This month, the Annual Charity Golf Tournament for Pee Dee Coalition’s services in Dillon County kicked off more than Domestic Violence Awareness month.
Before the tournament began, Travis Jackson, member of Pee Dee Coalition’s Dillon County Chapter Board, announced the official start of an ambitious capital campaign to raise $200,000 to acquire, refurbish, furnish, and equip the Coalition’s first permanent satellite crisis center in Dillon County.
“We could think of no finer place to launch this important campaign than the Perdue Farms’ annual charity tournament—a signature event that year-in and year-out raises visibility and resources to support the life-changing services that Pee Dee Coalition provides to the residents of Dillon County,” said Jackson. “We are extremely grateful to Randy Brown and Perdue Farms for their longstanding and generous support, which has made a world of difference to Dillon County.”
“Successfully completing the Providing Hope and Safety in Dillon County Campaign will require broad support from individuals, members of the faith community, civic groups and business leaders,” said campaign chair J. Todd Davis, of Benefit Designs, “which is why the campaign committee named the late Felix McLellan Jr., as the honorary chair in memoriam. Those who knew him will recall that Felix had a wonderful way of bringing people together, and we know that he would have been proud to support this campaign.”
While work to refurbish and fully equip the new Dillon County Satellite Crisis Center, located at 1101 Hwy 301 North in Dillon, is ongoing, staff moved into the space last month and are already planning a public open house on April 13, 2021, to celebrate the milestone achievement.
The Coalition has provided crisis intervention and advocacy services for Dillon County since 1987. It opened its first crisis center in 1992 in space donated by the county and, later, worked in space that was generously provided by the Johnson Foundation.
“Since its inception, securing a permanent center in each of the seven counties we serve has been an important goal of our organization,” said executive director and founder Ellen Hamilton. “Just as the issues of sexual assault, family violence and child abuse are deeply rooted challenges, the Coalition’s abiding commitment—exemplified in a permanent, physical presence in each of our counties—is empowering. Indeed, owning this space will allow us to better serve local victims and survivors, provide community education, and meet the complex needs that are part of this work.”
Thanks to a lead two-to-one matching gift from the Silent Tears Foundation, announced on July 23, along with gifts from board members and others, the campaign has raised $109,850 in gifts and pledges, 55% of its goal. For more information about opportunities to support the Providing Hope and Safety in Dillon County Campaign, please contact Barb Chappell, Pee Dee Coalition Director of Resource Development at bchappell@peedeecoalition.org or (843) 669-4694.
Pee Dee Coalition is a non-profit volunteer organization dedicated to the reduction of sexual assault, family violence, and child abuse and to the needs of its victims. Visit them online at www.peedeecoalition.org to learn more about services or to make a donation. Like them on Facebook at Facebook.com/PeeDeeCoalition to show your support!
Pee Dee Coalition is a member of the United Way