Beaufort County residents share joy, spread kindness during the coronavirus. Here’s how
For more than a month now, coronavirus and social distancing have turned the lives of Beaufort County residents upside down.
Life can be particularly stressful with kids out of school and parents juggling work at home, financial worries and concern for the future. At the same time, kindness and friendliness seem to be bubbling up.
Here are a few ways people have worked to bolster spirits and offer a brief respite from troubling news.
“KindlesforKids”
The KindlesforKids grassroots effort started by Bluffton Realtor Catherine Donaldson is donating hundreds of Kindle Fires to elementary-aged students who don’t have a school district-issued electronic device to do classwork on during quarantine.
The Kindle Fires are $50 each and can allow the students to connect to the internet, display documents, and send emails, which is most everything a student needs to connect to their online classes, Donaldson previously told The Packet. The effort has already supplied devices to Red Cedar and Whale Branch elementary, with the goal of also donating to the other 10 elementary schools in the district.
Boys & Girls Club receives $125,000 donation
An anonymous donor, who was identified as a “long-time and generous supporter,” gave $125,000 to the Boys & Girls Club of Hilton Head Island to help provide financial assistance to members in need.
“The need before these job losses was great, but it is even greater now that so many of our members are without an income and going without the hot meals we served every day to their children,” says Kim Likins, Club director. Over two thirds of the Club’s members live in families that fall below the national federal poverty guidelines.
About 600 adults whose children are members of the club work in the service industry, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic. Every eligible member will receive a $500 gift card to either Kroger or Walmart so they can purchase food and other essentials. To qualify, members must be actively enrolled in this semester’s after-school program, be currently unemployed or working reduced hours, and/or be currently receiving aid from the federal or state free or reduced lunch program.
Hanging blue ribbons
Beaufort residents William and India Dickinson and India’s daughter Sophia Rayne tied blue ribbons on several trees Wednesday at Beaufort Memorial Hospital to honor hospital staff.
Leaders and businesses across the county have hung the blue ribbons to honor first responders and health care workers, who are on the front lines fighting the virus. Businesses with the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce and several locations in the Town of Bluffton have decorated their exteriors with the blue ribbons.
Chalk the Walk
On Hilton Head and beyond, chalk drawings have been appearing on sidewalks. Some were doodles while others had inspirational messages, such as “#HHIStrong.”
#MileForGood
Bluffton Mayor Lisa Sulka encouraged residents to participate in the #MileForGood challenge by walking or running a mile, posting a photo or video completing the challenge, and donating to charity.
May River Montessori Kindness Rock Spot
Although this spot where people can deposit and take decorated rocks has been on Boundary Street in Old Town Bluffton for years, Chris Anderson just recently noticed it while on a walk.
Anderson, who has lived in Bluffton for a couple of years, used to paint rocks as a hobby when he lived in Ohio. As soon as he saw this collection, he knew it was time to break out his paintbrushes again.
He’s already painted a few rocks, including ones of a crab, dolphin and even Disney’s “Frozen” character Queen Elsa. He said he plans to paint about 17 rocks for kids around town to find.
“It wasn’t all about the rocks as much as it was trying to give back to the community,” Anderson said. “Being able to reach out to somebody without meeting them and making them smile is just awesome.”
The Front Porch Project
Want to have a family photo and give back to the community at the same time?
Lucy Rosen of Bluffton normally photographs wildlife, but she’s switched to photographing families for a movement taking hold on social media in the age of coronavirus. It’s called The Front Porch Project and offers families a free photo in exchange for a donation to the charity of their choice.
Rosen, who owns SmartMarketing Communications, has taken photos of 25 families so far in Beaufort County. The families gather on their front porch, and Rosen takes their picture from the yard while maintaining social distancing limits. The family’s donation to charity is on the honor system.
“It brings a little bit of joy and a little bit of fun to people who are stuck inside,” Rosen said.
She said she’d like to see other local photographers join in.
For more information, contact Rosen at 516-410-0423.
Flower bouquets on Hilton Head
Before having to close due to governor’s orders, a cute cart sat outside Flowers by Sue’s store on Arrow Road. A sign atop the cart said “Fresh Flowers,” and a piece of butcher paper taped to the front advises “Free smiles. Take one for you and one for a neighbor.”
It’s been proven that flowers help to relieve anxiety and stress while bringing people joy, peace and happiness, shop owner Deborah Lamp said.
So as the coronavirus began spreading, Lamp said the store decided to spread goodwill with free small bouquets of extra flowers they had.
In addition to putting bouquets in the cart every day, Flowers by Sue also included a free bouquet or two in their regular deliveries with a note saying, “share with your neighbor.” They also dropped off flowers at local restaurants where people would be picking up takeout.
“It’s just to help bring a little light and joy with everybody being stuck inside,” Lamp said. “We’re all in this together. If there’s anything we can be, we can be kind.”
Neighborhood bear hunts
A new kid-friendly social distancing game based on the 1989 children’s book “We’re Going on a Bear Hunt” that has gained traction worldwide is being played in Beaufort County. Students, and even parents, have been participating in a scavenger hunt to find bears — stuffed, drawn, and in other forms — in neighborhood and local businesses’ windows.
Bluffton Elementary Principal Christine Brown recently organized a hunt for her school’s students. The hunts gets students moving while also working on their academics like graphing and counting how many bears they see, she said in a Beaufort County School District video.
This story was originally published April 1, 2020 at 11:59 AM.
