Cribbs Kitchen crowns winner of burger cook-off

The Children’s Security Blanket Gives Christmas Spirit to Families

GoUpstate.com
By Alyssa Mulliger  Dec 24, 2015 at 4:21 PM

(http://www.goupstate.com/news/20151224/childrens-security-blanket-brightens-holidays-for-local-families)

The Children’s Security Blanket has helped make Christmas brighter this year for multiple Spartanburg County families.

The nonprofit provides financial support and hope to families whose children are facing cancer. With children receiving cancer treatments outside of the county, the organization assists with transportation, lodging, food and other expenses not covered by insurance.

Boiling Springs mother of three Ashley Garner came in contact with the organization in 2006. Garner’s 13-year-old son, Tron, has battled cancer since he was 6. A pediatric oncology social worker with Greenville Health System referred the family to The Children’s Security Blanket.

“The Children’s Security Blanket is an awesome organization,” Garner said. “They have helped us with power bills, food, lodging and going back and forth to the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. There has never been a time I’ve needed help and they haven’t helped me.”

This year, the organization has connected the Garners with people who are making sure the family has presents under the Christmas tree. Garner said her family is able to spend Christmas together because of a sponsor family.

“This Christmas, we were having a real hard time and this family has given my kids a Christmas,” Garner said. “They just blessed us with so many gifts. We’re used to being in the hospital and this is the first Christmas at home in five years.”

Laura Allen, the organization’s executive director, shared the story of another Spartanburg family that is enjoying Christmas together thanks to the generosity of others. After Allen solicited for help on behalf of The Children’s Security Blanket, several strangers offered to help the family.

One anonymous donor in Miami provided the family with an apartment near the hospital where the child is receiving treatment. After learning more about The Children’s Security Blanket, Allen said the Miami man sent a check for $100,000 to assist more families.

“Every gift to this organization, no matter what size, allows us to help these families,” Allen said.

Local nonprofit holds Christmas party for children with cancer

GoUpstate.com
By Allison M. Roberts Dec 3, 2015 at 10:08 PM

(http://www.goupstate.com/news/20151203/local-nonprofit-holds-christmas-party-for-children-with-cancer)

The Children’s Security Blanket held a Christmas Party at the Hangar at First Baptist Spartanburg, Thursday evening. Vickie Holt, left, does a face painting for Ashley Norris, 5, right, during the party. The Children’s Security Blanket is a nonprofit that helps families with children battling cancer.

The Children’s Security Blanket annual Christmas party is an event that is special to people for different reasons.

The local nonprofit helps the families of children who have been diagnosed with cancer.

This year’s party was held Thursday night at The Hangar, a student youth center owned by First Baptist Spartanburg. There were decorating tables set up where children and their siblings could decorate cookies and cupcakes. Face painting and other crafts also were available.

For Laura Allen, the organization’s executive director, the Christmas party is special because she gets to see the smiling faces of the children who have been helped by the organization.

“This is the night where we come together and we give Christmas to children in Spartanburg County who have cancer,” Allen said.

Ethan Tolleson, 17, has been with the Children’s Security Blanket for about three years. He said he comes to the Christmas party every year, and it’s always fun to be there.

When Ethan was 12, he was diagnosed with cancer. There was a tumor next to his heart, said Shannon Tolleson, Ethan’s mother.

Ethan and his mother spent nearly two years in Houston during his treatments. The tumor near Ethan’s heart prevented them from flying, which meant a 16-hour drive from Houston to Spartanburg — an expense paid for by the Children’s Security Blanket.

“Children’s Security Blanket was really there for us,” Shannon Tolleson said. “It’s meant everything. If it hadn’t been for them, I don’t know how we would have gotten back and forth for all of the treatments. They made a lot of things possible that otherwise wouldn’t have been.”

Jeremca Jackson’s daughter, Mekayla Gist, 16, got involved with the program in March after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma in January.

In April, one of Mekayla’s legs was amputated after she went through chemotherapy. For Mekayla, the Christmas party means a little encouragement.

Jackson said the Children’s Security Blanket has helped her family in a number of ways, including paying for gas and food for frequent trips back and forth to Greenville for Mekayla’s oncology appointments.

“They have helped us so much,” Jackson said. “Just the support has been really great for our family. We really needed that.”

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The Children’s Security Blanket is a First-Time Grantee of Sisters of Charity

SistersofCharityHealth.org 12/03/2015

(http://www.sistersofcharityhealth.org/blog/post/2015/12/03/Sisters-of-Charity-Foundation-of-South-Carolina-awards-$50000-to-20-Caritas-grantees.aspx)

The Sisters of Charity Foundation of South Carolina has awarded $50,000 to 20 grantees in the fall cycle of Caritas grant funding. The purpose of the Caritas Grants program is to provide support to organizations dealing with situational poverty or crisis poverty. The demand for food, clothing, shelter and free health programs, as well as other immediate needs, is expanding for organizations providing these services. Caritas Grant awards are up to $5,000 for a one-year period.

As a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System, the foundation offers Caritas Grant funds to be awarded to non-profit and faith-based organizations meeting the immediate needs of the poor in South Carolina.

“We are pleased to be able to support these fine organizations that are helping meet the immediate needs of those less fortunate,” said Rick Mendoza, foundation board chair “These nonprofits are on the front line providing an array of services such as food, clothing medicine, shelter, and supplies.”

The fall Caritas grantees are:

  • Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired–Charleston –Assisting individuals who are blind or visually impaired to lead safe, dignified, independent and rewarding lives by helping them to adjust to vision loss and to gain employment. (Berkeley, Dorchester, Charleston)
  • Barrier Islands Free Medical Clinic –Funding for a comprehensive diabetes education program for uninsured patients. (Charleston)
  • Birthright of Georgetown –Supplying diapers to disadvantaged moms and their babies. (Georgetown, Williamsburg)
  • Bluffton Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine –Providing health care services to uninsured and low income individuals. (Beaufort, Jasper)
  • Caring and Sharing –Funding to purchase a walk-in cooler for food distribution to the needy. (Georgetown, Williamsburg, Florence)
  • Chesterfield County First Steps –Funding to provide emergency assistance to families in need. (Chesterfield, Kershaw, Lancaster)
  • Childrens Security Blanket Incorporated –Responding to urgent needs of families caring for children with cancer. (Spartanburg)
  • Christ Central Ministries Columbia –Funding for replacement kitchen equipment used to prepare food for those in need. (Richland, Lexington, Sumter)
  • Coastal Rescue Mission –Providing essential groceries to needy, elderly and food-insecure families. (Horry)
  • Community Kitchen of Myrtle Beach–Funding to assist in the purchase of confection ovens to be used to prepare food to feed the hungry. (Horry)
  • Daybreak Ministries –Funding to support a crisis pregnancy center serving financially disadvantaged women and their families. (Richland, Lexington)
  • EmmanuWheel –Building wheel chair ramps for those in need. (Lexington, Richland)
  • Family Promise of Beaufort County –Assisting to move homeless families into permanent rental housing. (Beaufort)
  • Family Promise of Florence –Providing services to help homeless children and their families obtain permanent housing and achieve lasting independence. (Florence)
  • Food Bank Of Greenwood County –Funding to support a food bank for those in need. (Greenwood)
  • Good Neighbor Free Medical Clinic of Beaufort –Health care services for low-income, uninsured adults. (Beaufort)
  • Good Samaritan Clinic –Dental care to uninsured low-income patients. (Lexington, Richland)
  • Great Falls Referral Assistance Service Project –Providing help with utility bills, medicine and food for the needy. (Chester, Fairfield)
  • Helping Hands of Goose Creek –An emergency food program serving families and individuals in crisis. (Berkeley)
  • Hospice and Palliative Care Foundation of South Carolina –A financial assistance program for adults, children and families with life-limiting or life-threatening illness. (South Carolina)
  • McCormick Children’s Home –A group home serving neglected, abused and abandoned children. (McCormick, Abbeville, Aiken, Greenwood, Saluda, Edgefield)
  • Pee Dee Community Project –Funding to purchase computers for math and reading assistance to students in an after school program. (Georgetown)
  • Richland County Court Appointed Special Advocates –Support for a program that advocates for abused and neglected children by providing quality volunteer and legal representation to ensure every child a safe, permanent and nurturing home. (Richland)
  • Roscoe Reading Program –A program that uses therapy dogs and provides incentives and prizes to encourage reading amongst elementary school students. (Berkeley)
  • St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic –A free medical clinic serving low-income, uninsured patients. (Spartanburg)
  • Teachers’ Supply Closet –Providing school supplies to children in need. (Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester)
  • The Lighthouse Ministries –Assisting individuals and families in financial crisis with rent, utilities, prescription medication or traveler’s aid. (Florence)
  • United Way of Greenwood County –A weekend backpack feeding program for low-income children. (Greenwood)
  • Youth Empowerment Services –A mentoring program serving middle and high school girls who are from underserved, disenfranchised and low-income communities (Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester)

The Children’s Security Blanket Receives Grant from The Mary Black Foundation

GoUpstate.com
Nov. 28.2015

(http://www.goupstate.com/news/20151128/11-spartanburg-non-profits-receive-grants)

The Mary Black Foundation has awarded more than $400,000 in grants to 11 Spartanburg non-profit agencies.

The Children’s Security Blanket, an organization that assists families of children who have cancer, was awarded $15,000.

CommunityWorks received $40,000 for the Spartanburg Financial Network. It connects low-income families to products and services designed to help with financial stability.

New Day of Spartanburg received $25,000 for renovations to its new facility, which was purchased after a fire destroyed the Clubhouse on Asheville Highway.

Northside Development Group was awarded $25,000 to help low and moderate income homeowners in the Cleveland Heights neighborhood with emergency repairs.

Partners for Active Living received more than $160,000 to develop a connected trail network and promote walking and biking for all.

SAFE Homes Rape Crisis Coalition received more than $23,000 to increase its capacity to better care for victims.

St. Luke’s Free Medical Clinic was awarded $30,000 to support its operating expenses.

The Salvation Army Community Center received more than $27,000 for improvements to its facility.

United Way of the Piedmont received $15,000 to support its financial stability initiative.

Upstate Forever was awarded more than $73,000 to work with municipalities interested in implementing policies that support active living.

Wofford College received $2,500 to support Nutrition Now, a program to provide healthy food for children enrolled in an after-school program.

The organization also announced Wednesday it would be reducing its number of grant cycles to two in 2016. Early Childhood Development and Healthy Eating/Active Living grants will be awarded in the spring and fall while the Community Health Fund grants will only be accepted in the fall.

The Children’s Security Blanket Among 12 Nonprofits to Receive Grants from The Spartanburg County Foundation

The Spartanburg County Foundation
by Caroline November 10,2015

(http://spcf.org/2015/11/10/the-spartanburg-county-foundation-awards-101500-to-twelve-nonprofit-organizations/)

SPARTANBURG- The Spartanburg County Foundation awarded $101,500 in grants to 12 nonprofit organizations working to improve the overall social well-being of Spartanburg County residents- Children’s Advocacy Center of Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union Counties, Inc., Community Works, Inc., The Children’s Security Blanket, Greer Relief and Resources Agency, Inc., Maranatha Free Church of Jesus Christ – Angels Charge Ministry, Palmetto Council Boy Scouts of America, Project Hope Foundation, SAFE Homes-Rape Crisis Coalition, The Spartanburg Humane Society, Upstate Family Resource Center, Upstate Warrior Solution, Inc., YMCA of Greater Spartanburg. Recipients were recognized at an awards ceremony Tuesday, November 10, 2015, at The Spartanburg County Foundation.

Each year, The Spartanburg County Foundation trustees set an unrestricted budget from The Community Fund and a partnership of other funds to award grants to nonprofit organizations and institutions providing services to the residents of Spartanburg County. For the past two years, the Foundation has focused its grantmaking efforts on the areas of Education and Social Environment, two of the Indicator Areas identified through the Spartanburg Community Indicators Project.

Having awarded more than $129 million in grants since its inception, the Foundation’s president and ceo, Troy Hanna, shared, “The funds from this responsive grant cycle will equip these nonprofit organizations with the capacity building tools needed to further their mission and make an impact on our community.”

1. Children’s Advocacy Center of Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union Counties, Inc.
The Children’s Advocacy Center of Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union Counties, Inc. is the recipient of a $10,000 grant that will be used to update and expand its forensic interview software and equipment. This grant will also assist in equipping an additional interview room to ensure that prompt forensic interviews will be performed and that all interviews can be shared with partners and preserved for court.

2. The Children’s Security Blanket
The Children’s Security Blanket is the recipient of a $10,000 grant to build a robust and comprehensive awareness campaign that targets children and families, donors, volunteers, corporate sponsors, and the community. The grant will be used specifically to increase social media presence, develop the website and build an online resource for clients, update its donor database, and build a volunteer development program.

3. Community Works, Inc.
Community Works, Inc. is the recipient of a $10,000 grant to launch an intensive three-part train-the-trainer program that will provide essential organizational and professional development for all Spartanburg Financial Stability Network Partners. During this training, the Network Partners will learn the fundamentals of financial coaching, budgeting, and credit monitoring. By participating in these financial coaching sessions, the organizations will be able to better educate underserved families through financial education, lending, and investing.

4. Greer Relief & Resources Agency, Inc.
Greer Relief & Resources Agency, Inc. is the recipient of a $4,150 challenge grant to implement an integrated donor system that will streamline their gift processing, volunteer tracking, and development work, saving valuable staff time and providing supporters with an enhanced donor experience.

5. Maranatha Free Church of Jesus Christ – Angels Charge Ministry
Maranatha Free Church of Jesus Christ is the recipient of a $5,000 grant that will be used to develop a strategic plan for Angels Charge Ministry. Angels Charge Ministry works to help prevent female recidivism in Spartanburg County by offering transitional housing and mentoring programs.

6. Palmetto Council Boy Scouts of America
The Palmetto Council Boy Scouts of America is the recipient of a $9,500 grant to build sustainable Scouting programs in areas of high minority populations within Spartanburg County. The grant will be used to purchase a mobile “Scout Hut” containing all of the resources needed for scout meetings and outings to be used by groups as they begin their Scouting experience. Materials such as camping gear, learning guidebooks for youth and adult leaders, a uniform closet, den and troop meeting supplies, and other items will be stored in a mobile trailer that will be transported to community meetings.

7. Project HOPE Foundation
Project HOPE Foundation is the recipient of a $10,000 grant that will be used to install a camera/security system at a recently renovated home where life skills are taught to clients with autism.

8. SAFE Homes-Rape Crisis Coalition
SAFE Homes-Rape Crisis Coalition is the recipient of a $10,000 grant to provide individuals in their emergency shelter and clients who visit the main office with access to computers. The grant will be used to purchase and install four computers, computers desks, and chairs.

9. The Spartanburg Humane Society
The Spartanburg Humane Society is the recipient of an $8,500 grant to update its website. The update includes creating a Spanish translation, adding an online scheduling feature for the clinic, and enhancing the overall usability of the website.

10. Upstate Family Resource Center
The Upstate Family Resource Center is the recipient of a $7,140 grant to revamp its website and create a secure exchange between administrative staff and board members via a board member portal. The new website will also provide a call to action on all pages, thus increasing the Upstate Family Resource Center’s opportunity to connect, educate, and engage its audiences.

11. Upstate Warrior Solution, Inc.
Upstate Warrior Solution, Inc. is the recipient of a $10,000 grant that will be used to purchase a new data management and measurement system. This system will allow Upstate Warrior Solution to share information with and provide referrals to non-licensed partners, as well as track the number of referrals and their outcomes.

12. YMCA of Greater Spartanburg
The YMCA of Greater Spartanburg is the recipient of a $7,210 grant to purchase diagnostic equipment to launch its “Diabetes Prevention” Program. The grant will be used to purchase two A1C mobile units used to test blood glucose levels, an “Inbody 230” machine that tests body composition, blood pressure cuffs, and stethoscopes.

These grants are made possible in partnership with The Spartanburg County Foundation’s Community Fund; The Balmer Foundation, Inc.; Lucile M. Cart Cancer Fund; Frank H. and Rose C. Cunningham Fund; John and Kate Dargan Trustee Initiated Fund; Alma M. and T.R. Garrison Fund; Harriet Smith Harris, Philip Guy Harris, and Philip Guy Harris, Jr. Memorial Fund; The Powell Family Fund; and The Harry W. Sanders Fund.

The Spartanburg County Foundation is dedicated to improving the lives of Spartanburg County residents by promoting philanthropy, encouraging community engagement and responding to community needs. Established in 1943, The Spartanburg County Foundation is the oldest community foundation in South Carolina. 

Cribbs Kitchen crowns winner of burger cook-off

GoUpstate.com
By DANIEL J. GROSS May 9, 2015 at 6:45 PM

http://www.goupstate.com/news/20150509/cribbs-kitchen-crowns-winner-of-burger-cook-off

Cribbs burger cookoff was held Saturday afternoon in its parking lot on West Main Street in Spartanburg. Many cooks and chefs vied for the top prize. Chef Tracie and Peter Schumacher prepare some burgers for customers during the competition.

 

The Spartanburg Breakfast Optimist Club’s winning burger recipe containing beef, lamb, bacon, a fried egg and a horseradish sauce was deemed the tastiest at the second annual burger cook-off on Saturday at Cribbs Kitchen. The burger gets its name from the fact that many barn animals are a part of the recipe.

The event, which involves attendees sampling original burgers from 12 different teams, raised money for The Children’s Security Blanket. The Spartanburg-based nonprofit has served more than 110 Spartanburg County families of children with cancer since its inception in 2006, executive director Laura Allen said.

“The awareness today, and the funds raised, will transform more lives … I’m speechless,” she said.

Sandy Fowler, of Spartanburg, said friends with the Optimist Club recruited him to cook their burger in the challenge.

“I just did it on the fly, which is the way I do everything,” Fowler said.

As the winning burger, The Barnyard soon will be placed on the Cribbs Kitchen menu for a one-year period.

“I don’t know if I’ve ever been this excited about something,” he said while getting his photo taken with the trophy that features flames and a spatula created by K Riley Designs, a Spartanburg-based wood and metal working company.

Miss South Carolina 2014 Lanie Hudson and Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Landon Cohen were the event’s guest hosts.

The burgers were judged on a one to 10 scale for flavor, originality and presentation.

Other teams competing included RJ Rockers, Hub City Farmers’ Market, Wofford College and Motte & Sons Bootlegging, among others.

Guest judges included Spartanburg area business owners, elected officials and members of the media.

“This is the biggest sense of community and everyone has a hand in it,” said David Estling, Cribbs Kitchen general manager.

Taylor Correll, who is another Cribbs Kitchen manager, was the event’s planner and said he was pleased with the turnout and community involvement.

He said he already has selected the Children’s Security Blanket as the charity for next year’s cook-off.

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