NOC has been very vocal in its support of the Cordillo tennis project, but it considers a community building an important component of the project. NOC believes that the building should be at least 1400 sq. ft. so that it can be used for youth tennis classes. NOC and the Van Der Meer Tennis Group plan to conduct youth tennis classes at the Cordillo Tennis Courts, with a focus on underserved children in Hilton Head Island. These classes will be an important component of NOC’s after school and summer enrichment learning programs.

Read more at: Run-down Cordillo tennis courts get facelift

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