By Warren Wise (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
North Charleston, SC. Shoveling debris from a burned-out apartment complex in the Chicora-Cherokee neighborhood of North Charleston, Kerry Sullivan tried to keep the dust out of his eyes while his co-workers from Palmetto Lowcountry Behavioral Health tossed soot-covered stoves and beds into a trash bin.
The group took on the project Tuesday as part of the United Way Day of Caring. They were among about 5,000 volunteers who worked on 250 projects across Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester counties.
"We have the largest number of volunteers per capita in the nation," said David Schools, chief executive officer of Piggly Wiggly and chairman of the local Day of Caring projects. "It's worth well over $1 million for their combined efforts. From a corporate standpoint, it builds teamwork by getting people out of the office to work together. It gets people involved in volunteering."
Melanie Grant can attest to that.
The North Charleston resident went out on an errand Tuesday morning and returned to see Quarterman Park buzzing with about 120 volunteers.
"I got back and asked if I could help," Grant said as she spread pine straw around a freshly weeded bed of shrubs near Quarterman Lake. "I love the outdoors, and I love the park."
Brooks Matthews of Blackbaud edged a flower bed at the park while Coast Guard volunteers scoured the lake for trash. The fish seemed to enjoy it, too, as they jumped about in the cleaner waters.
"You get so bogged down in the rat race," Matthews said. "At the end of the day, you have to give back in some way. It feels great."
Over at Chicora Elementary School, Rey Bongalonta tilled soil in a children's vegetable garden, where a old few sweet potatoes popped up from beneath the grass-caked beds.
The MeadWestvaco chemist said he enjoys projects like that. "It's nice
to help the neighborhood," he said.
Back at the unnamed apartment complex, owned by St. Matthew Baptist Church
across the street, Sullivan echoed those sentiments, but added that the work
was a lot nastier than when the group helped out at the Lowcountry Food Bank
last year.
"We do it as part of giving back to the community," he said.
An apartment fire damaged much of the second floor in the 16-unit building, and water ruined most of the units downstairs, where the stench of mold was overpowering and many of the volunteers wore masks and frequently took breaks for fresh air.
Edmula Tate lives in one of the few undamaged units and was grateful for the cleanup efforts. "It won't look like a haunted place anymore," she said.
Reach Warren Wise at 745-5850 or wwise@postandcourier.com
Last Updated September 12, 2007