Rotary club learns about Impact Ministries

Christie Morris (right) of Impact Ministries attended a Carolina Forest Rotary Club meeting recently and described the unique International Student Ministry, which started three years ago and has served more than 4,000 international students who are summer workers who reside in the Myrtle Beach area for five- to six-month periods.

Club member Dr.Darla Domke-Damonte (left) introduced the speaker. International students are recruited by various area and local companies as summer workers and experience varying levels of assistance and resultant difficulties. Morris described the support services provided this summer and the tremendous attendance growth: more than 1,200 students came to student orientation to learn about safety, obtain their Social Security card, and learn about International Cafe.

The cafe has become a student center where students love to hang out. More than 70 volunteers are from five churches and three outreach groups. The cafe has expanded from one room to three for meeting and service purposes. Thus far, 25 bikes have been furnished to students, 15 students have been rescued from unsafe or unsanitary housing and placed in safe locations, as well as being placed with host families. Thirty students have been helped to find jobs, 28 have been helped with health issues, and effective liaison has been established with MBPD and various other agencies. For more information, to make donations, to include volunteer service, contact Impact Ministries at 843-254-7777 or www.impacmb.org.

The Rotary Club of Carolina Forest Sunrise meets on the first and third Wednesdays of each month at 7 a.m. at Beef O’Brady’s located at the Carolina Forest Kroger shopping complex.

This story was originally published September 3, 2015 at 10:27 AM with the headline "Rotary club learns about Impact Ministries."