NOC’s annual  Fore the Teachers Golf Tournament is just around the corner — Monday, September 24 at Port Royal Plantation Golf Club on Hilton Head . [Click on poster to enlarge.]

For Player sign-up form, click here:  Players registration

For Sponsor sign-up form, click here:  Sponsor registration

American writer and management consultant, Margaret J. Wheatley says, “There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about.”

 On Sunday, August 19, 2018 at Jarvis Creek Park on Hilton Head Island, the incredible Flor Mora, Neighborhood Liaison for the Neighborhood Outreach Connection’s (NOC) Oaks Learning Center, harnessed the great power of a community.

 Flor coordinated a fundraiser for NOC that will support the students in learning centers in Beaufort County. She encouraged members of the communities served by NOC to come out and provide fresh Hispanic food, games, and entertainment. Additionally, prizes were organized by Consuelo Saldivar. The event started at 10:00 a.m. and lasted until 6:00 p.m. During this time, families of students and community members volunteered and donated their time to cooking food, providing music for Zumba lessons, and community outreach.

The aroma of authentic cuisine and the sound of fun filled the air at Jarvis Creek Park. Everywhere you looked, community members were gathered around eating, chatting, playing games, or dancing to the music. In a lot of ways, the event was reminiscent of a family reunion with all sorts of people showing up to show their love for one another and the community.

The children were wrapped up in the music, provided by Tony Campos, dancing and singing for the audience. When not providing their own form of entertainment, the children could be seen having their faces painted, getting temporary tattoos, and just enjoying an event that was focused on their family and friends.

The event was a huge success. Flor coordinated everything by reaching out through social media, her personal connections, and connections with NOC. In all, the event raised over $4,000, which will go towards programs for the children and families served by NOC. It was also great that native islanders, NOC staff and board members, even tourists from Ohio and Utah, were in attendance at Jarvis Creek Park for the event.

At a leadership meeting, hosted at NOC headquarters, Flor was recognized by NOC Founder and Chair, Dr. Narendra Sharma, for her outstanding work and continued service to NOC. Flor is appreciative of the success of the Jarvis Creek Park event; however, she is even more excited about future events in the coming year.

 

In this video (see below) Dr. Narendra Sharma, NOC Founder & Chair, discusses NOC’s 2-year interim solution with St. Lukes Church, HHI, to house the NOC Learning Center so that children from Cordillo, Hedges, and Woodhaven Apartments can continue to participate in NOC’s after school and summer learning programs. NOC previously provided this education program at its Learning Center (LC) at Cordillo Courts, but that LC was closed on May 10, 2018, in response to the decision of the Cordillo Board to shut down NOC’s program at Cordillo.

In the interview, Dr. Sharma says that the Town of HHI should proceed quickly in implementing its proposed project to rehabilitate the existing tennis courts, including a community building (at least 1,400 sq. ft.) for use by all people in HHI, especially those who live at the south end of the Island.

The proposed Cordillo Project was recently approved by the Town Council in a vote of 7 to 0. It is important that the Town safeguard the interests of the HHI community over actions of a handful of outside investors who are driven by narrow self-interest and profit making.

To view the interview, go to:  https://youtu.be/YytUNZniHNk

 

Five individuals (Bethany Ramseur, Judy Blahut, Consuelo Saldivar, Edwin Rivera, and Bo Gunlock) spoke at the May 22 HHI Town Council meeting on behalf of NOC regarding the proposed Cordillo Courts Project, which was recently unanimously approved by the HHI Town Council in a 7-0 vote.

Each spoke passionately about NOC’s outreach program at Cordillo Courts that was terminated May 15, 2018, in response to the demands of the Cordillo Board of Directors. They emphasized that NOC’s presence in the Cordillo neighborhood has helped many children and families through NOC’s education and health care programs over the past 4 years. They indicated that the interim solution developed with the generosity of St. Luke’s Church will provide a home for NOC’s programs and the children from Cordillo, Hedges, and Woodhaven for two years.

The speakers emphasized that a community building is an integral component of the Cordillo project and should not be less than 1,400 sq. ft., as originally planned for tennis instruction and community functions. The speakers also mentioned that the community center would be used by more than 20 community organizations and groups, including NOC, to serve the population of the south end of the Island. One speaker correctly stated that the NOC family is looking forward to returning to the neighborhood once the building is completed.

The Town must safeguard the interests of the entire HHI community over the interests of a small group of outside investors who are driven by narrow profit-making self-interest.