Live, Love, Give!

Enriching Lives Through Volunteering

By Dashae Middleton

But there is also a huge spirit of community that lies within for Dataw residents; a spirit that inspires members to give back to our community and the surrounding Beaufort area.

 

Many Dataw Island members pour hours into volunteer work. About a third of the residents of Dataw Island responded to a recent survey by the Dataw Island Government and Community Relations Committee. Of the 381 respondents, almost 200 members said that they spend at least 10 hours a month doing volunteer work, 123 members donate over 20 hours a month and more than 30 members devote over 40 hours to volunteer commitments each month. That’s over 5000 hours of volunteer hours on average, every single month.

One of the ways Dataw residents help service others is through Second Helpings. Second Helpings is a charity, locally stationed in Beaufort, that rescues excess food items from supermarkets and distributes the food to local food banks. The island’s residents help drive their trucks, collect food and distributes them to food banks storage areas.

 

Not only do Dataw residents help by providing food for those who are in need, but they help provide medical care. The Good Neighbor Free Medical Clinic of Beaufort is the only of its kind in northern Beaufort county, and it provides free medical care, from volunteers, to very low-income individuals who have no insurance. Twenty volunteers out of 60 at this clinic are members of Dataw Island. They help the physicians and nurses, assist with budgeting, financials, writing grants, front desk and administrative personnel, and three members serve on the Board of Directors.

Just as important, they help with organizations that help preserve and protect the environment, help with local government, and save injured and abandoned animals..

 

In a nutshell, Dataw Island volunteers do everything! Non-profit and charitable organizations try to keep their expenses down so that the donated money goes to the intended recipients. As a result, while some organizations need specialized and professional assistance, almost all of them can benefit from volunteers doing general labor, administrative tasks, and work that does not require specific expertise.

 

Volunteers often find that giving back also helps them feel good, and they appreciate the opportunity to share their skills and stay involved in the community. One person noted that “Life is so good, I have a responsibility to give back.”

 

The amount of volunteer work that Dataw’s residents contribute is important and extraordinary. Though I have mentioned a few organizations by name, it does not even scratch the surface or show the amount of effort members put into the community, including greater Beaufort and the surrounding areas. A more complete summary of findings can be found on the Dataw Island website (as a news article and as a text link under “Belong” --> “The Dataw Difference”).

 

Dataw Island has beauty in nature and also has a beauty that shines from within the hearts of the community.