The Rural Mission Looks Optimistically to 2008 - Our Goals and Vision

Like so many of the poor and struggling families on Johns Island and nearby rural islands, the Rural Mission is not always visible or known by many who pass by. All too often the needs and difficulties of these families go unnoticed. Since 1969, from our location at the end of Camp Care Road we have served the basic human needs of many low and very low income families as defined by HUD. These are families whose total income is less than 50% of the median Charleston County income, or less than $18,000 per year.

Our helping hand has often been their only assistance and hope. The Mission strives to support these families as they work to help themselves in rising from poverty to a better life. Through the generosity of donations, grants and gifts the Mission is providing families with decent housing, crisis support, respect and the opportunity for self-help and improvement. We must do more in 2008 as the gap between those with plenty and those with less seems to be widening. To accomplish this, we must do it together. Our community must depend upon your community!

2008 Goals

• Increase the number of low income, owner-occupied home repairs, rehabilitations and replacements by 20-25% each of the next 5 years, providing safe and adequate homes completed to code requirements. In 2006 we completed 44 homes.
  
  
• Involve more youth and adults in missions for home repair and service to needy families to instill respect, purpose and faith as a life changing investment in their lives and in their communities. In 2006 we hosted 974 volunteers for week-long missions outreach.
  
  
• Through partnerships with Sea Island churches and schools, bring at-risk Sea Island youth into service with the home repair ministry of the Mission to provide skills, purpose, respect and income as a means of combating crime, unemployment, drugs and ruined lives resulting from poverty and the lack of hope and opportunity.
  
  
• In partnership with other agencies, continue supporting the families who have been given a new life through adequate housing with counseling and education to better manage the challenges of everyday life and continue on a path of self-help and economic improvement.

Meeting each of these goals will depend upon the generosity and volunteer spirit of others. The Mission has a backlog of nearly 300 low income families who have qualified to receive our assistance based upon minimal total family income. However, they must wait and endure until sufficient funding and volunteers become available to the Mission.

As stated, our five year goal is to make a real difference in the lives of more families each year. At the same time, we are committed to making a real and positive difference in the lives of our volunteers. These hardships are unacceptable given the resources we have in the Lowcountry and in South Carolina. The generosity of those who are able to give and/or serve either with their hands and skills or through financial giving will be uplifting to our entire community, but most directly to these families.