NOC intends to apply for a 21st Century Community Learning Center subgrant from the South Carolina Department of Education. The application and any waiver will be available for public review after it is submitted.
NOC Founder Recognized by First Tee
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
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
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.
Challenges of Income Inequality and Affordable Housing
Dr. Narendra P. Sharma, NOC Founder & Chair, spoke to the Liberal Men’s Group of the Lowcountry on December 11, 2017, on poverty and income inequality from a global, national, and local perspective. In this context and as requested by the group, Dr. Sharma spoke about critical housing issues facing low-income and moderate middle income families in Beaufort County, particularly in Hilton Head Island and Bluffton. He discussed the seriousness of poverty and income inequality and the expanding gulf between the haves and have-nots at the global, national, and local levels. He concluded that unless the have-nots have a fair share of expanding wealth, income, and opportunities to get ahead and enjoy a better quality of life, there will be instability, tension, and conflict. Regarding affordable housing, he made a number of significant recommendations for increasing the supply of affordable housing for low and moderate income families, as well as actions for augmenting their income and improving transportation infrastructure.
Follow the link below to view more of Dr. Sharma’s presentation:
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