City of Greenville employees cut through downed trees on Sept. 28, 2024, following Tropical Storm Helene. (Provided by the city of Greenville)
COLUMBIA – A nonprofit founded in response to catastrophic flooding in 2015 is being re-activated to help South Carolinians recover from Tropical Storm Helene.
The Central Carolina Community Foundation is accepting donations for the One SC Fund, which will distribute money to other nonprofits statewide to help South Carolinians most in need, the Columbia-based organization announced Tuesday.
“It is incredible to see how, in times of crisis, our community responds with overwhelming generosity, from first responders to neighbors helping neighbors,” said Georgia Mjartan, president and CEO of the Central Carolina Community Foundation. “By giving to the One SC Fund, we can all support the local nonprofits doing the front-line work of recovery from Hurricane Helene.”
Mjartan told the SC Daily Gazette that the One SC Fund already had received nearly half a million dollars since Helene pummeled the state Friday. The foundation should begin distributing money later this week or potentially early next week, she said.
The Central Carolina Community Foundation coordinates with the state Office of Resilience to direct the funds where they are needed.
The fund was created in 2015 with the backing of then-Gov. Nikki Haley to respond to historic flooding after Hurricane Joaquin spun offshore, directing up to 2 feet of rain to parts of South Carolina. It was activated again in response to Hurricane Matthew in 2016, Hurricane Florence in 2018 and the COVID pandemic.
Contributions to the One SC Fund can be made online at www.OneSCFund.org. Checks payable to the Central Carolina Community Foundation – One SC can be mailed to the Central Carolina Community Foundation, 2142 Boyce Street, Suite 402, Columbia, SC 29201.
In a briefing Monday evening, President Joe Biden encouraged people to go to the American Red Cross. The Red Cross is both collecting donations and providing information for people who need assistance on where to find it.