Lovely Little Things…

While attending a Palmetto Health Foundation board meeting today I heard a lovely little poem called “The Little Things.” It was a reminder that we should not take for granted the little things in life that can make a big difference. Such a timely message as the community gears up for the third Midlands Gives event next Tuesday, May 3. This online day of giving hosted by Central Carolina Community Foundation brings the region together as one community, raising money and awareness for local nonprofits in 11 Midlands counties. Last year, an impressive $1.5 million was raised to help 252 nonprofits in our community. The minimum donation is $20, and every dollar goes towards the overall impact.

With so many worthy causes to support I wanted to highlight a few organizations to which you might consider donating this year:

• The Salvation Army of the Midlands, which does the most good for our community year-round, is targeting its Leveraging Literacy program, a free after school reading program that helps students in grades 1-5 improve their reading skills. 
• The Junior League of Columbia will be advocating for donations to support its ongoing work helping strengthen the health and well-being of children and families in the Midlands.
• The Palmetto Health Foundation is focusing on its Buckle Buddies car seat program ensuring that children have a safe way to ride. Did you know that $38 can purchase one car seat?
• As an avid patron of Richland Library and especially its children’s programming, I urge you to consider giving to this important resource so that it can continue serving us well. This year the library was a Nationl Medal finalist from the Institute of Museum and Library Science. Edit
• And the winner of this year’s National Medal for Museum and Library Service is another world-class institution located in our city, The Columbia Museum of Art. Recognized for its outreach and enrichment efforts to underserved communities, let’s support this special place that offers so much. 

And if you decide to give during Midlands Gives, there are some special times to be aware of:

• Give $100 at noon and Aflac will double the donations of the first 100 donors.
• Give $20 to the organization of your choice between 2-2:59 p.m. as the organization with the most unique donors will receive an extra $1,000.

“Little by little a little becomes a lot”- Proverb