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.
