$30,000 Checks Given to Two Savannah Charities by St. Peter’s Episcopal Church (Skidaway Island)

SAVANNAH, Ga. - April 21, 2013 - PRLog -- (SAVANNAH, GA) – St. Peter’s Episcopal Church presented two $15,000 checks to two Savannah charitable organizations, Horizons Savannah and Park Place Outreach Youth Emergency Shelter.  The funds were raised by the church’s Episcopal Church Women who hosted a high-end boutique sale, The Market at 3 West Ridge in February.

Event chairs, Patty Frothingham and Sharon Grozine presented the checks during the church service.  Patty Frothingham was quoted as saying, “We were very excited that we exceeded our expectations in sale revenues and were able to make such a significant donation to both of our selected charities.  We wanted to be able to give these organizations funds with which they could take their programs to the next level in assisting the children of Savannah.”  

The boutique featured twenty hand-picked vendors from all over the country.  Over 700 people shopped at The Market at 3 West Ridge.  “We could not have hosted such a successful event without our over one- hundred volunteers who did everything from setting up booths, unloading vendor trucks, making food, hosting a vendor dinner, collecting door admissions, tubing event materials, post-show cleanup, etc.  Neither could the donation targets be achieved without the generosity of event sponsors and donors!” said Sharon Grozine.

After accepting the $15,000 donation, Horizons Savannah’s Executive Director, Christy Edwards explained how this special donation would be utilized.  “This funding will allow Horizons Savannah to offer a pre-K program this summer for fifteen children.  We are so excited to be able to be able to reach down to this level for the first time since the program started in 2003.  We feel strongly that our summer program will better prepare our pre-K children for the structure and challenge of entering elementary school.  
The Horizon program has been carefully expanding to other Savannah locations from its original campus on Savannah Country Day School.  Bethesda Academy was added last year and now hosts middle-school age Horizon students.  “We are also looking for additional program campuses to host Horizons Savannah”.   Edwards further explained.  “We are not simply a camp for underserved children.  We combine academic, cultural and physical education elements over a six-week period in Horizons to combat summer “slide” which results in students losing ground over the period that regular school is not in session.  And one of the unique elements of our program is that it requires parental involvement and commitment.”

Board Member, James Hazel accepted Park Place Outreach’s $15,000 check and said, “Park Place Outreach, "A Home with a Heart" is very appreciative of this generous donation. We continue to see a significant increase in the number of children and their families that we serve.  Like most organizations we continue to see dwindling funds from federal and state agencies. This donation will enable us to carry out our mission to counsel with at-risk teens and their families. Our main objective is to reunite these young men and women with their families and in that regard, a great deal of our time and money goes into counseling both the youth and their families in order to provide a safe return into the home. This donation will help us achieve that objective.”

"It costs $136 a day to provide shelter, food, counseling and safety to a troubled youth.  As an emergency shelter serving this vulnerable population, we rely on the generosity of the community. This donation from St. Peter’s Episcopal Church from their fund raiser 'The Market at 3 West Ridge' is critical to us being able to maintain our level of service,” said Linda Hilts, Park Place Outreach’s executive director.

St. Peter’s Episcopal Church intends to host another boutique in the Spring of 2014 and will once again select charities who will benefit from The Market at 3 West Ridge sale and donation proceeds.  According to Patty Frothingham, “Each year we re-evaluate how we can enhance our event to attract more shoppers and provided them with an awesome experience.  Plans are already underway for next year’s undertaking and some pretty exciting things are on the drawing board, especially since we have a new Parish Hall facility!”

Father Sam Buice, St. Peter’s rector said, “The generous heart of our congregation to make Savannah a better place for all of God’s children is so exemplified by this undertaking.  The giving of time and talent on behalf our parishioners resulted in a rewarding experience for everyone involved”.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZATIONS
HORIZONS SAVANNAH: Recognized as one of America’s best summer learning programs, Horizons Savannah welcomes about 150 low-income, public elementary and middle school students each summer to the campuses of Savannah Country Day School and Bethesda Academy. Horizons’ six-week summer enrichment program for low-income students helps prevent “summer slide”– the loss of learning that occurs during summer months. Horizons’ efforts are aimed at eliminating the achievement gap for low-income students in Savannah. By providing a safe and nurturing environment, recreational and cultural activities, nutritious meals and snacks, caring professional teachers and creative, challenging instruction, we unlock a student’s potential to achieve. Last summer, students gained an average of three months’ growth in reading and four months growth in math. For more information, please contact Horizons Savannah Executive Director Christy Edwards at 912-961-8854, info@horizonssavannah.org, please visit our website at http://horizonssavannah.org/

PARK PLACE OUTREACH YOUTH EMERGENCY SHELTER: Statistics show that there are about 4000 homeless people in Savannah and about 650 are children. Savannah ranks 2 in the number of homeless within Georgia.  Park Place Outreach – Youth Emergency Shelter, located at 514 E. Henry St., provides support for troubled children and teens from Savannah and the surrounding area. The 12-bed shelter is open 24 hours a day to youth in crisis, adolescents who are homeless, young people who have been abused, runaway youth, or those who may be contemplating how to run away. Opened in 1984 as Marshlands Foundation, Inc. (dba the Savannah Runaway Home), Park Place Outreach – Youth Emergency Shelter provides counseling and other services to boys and girls between the ages of 11 and 17. The organization’s goal is to keep kids off the street and reunify families whenever possible. Since opening its doors, the shelter has served more than 6,000 youth in need.

ST PETERS EPISCOPAL CHURCH:  St. Peter’s is a parish in the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia and is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion.  Currently, St. Peter’s has 386 communicants within its congregation.   The parish is active in numerous community endeavors.