Grand Strand Newsmakers

Family Justice Center receives $20K grant from Mary Kay Foundation

The Family Justice Center, a nonprofit that provides comprehensive coordinated services to victims of domestic violence in Georgetown and Horry counties, is pleased to announce it has been named the recipient of a $20,000 grant from the Mary Kay Foundation.

The award was announced last month. The Family Justice Center was selected because its “hard work and genuine efforts to eliminate domestic violence” captured the attention of Foundation officials, said Michael Lunceford, foundation president. Additionally, the Family Justice Center’s mission aligns with that of the Foundation.

“We want to make a difference in the lives of women and children who face despair and hopelessness on a regular basis,” Lunceford said. That’s something the Family Justice Center does every single day for families throughout its service area.

The Foundation has presented a total of $3 million to shelters across the nation this year.

“We couldn’t be more pleased to be a recipient of the Mary Kay Foundation’s support,” said Vicki Bourus, co-director of the center. “The Family Justice Center works to help victims of domestic violence through some of the darkest days of their lives and gives them the support they need to get a fresh start away from their abuser. It’s truly an honor to be recognized by an agency like the Mary Kay Foundation, which receives requests from agencies across the nation.”

The Family Justice Center is a unique collaboration of community partners and agencies working together to provide a safe and welcoming environment for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. The center provides individuals and families with access to a wide range of free services offered by a diverse group of 27 partnering agencies. For more information about the Family Justice Center, visit www.fjcgtownhorry.org.

HOSA delivers holiday cards

The HOSA, Health Occupations Students of America, Chapter at the Academy for Technology and Academics in conjunction with the Digital Arts Students deliver over 800 holiday greetings to the American Red Cross for disbursement to our armed forces during the Christmas and holiday season. Over 200 of the cards were original creations by the ATA students. This is the fourth year that the ATA’s HOSA Chapter has participated in this community service for our troops. The students were originally inspired to begin this service project after listening to Veteran speakers during the school’s Veterans’ Day Celebration. Each year this commitment is re-inspired during our Veteran’s Day Celebration. Mrs. Marlo Frazier is the instructor of the Digital Arts Program; Mrs. Heidi Hardee, Mr. Chris Jenkins and Dr. Teresa Nirenstein are the HOSA Chapter Sponsors at the ATA.

Lions Club donates blankets

VFW Calabash Post honors WWII vets, remembers Pearl Harbor

They were a hearty bunch 75 years ago and they’re a hearty bunch now, braving near-freezing temperatures that promised to keep falling as VFW Calabash Post No. 7288’s 12th Annual dinner party to Honor World War II veterans and remember Pearl Harbor continued into the evening hours. They were warmed, though, by the camaraderie with some 29 members of the “Greatest Generation” gathered for the December 10th event, which included a sit-down dinner and entertainment.

Only a few years ago there were 50 World War II veterans at the annual event. This year the number has dwindled as it does each year. There were 16 million men and women involved in that war and of that number, only 620 thousand are still living today. As we peruse those figures we realize that although many have passed away over the years we are blessed to still have with us those who attended this year.

Calabash Mayor Mary Knight thanked the veterans for their service and praised their loved ones who supported them back home. In his after-dinner remarks VFW Calabash Post No. 7288 Commander Rick Arvonio expressed the sentiments of all who came to honor the World War II veterans when he said, “I stand here today and salute you and thank each of you for your service and your sacrifice for every American.” He noted that, “at a time when the world was at war the call went out and you answered that call, making the stand for freedom.”

Before they braved the cold outside to head home each World War Two veteran was presented with a challenge coin to remember this year’s observance at VFW Calabash Post #7288. Inscribed on one side of the coin is “World War II Victory” and on the reverse “World War II Honorable Service.”

ATMC Awards $30,000 In Education Grants

ATMC has awarded $30,000 in grant funds to 15 educators and organizations for programs which expand educational opportunities for Brunswick and southeastern Columbus County students. The cooperative recently honored the recipients during a reception at ATMC Headquarters in Shallotte. Since 2006, ATMC has awarded more than $550,000 to area organizations and schools.

Bolivia Elementary School (Sherri Clark): In Bolivia Bears Don’t Hibernate, They Activate! students will learn the Seven Habits of Happy Kids and use iPad minis to run student campaigns and elect a student council.

Bolivia Elementary School (Noah Klein): The iPads for Music, Art, and Writing program will enable students to develop multimedia presentations that will include digital music, virtual reality artwork, and digital writing portfolios.

South Brunswick Middle School (Traci Leonard): Expanding critical thinking while building computer programming skills with Raspberry Pi circuit boards is the goal of Coding in the Classroom.

Brunswick County Academy (Tracey Weigold): TI-Smartview and MathType software for Technology Support for Instructional Purposes will give educators the tools to emulate the TI-84 graphing calculator and teach math concepts on a computer.

South Brunswick High School (Samuel Jennings): iWatch and Learn is a project designed to get technology into all students’ hands, teach them appropriate usage, and enrich their learning experiences in the mathematics classroom.

West Brunswick High School (Portia Gause): Taking learning outside of textbooks and bringing history to students’ fingertips and fostering creativity, critical thinking, and collaboration through the use of Chromebooks are the objectives of the Think Like a Historian / Technology in History Class for Project-Based Learning program.

West Brunswick High School (Alissa Johnson): Breakout EDU is a revolutionary way to bring gaming into the classroom and engage students in problem-solving, creativity, and physical activity.

The Academy of Coastal Carolina (Terry Cox): The Academy will offer the LEGO Robotics STEM Enrichment Program for collaborative learning and creating programmable robots using LEGO kits to solve real-world problems.

Roosevelt and Ruth Marlow Educational & Recreational Foundation (Natasha Godwin): Through the Health & Fitness Outreach Program, the foundation will address chronic disease and obesity by providing education and screenings at health fairs in the Ash community.

O’Neal Miller, ATMC CEO, commended the recipients on their dedication to students and their passion for education. He added, “Because of what they instilled in me at a young age, my teachers are still alive in me, and your students will always carry a part of you with them. Thank you for making a positive, lifelong impact on them. ATMC appreciates all that you do, and we are honored to be part of it.”

Stephen W. Canady Receives 2016 Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award

Stephen W. Canady of Shallotte, N.C., recently was awarded a Love of Learning award worth $500 from The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi--the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Canady is one of 80 recipients nationwide to receive the award.

Canady, a final-year student pharmacist at UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, will use funds from the award to travel to the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP)’s Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Canady was initiated into Phi Kappa Phi in 2011 at East Carolina University.

This story was originally published December 12, 2016 at 11:55 AM with the headline "Grand Strand Newsmakers."