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NOC Founder Recognized by First Tee

April 13, 2018 By nocadmin

Dr. Narendra Sharma received a special Leadership Award at The First Tee of the Lowcountry’s Fourth Annual Community Leadership Award Banquet on April 9, 2018, at the Sea Pines Country Club. At the presentation, Dr. Sharma made the following remarks:

Good evening everyone.

It is indeed a honor to receive this recognition today. I would like to thank the selection committee and the Board of Directors of First Tee of the Lowcountry.

Earlier, we recognized 9 individuals; any of these individuals would be worthy of this award today. There are many other individuals in our community who are doing outstanding work in helping children and they too deserve this award.

I would like to congratulate the First Tee of the Lowcountry for creating opportunities for children to develop character through golf. Clearly, the 9 core values that drive this program allow participating children to be successful in their endeavors, now and in the future. NOC has something in common with First Tee since its mission and outreach programs are also driven by a set of core values: compassion, integrity, tolerance, and hard work.

NOC’s mission is to create opportunities that will empower individuals, families, and communities. Our philosophy is to “teach people how to fish” so that they become independent, self-reliant, and have dignity.

NOC operates within neighborhoods so that we can connect with people, listen to them, and involve them in our programs relating to education, health care, workforce development, and community development activities. We have been in operation for 10 years and we are making a difference. Today, through 6 Learning Centers in Beaufort County, we are serving more than 500 high risk children. Through the health screening program with our partners, we benefit more than 200 people annually. Many other people benefit from NOC’s workforce and community development activities as well.

Public and private schools in Beaufort County account for more than 30,000 children. Many of these children need our support. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of these children, so that they will enjoy a better quality of life and happiness. We need to work in partnership since we have limited resources. We can do more with less in supporting our children.

Again, on behalf of the NOC family, thank you for this leadership award.

NOC Children at Cordillo Have a New Home

April 13, 2018 By nocadmin

NOC, along with the children and families of Cordillo, Hedges, and Woodhaven Apartments, as well as NOC’s staff, friends and volunteers had delightful news to celebrate at Easter. The children attending NOC’s Learning Center at Cordillo for the afternoon and summer learning programs now have a new home.

Starting May 15, NOC will be able to use St. Luke’s Church facilities to house its after school and summer learning programs. Hargray is also participating in this project by making and investment of over $7,500 to upgrade the internet services at the church, so that the children will have excellent access to the internet at the new facility. Both St. Luke’s Church and Hargray have been generous and compassionate in their support of this project and its focus on helping high risk children continue their learning outside of school.

NOC has signed an agreement with St. Luke’s Church that will allow NOC to use the church’s facility from May 15, 2018 to August 20, 2020, while the Town of Hilton Head finishes its project to refurbish the existing Cordillo tennis courts and construction of a community building at its Cordillo property. The community building will be managed by the Town Rec Center, and NOC will offer its education program in the community building under an agreement with the Rec Center.

This is a major step forward for all of us and it shows that when the community works together, we can find solutions that help those in need. Several other groups have also come forward to help NOC’s children, including Providence Church at the south end of the Island, which also offered NOC the use of its facility. There are many generous people in our local community.

NOC will have a special event (Youth Tennis and Social Event) at Cordillo on April 22 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at which time we will make additional announcements. We will be inviting our partners from St. Luke’s and Hargray to be present, as well as the Mayor and Town Council members. We will invite the HHI community at large as well to participate in this event and to show their support of the children and families living in these underserved neighborhoods. Families in these neighborhoods provide valuable labor to the local economy and they add to the diversity of the Island and its culture.

Faces of Poverty: Eviction

April 11, 2018 By nocadmin

In 83 Million Eviction Records, a Sweeping and Intimate New Look at Housing in America

By EMILY BADGER and QUOCTRUNG BUI

The New York Times, April 7, 2018

Nearly one million American households received eviction judgments in 2016 according to new data spanning dozens of states. In Richmond, VA, where the poverty rates are high and the minimum wage is low, many poor African-Americans live in low-quality housing with limited means of escaping it. “This isn’t by happenstance,” said Levar Stoney, Richmond’s mayor. A quarter of households in Richmond are poor, leaving many people a car repair or a hospital visit away from missing the rent check.

But the problem is also close to home. Eviction rates are even higher in North Charleston, SC. Follow the link below to learn more and to view interactive graphics.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/04/07/upshot/millions-of-eviction-records-a-sweeping-new-look-at-housing-in-america.html

NOC’s Cordillo Program: A Special Thanks to Donors, Friends, and Volunteers

January 31, 2018 By nocadmin

On behalf of NOC-Cordillo, we want to express our deepest gratitude to the Sisters of Charity, Long Cove Community Foundation, Wexford Plantation Charitable Foundation, United Way of the Lowcountry, Bargain Box, St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, and Providence Presbyterian Church for their generous grants, as well as for donations from individuals that have allowed us to offer education and health programs in the Cordillo and Hedges communities. It is an honor to assist the families that are so desperately underserved.

This year has been filled with wonderful achievements that include all aspects of the NOC mission. We have worked hard with the community to maintain the public tennis courts. We have taught the children the importance of maintaining their environment and caring for the Earth. We work with the children daily to pick up trash in the community with the hope they will be good keepers of the Earth. This has trickled down to the parents and older children living in the community. We have seen an improvement in the care of this public space.

We have worked hard to earn the trust of the community. We have done this by wearing NOC t-shirts that let community members know we are in the neighborhood to serve the neighborhood. We smile often and talk to anyone who will engage with us. We have earned the acceptance and trust of the families we are serving.

We have watched the children in the learning center move from chaos to order. They are working hard and positive results are showing in the latest test scores. We are teaching them what it means to be good citizens. They are learning peaceful conflict resolution and why education matters.

The parents of the children have been engaged by offering cleaning services at the learning center each Thursday, bringing snacks to the tennis courts and community gatherings, and helping us to keep an eye on the children during playtime.

Our volunteers and teachers have been key in our success. Students from Hilton Head Prep High School come each day to help. During playtime they play games with the children, and during work time they offer assistance with homework, reading, and math practice. Our teachers from the public school have been hard working and consistent. They seem to experience much joy when they are working with the children in the learning center.

We have overcome challenges with the Cordillo Regime and we will continue to fight poverty and help all citizens in the community find the dream. Without your generosity none of this would be possible. Your support means so much to these families. The work we are doing together is important and will help to change the world.

Judy Blahut

Learning Center Manager, NOC-Cordillo

NOC Alumna Interviewed by WDM

January 31, 2018 By nocadmin

Abbey, who previously participated in NOC’s program, spoke passionately during an interview with WDM (World Design Marketing) about NOC and its impact on her over eight years. She said that she benefited immensely from NOC’s after school and summer learning programs. NOC staff, teachers, and volunteers motivated her, gave her confidence, and helped her be successful in school. She later volunteered at NOC to help other children academically and was involved in NOC’s annual health screenings. She is a successful professional now, working for a local law firm and she credits NOC with helping her achieve this outcome. NOC is proud of Abbey. She is an inspiration to others who are seeking opportunities to achieve the “American Dream.”

NOC Founder Recognized by First Tee

NOC Children at Cordillo Have a New Home

Faces of Poverty: Eviction

In 83 Million Eviction Records, a Sweeping and Intimate New Look at Housing in America

NOC’s Cordillo Program: A Special Thanks to Donors, Friends, and Volunteers

Judy Blahut

NOC Alumna Interviewed by WDM

The NOC Story

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