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Charity Spotlight Event
On June 15th, the Wexford Foundation hosted a Charity Spotlight to highlight three non-profit organizations. The pre-happy hour event was held at the Club House and featured Sandy Gillis from Deep Well; Stephanie Brown & Craig Ostergard from Operation Patriots; and Kim Likens from the Boys & Girls Club of HHI.
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“Our non-profit partners are staffed by some of the most talented and inspirational people you would ever want to meet”, said Fred Noonan, Foundation Chair. “Through small venues, such as this one, we hope our donors will be able to better understand and appreciate the impact that is being made with their generous support.”
Sandy Gillis began the evening by providing several statistics to highlight the number of Beaufort County residents that live at or below the poverty level. She discussed how Deep Well provides food and clothing as well as helping clients deal with emergency needs like rent, utility bills and home repairs.
Stephanie Brown used the very personal story of her husband’s struggle to adjust to life as a military veteran to highlight the tragic reality that more than 22 veterans commit suicide every day in our country. Craig Ostergard explained that the mission of Operation Patriots FOB was to provide a non-clinical, peaceful, recreational environment where veterans and first responders could share their peer-to-peer experiences to help each other build a brighter, more positive outlook. Since inception they have not lost an attendee to suicide.
The last speaker, Kim Likens, shared the story of how the Boys & Girls Club has grown from its humble beginnings to a well-rounded center with the mission of developing young people to reach their full potential. She thanked the Wexford Foundation for supporting a variety of programs from tutorial services to computer studies and entrepreneurship. The speakers spent time afterwards talking with attendees during Wexford’s Happy Hour. Their transformational programs are inspiring, and great examples of the good works happening right outside of our gates.
