Lowcountry Orphan Relief Site Visit
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of visiting the headquarters and distribution center of Lowcountry Orphan Relief. Sheilagh Carlisle, the organization’s marketing director, was gracious enough to take time from her morning to give me a tour of the facility, explain more about what Lowcountry Orphan Relief does, and how we can support their efforts as a community.
One of the most impressive aspects of my visit was how organized the operations are over at Lowcountry Orphan Relief. The process of fulfilling and delivering orders relies on a small team of dedicated staff, along with 500 local volunteers. Lowcountry Orphan Relief does so much more than simply receive and distribute clothing and toiletry donations.
Each order received by LOR is sent out as a comfort/survival kit for at-risk children and youth. For younger children, this means a plentiful supply of age appropriate clothing, diapers, bottles, books, and other essentials. For the older children and youth, orders are filled with clothing for school, work, interviews, and tools to set each child up for success.
“We want to include those things that so many of us forget that we use,” explained Sheilagh. She challenged me to list what things I would suffer without if I had to leave everything behind today, with nothing to my name but the clothes on my back. Even simplifying things, there are so many items that we take for granted. For example, bobby pins, feminine hygiene items, writing materials, phone chargers and more are often overlooked when we think about daily essentials.
LOR is fortunate enough to receive generous donations of basics from community members, but during peak seasons, it can be hard to keep inventory stocked. “We fill orders with a week’s worth of living basics, and that depletes our stock quickly,” Sheilagh told me. “Our inventory is constantly in turnover, and we sometimes have to go out and make purchases for individual orders.”
This is where we want to come in. We are collecting donation items to fill the shelves at LOR, and will be raising $5000 as a financial cushion to ensure that no orders go unfilled.
Want to join the efforts?
- Bring your spring cleaning to us! We will be collecting gently used clothes and shoes throughout the month in our office.
- Donate online! Skip your morning latte and help us meet our goal HERE
- Attend our benefit night at Five Loaves in Summerville on Tuesday March 27th. For more information, check out the event HERE
Spring Cleaning: The Pollen Edition
Spring is in the air, Charleston! And unfortunately, so is that allergenic yellow dust. Keeping pollen out of your home (and your nose) is no simple task, but these helpful hacks should have you breathing a bit easier this spring.
1. Change those pillowcases:
Weekly bedding changes aren’t going to cut it this time of year, especially when it comes to your pillowcase. Invest in a few extras, and try to change them out every 2-3 days. Why? We track in a whole bunch of pollen in our hair, eyebrows, and facial hair. Even after a good shower, some of the annoying allergens is going to make its way onto your pillowcase each night. Fresh pillowcases mean that your face is smooshed up against far fewer allergens each night. And if you think about how many hours we spend breathing pillowcase air….well, it’s worth the change.
2. Up your doormat game:
Your entryway is pollen’s go-to gateway into your home. Up your defense mechanisms with a few simple upgrades. If you haven’t replaced your doormat in a while, now it the time. Look for one that can be easily cleaned so you can keep it pollen free. Same goes for those indoor, entryway mats. Give them a deep clean, or replace them with a dust trapping material. Bonus points if the mat is machine washable!
3. Kick off your shoes:
Leave your shoes at the door this spring. Not only will you keep your floors cleaner, you will track far less pollen into your home. Plus, the Europeans praise the habit as a relaxing way to return home at the end of a long day. Win-Win, right?
4. Suck it up, buttercup:
We’re referring to your vacuum. Again, if you are hanging onto an old, clogged up machine, consider investing in a newer model that has a HEPA filter. This will ensure that you are actually catching those allergens in the carpet, instead of just kicking them back up into the air. Stick to a vacuuming schedule of at least 1-2 times each week to keep the sniffles and runny eyes at bay.
5. Freshen up the “fur” babies:
Pets may be man’s best friend, but their fur is pollen’s favorite hiding spot. During peak allergy season, brush your pets daily (outside!) to remove as much pollen and dander as possible before bringing them inside. Look for a grooming brush that will really get in there and remove undercoat and dander. And don’t forget: bath time for the pets should happen once a week during the spring season.
