Press Release
The Coastal Community Foundation of South Carolina recently announced grant recipients from its Northern Lowcountry Regional Grants Program. Of the 168 organizations that submitted applications in June 2018, the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired – Charleston (ABVI) was one of 54 to receive funding. The grant of $8,256 will support ABVI's Focus on Children program.
“Through Focus on Children, ABVI provides free, comprehensive vision care, including prescription glasses and referrals to Charleston County students, mostly from Head Start and Child Development programs,” said Courtney Plotner, CEO for ABVI. “Thank you to the donors of Open Grants for making comprehensive vision care and prescription glasses available for our community's most at-risk children.”
Annually, the Focus on Children clinics serve more than 1,500 students in 22 schools, 21 of which are Title I. A comprehensive eye exam for children not passing the initial screening is provided onsite and, when indicated, ABVI provides free, prescription glasses and/or referrals to a doctor for follow-up care.
The Review Committee for the Northern Lowcountry Regional Grants Program read all 168 applications and developed the final recommendations for funding. The Coast Community Foundation runs two competitive grant cycles per year, with applications in January and June. To learn more about the Coastal Community Foundation's grant opportunities and deadlines, visit https://coastalcommunityfoundation.org/apply-for-grant-scholarship/.
About Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired – Charleston
The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired – Charleston's mission is to empower individuals with blindness and visual impairment to lead safe, dignified, independent and rewarding lives and to prevent vision loss for adults in Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester Counties and children in Charleston County Title I schools. Founded in 1936, we have been serving the Tri-County area for over 80 years. We have three main programs supporting our mission: Focus on Adults, Focus on Children and Own Your Life. Focus on Adults and Focus on Children are preventative programs aimed at catching vision impairment in the early stages and restoring vision when possible. Own Your Life is geared towards helping our blind and visually impaired clients attain independence in their personal and professional lives. In addition, we provide guide dog scholarships for our clients as well as opportunities for social engagement.
About Coastal Community Foundation
Coastal Community Foundation (CCF) helps create vibrant communities by uniting people and investing resources. Founded in 1974 to make a lasting impact through permanent, endowed funds for charitable giving, CCF embodies the core values of stewardship, integrity, inclusion with equity, and courage.
CCF serves nine counties across coastal South Carolina, manages more than $250 million in assets (among the top 100 community foundations in the nation), and awarded more than $13 million in grants in 2017. To learn more, visit coastalcommunityfoundation.org or call (843) 723-3635.
