June 14 , 2009

A Challenge For You To Visit Rural Missions June 30

Years ago, my schoolteacher sister worked summers at Rural Missions, Inc., on John’s Island, with their Head Start program, providing child care to children of migrant workers.

As far back as 1954, Charleston County folks saw a need to help as large crowds of migrant laborers needed child care assistance as they worked in the fields in and around the Sea Islands. Volunteers from Bethel Methodist Church, St. Matthew Lutheran Church and Circular Congregational Church of Charleston formed a Migrant Committee of Church Women United.

In 1959, seminary student Rev. Willis Goodwin of Atlanta, was hired to help connect the Sea Islands to the outside world.

As the years passed members began addressing other needs such as health care and housing. Chartered in 1969 as an interdenominational, non-profit organization to foster, promote and administer to the spiritual, social educational, medical and housing requirements of the rural people of the sea islands of coastal South Carolina, Rural Missions continued to thrive.

In 1972, a full time physician was hired and a College of Charleston student, Linda, was hired as secretary. Linda, now known as Mrs. Linda Gadson, became director in 1982. That same year, the present day Rural Missions relocated from Bethlehem UMC to Bohicket Sound.

Today, Rural Missions continues offering human services to low-income Sea Island families on Johns, Wadmalaw, Yonges and Edisto Islands as well as migrant farm workers.

Other programs are: Wood Cutting Project that provides wood to families who cannot afford to purchase firewood used for heating, this program networks with local volunteers.

The Volunteer Work-Camp Project improves the housing of Sea Islanders who do not have stable or permanent incomes. Volunteers from churches and colleges across the country come to repair and construct homes with one of Rural Mission's licensed staff members.

The Hope For The Future Program supports college students, offering employment during the summer and holiday breaks. It assists students who need funds for books, clothing, or transportation; a place for summer interns to work and earn a stipend of $30 weekly; along with a small scholarship through their church conference at the end of summer.

By the way, Ashland is sponsoring a trip to Rural Missions on Tuesday, June 30. I am looking forward to this trip, and hope that you will travel with us that day as we look at one of our SC Conference 20 Advance Ministries.

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." Dr. Seuss