take some time and find value on these links.

Downtown Charleston is home to several corner stores but few have the rich history that Charlie’s Grocery  does. Opened in 1996 by Charlie Dabit, the Jasper Street grocery store has kept nearby residents and college students in stock with the essentials and more. Anyone who has ever experienced Charlie’s knows there is an impressive deli within. Beyond the Boar’s Head and large selection of homemade salads and jumbo pickles, there is one of Charleston’s most delicious treats, falafel. While falafel can be found at a few restaurants downtown and beyond, Charlie’s is arguably the best. The Charleston Daily (CD) sat down with Abe, Charlie’s eldest son who is now at the helm of day to day operations. We talked history, falafel and the future.

CD: Tell me about Charlie’s.

Abe: Charlie’s is our family’s store. We have been in business going on 18 years in April. The Jasper Street store was opened in April of 1996 and we recently opened a second store at the corner of Spring and Rutledge.

CD: Looks like you are running the Jasper Street store now. Where is Mr. Charlie?

Abe: My father is still around. Every morning he is at our Spring Street location. He’s very much a part of the business still. He has given a lot of the responsibility to me and my brother though.

CD: Enough small talk. Tell me about the falafel.

Abe: (laughing) What do you want to know?

CD: What makes it so great? Whose recipe is it?

Abe: It’s just really fresh. The falafel is my mother’s family’s recipe and it hasn’t changed. It’s really simple. There is a basic ratio of chickpeas, onions, cilantro, and spices but there is no real measuring. It’s based on taste.

CD: So it’s a secret…. Would you ever considering opening a restaurant?

Abe: Yeah, especially with Middle Eastern food including falafel. Charleston kind of lacks in that area, but we have a few places around like Tabbuli and Manny’s. We have definitely considered opening a restaurant.

CD: What is the strangest thing a customer has requested?

Abe: That’s a toughie… Actually, pig’s feet! We used to carry them in jars. We had to talk my father into dropping them. People would request them, and there you are, reaching in, grabbing a pig’s foot, stuffing it in a bag and sending them on their merry way. Disgusting.

CD: What is the biggest challenge Charlie’s has experienced?

Abe: Finding trustworthy, good help. My father is very old fashioned. It’s very difficult to walk away and allow someone else to do this job.

CD: What does Charlie’s mean to your family?

Abe: Charlie’s is ours and we take care of it like it is a child. It’s everything to us.

On that note, I dove into the falafel pita Abe had carefully prepared for me. The pita was generously stuffed with flattened orbs of fried falafel and refreshing cubes of cucumbers, tomatoes and onions. The falafel were crispy on the outside and tender inside. Where so many falafel are dense, these were light and bouncy. The optional hot sauce was no joke, even for me. The creamy hummus was a welcome option and it gave the sandwich a layer of depth that made it a satisfying meal. This falafel, like the many others I have enjoyed from Charlie’s, was perfection.

Charlie’s original corner store and deli is located at 1 Jasper Street. Charlie’s second location is open at Spring and Rutledge. Their hours are Monday – Saturday 9am-8pm and Sunday 10am -6pm. Falafel and other sandwiches can be ordered ahead from the Jasper Street location by calling: (843) 853-0351

As I walk the streets of Charleston turning down the cobblestone of the French Quarter, I can hear faint sounds of journeyman and poets through the walls of the historic buildings.  For centuries, Charleston has defined romanticism with passionate simplicity and elegance.  It is a city blessed with church steeples and architecture that dates back to the early colonists escaping religious persecution for a better life.  It is in their sweat and blood that we can now smell the fragrance of flowers, freedom and community.

Written word and song from lover to lover, performer to fans, dreamers to visionaries and leaders to supporters has been the capstone of our foundation in Charleston.  From Gershwin to Poe, Charleston has housed some of the most creative minds in American history.

As a poet and a writer, Charleston showers me with inspiration each and every day.

My love for this town inspired the following poem:

This is Charleston

It is a rainbow of infinite memories
From the early settlers to the pioneers of tomorrow

Sailboats raise a symbol to the sky as the wind guides them offshore creating a finely stitched canvas of white clouds and ocean blue

From the tips of the church steeples reaching to the heavens, to the remains of our forefathers resting in the sacred burials, Charleston is a blessing and gift

In its wonder, we are taken back in time to cobblestone roads, horse drawn carriages and southern hospitality as sweet as nectar on pecan pie

Once a shipping ground for slavery and inequality; now a harmonious settlement of integration, culture, dining and hospitality

Each morning, the sun rises over the harbor and welcomes a new day with open arms

Streets filled with life, the sound of music and aromas to warm the soul

This is Charleston

It is home to the world

Defining a global appeal, an artist sees a city with a marriage of nature and skyline beauty becoming one
Painting in his head a true masterpiece
Now this canvas, resting peacefully on the coast, is laden in strokes of reds and blues
Always in flux as patrons pay homage to the city we love

This is Charleston

From the laughter of the children in the fountain, to the love of an elderly couple embracing on the sand, this is heart of all that is good

This is Charleston; where the heart of the South reminds you of the beauty of life

After performing at various events in Charleston including Jailbreak 2014, East Bay Meeting House and The 827 Center and hosting spoken word open mic events at How Art Thou Cafe, it is clear that there is incredible talent in this community.  Recently, I published my third collection of poetry and the last collection has been exclusively inspired by the people, places and experiences of this place I call home.  Poetry is often hidden in the shadows due to its intimacy and personal nature.  It is disguised as music, composition, storytelling, acting and written word.

Poetry is a personal emotion that is shared from one to another.

I have often said that poetry is one of the greatest risks you can take in your life.  It is ability to become emotionally naked to everyone around you and let them inside your deepest personal thoughts and feelings.  That is the true core of poetry.

Being honored as the number one city in the world and the nicest city in the United States is not just an honor we carry in a magazine article or a plaque, but a way of life.

Just months before his passing of terminal cancer, the legendary basketball coach Jim Valvano said, “If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”  That line has stayed with me for 21 years and in all my travels it has never rang more true than in Charleston.  There isn’t a day that goes by without a stranger saying hello or smiling at you.  In times of need, this community rallies like no other.

If you ever find yourself walking down the street alone, thinking and then sitting on a dock watching one of our magical sunsets, you will have experienced visual poetry.

I hope each one of you finds that internal strength to open up your emotional window and let people in.  Each day, you should laugh, cry and think and most importantly, write down how you feel.  Someday, those words will inspire another generation.

If you would like to read more of my personal thoughts, my door is always open at Recruiterpoet Blog and if you see me on the street, say hello.  I may read you a poem.