Steve Skardon, Executive Director of Palmetto Project; Chris Williams, Community Liaison of Palmetto Project; Aurelia and Edward Murray, future LowCountry Habitat for Humanity Homeowners; Wendy Pollitzer, Resource Development Manager of LowCountry Habitat for Humanity and Barbara Thomas, Executive Director of LowCountry Habitat for Humanity.

LowCountry Habitat for Humanity is thrilled to announce a $50,000 grant awarded by the Lowcountry Ministries Fund and The Palmetto Project in cooperation with The Honorable Rev. Clementa C. Pinckney Foundation.

The Lowcountry Ministries Fund was created in response to the fatal attack on a Bible study class at Charleston’s Emanuel AME Church on June 17, 2015. Its purpose is to address issues of social justice and economic empowerment in mostly underserved areas of Allendale, Hampton, Colleton, Jasper, rural parts of Beaufort, and Charleston counties.

The Fund is managed by The Palmetto Project, a statewide nonprofit organization whose mission is to identify innovative approaches to social and economic challenges facing South Carolina. Through special partnerships with governments, businesses, civic groups, schools, and religious organizations, Palmetto Project strives to bring a fresh entrepreneurial spirit to the challenge of building successful communities.

This grant will be used toward starting construction on a new Habitat House for the Murray Family at 3002 Goodwin Street. Without burdening the family of five financially, this foundation will allow the Murray’s to focus more of their time and resources on education, healthcare and wealth-building, improving their opportunities for generations to come. As with all LowCountry Habitat mortgages, the Murray’s payments will be recycled into building more houses, giving a hand up, not a hand out to more hard working families in need.

Thanks to this partnership with the Lowcountry Ministries Fund, LowCountry Habitat for Humanity will continue to build homes, communities and hope in Northern Beaufort County – working to eliminate poverty housing due to social and economic prejudices.

Since its inception in 1990, LowCountry Habitat for Humanity has built 53 homes in northern

Beaufort County, providing safe, decent and affordable housing to 67 adults and 126 children.

We are currently constructing two houses in the Shell Point neighborhood, and we have plans to start construction on three more homes soon.