2. 2
About Street Papers
Street papers are independent newspapers and magazines that
operate on a social enterprise and self-help model to provide an
innovative solution to urban homelessness and unemployment.
Street paper vendors receive copies of their local street paper and
become micro entrepreneurs, asking for donations for their product
on the streets, to earn their own living and support themselves and
their families. This has the advantage of giving them a way to make
money that doesn’t depend on their mental state, background,
education, criminal record, employment history, housing status or
any of the other factors that keep the homeless from working.
We publish our paper monthly and give them to the homeless
(vendors) and they ask for donations on the street. Vendors must
complete an orientation and sign a code of conduct. We give them
10 magazines to start (after orientation is completed) then they are
ready to hit the street and start earning money!
Our Mission
“The mission of the Lowcountry Herald is to produce a quality
print publication for the homeless people and people living in
poverty in Charleston, SC who may ask for a donation for the
publication and generate an income to lift themselves out of pov-
erty and live a life of dignity”
Now Seeking Vendors
Contact Moses Brunson (843) 607-3764
Advertising
To advertise with us contact:
advertising@lowcountryherald.org
Coupon ads welcome
Puzzle Answers
The answers to all the puzzles will be published monthly on our
website at lowcountry-herald.org/puzzle-solutions
Staff
Letters to the Editor
Let Us Know What’s on Your Mind!
Email: jill@lowcountryherald.org
Paul Gangarosa ......................................... President of the Board
Jill Hunter Powell............................................... Managing Editor
Moses Brunson.............................................. Vendor Coordinator
Francesca Pardini.......................................... Vendor Coordinator
Kemberle Griffin..........................................Creative Art Director
Jenesha Nance............................................................. Staff Writer
Lauren Feder............................................................... Staff Writer
Paige “Duffy” Lewis...................... Business Manager/Staff Writer
Sheila Russell.................................................Contributing Writer
Jeremy Russell................................................Contributing Writer
Christine Ruffing............................................Contributing Writer
Mark R. Jones................................................Contributing Writer
Ramsey Lewis........................................................................Sales
facebook.com/lowcountryherald
https://smile.amazon.com/ch/46-4784611
TinyHouse
Project Charleston
https://thpcharleston.com
3. 3
Homeless Resources
MUSC Dental Clinic – Must be on Medicaid and
have a disability. Joan McLauren 843.876.0059
Low Country Food Bank 843.747.8146
Tri-County Family Ministries 843.747.1788
Low Country Food Bank 843.747.8146
Tri-County Family Ministries 843.747.1788
Charleston 843.723.6066
Johns Island 843.559.4109
The Salvation Army
Charleston 843.747.5271
Summerville 843.851.2368
Moncks Corner 843.761.0940
East Cooper Community Outreach 843.849.9220
Helping Hands of Goose Creek 843.553.7132
Trident United Way 2-1-1 is a 24 hour hotline for
anyone to call for referrals to get help
Shelters:
One 80 Place/Crisis Ministries (homeless shelter for
men, women, and families) 843.723.9477
Star Gospel (men’s emergency shelter)
843.722.2473
The Beacon (shelter for youth – under 18)
843.266.5270
Florence Crittenton
(for pregnant women under 21)
843.722.7526
Hibben United Methodist Church
690 Coleman Blvd.
Mt. Pleasant
843.884.9761
Emergency Cold Shelter
December – March
Available when temperature drops to 32º.
Shelternet
An emergency financial assistance program.
• For past due electric, gas and water bills
• For past due rent
• For security deposits & first month rent
APPLICATION REQUIRED
See your social worker or call 843.284.5154.
The Homeless Resource List is a new feature for the Lowcountry Herald. If you know of any resourc-
es for our homeless residents, please contact info@lowcountryherald.org.
4. 4
Self-sufficiency was something Carla always strived for. It was
what led her to flee her volatile household as a teenager and skip out
on school in order to pursue an independent lifestyle.
The “self” in sufficiency took on a broader meaning when she
became pregnant with her son at the age of 17. Now completely
focused on his wellbeing, but lacking any true place to call home,
Carla had no choice but to rely on the only people she knew.
The result was nowhere near ideal. Carla traded one hostile
residence for another as she split time between staying with her
abusive parents or the abusive father of her child. After more than
a year of bouncing around, stability was at a premium - she had
become homeless.
“I didn’t want to keep being vulnerable to abuse, so I left,” Carla
says.
A friend’s recommendation turned her to Alternative House:
Assisting Young Mothers (AYM), a program that arranges housing
for new mothers in need for up to 18 months. The refuge came
with stringent conditions. Regular contact with a case manager,
nightly curfew, weekly work, school hour requirements, visitation
parameters and rooming with another young mother all became
part of Carla’s regular life.
Along with those responsibilities came access to individual and
group therapy, as well as mandatory contributions to a savings
account - not to mention getting a hard and fast lesson in time
management. Carla upheld her end of the bargain and navigated
the program dutifully, which allowed her to enter into a new, less
demanding living arrangement with Northern Virginia Family
Services (NVFS).
NVFS is a non-profit organisation that provides tools and
guidance to achieve the ultimate goal that Carla sought when she
was younger: self-sufficiency. The organisation’s services include
providing food, healthcare and childcare to those in need throughout
Northern Virginia. Its most needed resource, however, continues to
be housing accommodation.
Overseeing the programs is NVFS’ director of community
housing, Kathy Bridgeman. She handles priority clients on a closed
referral basis and provides rental, utility or relocation assistance,
to name a few. Essentially, NVFS acts as a go-between for clients
and general society, helping the former alleviate living expenses or
prepare to interact with a landlord if they feel ill-equipped.
However, Bridgeman emphasises that NVFS’ presence isn’t
permanent, and teaching practices of sustainability can be a
challenge for those clients getting their first taste of it.
“For some of our households, it’s just helping them understand
budgeting, saving, making economic decisions that support them in
the long run as opposed to short-term pleasure.” Bridgeman says.
“For those who maybe have been raised in public housing or been
raised with a [public housing] voucher, many believe, ‘Oh well, I’m
gonna get one too.’ While that may be true, you’re also committing
yourself to a life of poverty, so all we can do is offer them options and
resources to show where they can go.”
The accountability NVFS asks from its clients is seen as a fair
trade given that the organisation is investing its time and energy into
developing someone’s human capital. Still, it doesn’t make the job
easier when clients are declined housing services because they can’t
or won’t fulfill the organisation’s high expectations.
“I believe everyone has the right to be housed and it’s hard when
you have to say ‘no’,” Bridgeman adds. “It’s hard to hear [clients] say
‘You’re making me homeless.’ However, I can only do what I can
do, because folks who are doing what they need to are what these
resources are for.”
Carla’s own experience with NVFS’ required accountability
occurred soon after the birth of her second child. Opting for 12
weeks off from work while only receiving four weeks of paid leave,
NVFS refused to compensate a greater portion of Carla’s rent since
it was deemed a personal decision.
Single Mother Charts
Her Own Path
Out of Homelessness
STREET SENSE - USA
Faced with the choice of living with an abusive partner or being
homeless, young mother Carla chose the latter. In escaping her
violent abuser, she found self-determination and sufficiency thanks
to the stringent conditions she followed at Alternative House:
Assisting Young Mothers in Virginia State. With their support,
Carla has carved her own professional path, working her way
up from odd jobs to landing a steady spot as an administrative
subcontractor. “You can have a lot of opportunities and resources
available to you, but if you don’t know how to use them the best
way you can, it doesn’t matter how much people are trying to help
you,” Carla says.
- By Matt Delaney
Courtesy of Street Sense / INSP.ngo
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Street Sense
5. 5
“I took it upon myself to take 12 weeks to be with my newborn
baby because I didn’t do that with my older son and I regret going
[back] to work so quickly,” says Carla. “That bonding time with
your child is so important, especially if I want go back to work and
school immediately after [the leave ends].”
Although discontent with NVFS’ response, things could’ve fared
worse for Carla had she not been as driven as she was. Most people
breaking out of homelessness lack the financial reserves to brave
almost two months without pay while still shouldering their full
share of the rent.
Carla made her own luck by building up her personal savings so
she could enjoy her maternity leave with peace of mind. Her frank
nature discussing the event emitted her quiet, but palpable sense of
pride. She knew she wouldn’t have been able to do this a few years
ago. She knew she was getting closer to being independent.
But this is rarely the case. Eight weeks out of work with no
reduction in rent is plenty of time to ruin someone’s temporary
housing situation. It’s not long before the loss of a home leads into
problems at work and puts a major strain on that person’s daily life.
It’s a major example of the severe trauma the homeless population
is prone to. Unplanned setbacks can stump progress since they
lack the safety nets most people take for granted. That’s why it is
imperative for providers and non-profits to understand how that
trauma affects the people they’re working with, and subsequently,
the programs they gear toward them.
Integrating trauma-informed care for clients is a recent trend in
social services and is what NVFS’ director of workforce development,
Julie Mullen, is taking the initial steps to implementing in the
organisation.
“Our ability to understand the barriers is our biggest challenge
because we didn’t live [their life],” Mullen says. “We’re working with
a population who the government views as stable because they’re in
transitional housing. And yet, when we get in there and start to work
with them on what their career path is going to look like, it’s not the
[traditional] A to B path.
“On the traditional career path, we tell ourselves ‘I’m gonna go
to this college and major in this and then take this job,’” Mullen
continues. “We’re talking about people who were just living in
their car and now are in transitional housing. That is traumatic,
and messes with your brain chemistry and your ability to make
decisions.”
Familiarising itself with the unique challenges of clients has been
a learning process for NVFS, but one that’s made strides due to
intensified research and attentiveness to client needs. Programs that
engender trauma-informed care are in the works and will soon be
used to improve the dynamic between clients and providers.
Regardless, true progress depends on funding, and funders aren’t
as keen about the new methods NVFS is looking to employ until
they gain more traction.
Even with that being the case, workforce development programs
were never a concern for Carla. She carved her own professional
path without assistance, working her way up from odd jobs to
landing a steady spot as an administrative subcontractor. It’s not
her dream job, but it’s helped her achieve the stability she sought as
a teenager.
That stability has allowed Carla to take night classes while
pursuing a degree in Integrative Studies for Language Arts. Best
of all, it’s helped her reach the vaunted goal of true self-sufficiency.
This month, Carla will be discharged from NVFS’ aid and ready
to buy her own home. She knows she couldn’t have done it without
help, which included helping herself.
“You can have a lot of opportunities and resources available to
you, but if you don’t know how to use them the best way you can, it
doesn’t matter how much people are trying to help you,” Carla says.
“You have to take it upon yourself to ask questions. Take it upon
yourself to make the plan and do it, or else you’re not going to get
out of being homeless.”
It seems that her 4-year journey has come to an end. However,
there’s no time to waste - being self-sufficient is a full-time job. Carla
knows that better than anyone.
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6. 6
It’s the Thought
That Counts
Yes it’s the holiday season once again. Many of you will be out
on November 25th for Black Friday trying to find that perfect
gift. However, not all gifts are appreciated. Everyone has gotten
a rotten gift, including myself. I asked people to share the one
present that had them running back to the store for an exchange
or return. Here are a few of the responses. No names have been
used to protect the innocent, and the guilty who purchased the
gift.
1. I once received a toilet seat.
2. The book What to Expect When You’re Expecting. I was in
high school and not even dating.
3. A fifth of whiskey, even though I’m an alcoholic.
4. A very nice sweater that someone had worn, stained, and re-
gifted to me.
5. A donation in my name to a cause I don’t support.
6. I got my own Christmas gift back the next year.
7. A subscription to the Nutrisystem weight-loss program
8. Dental Floss
9. A turquoise man-kini. I am 60 years old and weigh 250 pounds.
10. An iron and ironing board from my (now ex-) husband.
11. A book titled 101 Wines Under $5.
12. A bag of cotton balls.
13. A Christmas tree ornament. I’m Jewish.
14. A pill vial designed like a white elephant and filled with the
baby teeth of my friend’s children.
15. A book of etiquette from my mother-in-law
On the other hand, some gifts stay with us for a lifetime and cost
next to nothing. Consider some of these ideas.
1.My aunt gave me a pair of earrings that belonged to my
grandmother. They meant the world to me.
2.Mysistergavemeashadowboxwithapieceofmygrandmother’s
quilt in it. Every time that I look at it, I think of Nana and my
sister.
3. My daughter-in-law typed her grandmother’s poems and had
them printed in a little book.
4. Once my husband gave me an evening of painting, which is
something I love. He had found a video on a painting tutorial,
and set out all of my paints and two canvases in the living room.
That night, each of us painted a picture together.
5. One year I surprised my husband with a special Christmas
present: a hiking or fishing trip that we would do together.
6. I wrote poems for each of my grown children.
7. I gave my wife the gift of time. Now every afternoon from about
5-6 p.m. we sit on the porch and enjoy coffee together. I just listen
as she decompresses her day. Very precious to her.
8. For Christmas, I ask my out-of-town family not to buy me
anything tangible. Instead I ask them to use that money to come
see me. For me, Christmas is about the celebration of those I love.
9. For Christmas gifts one year my sister typed up my
grandmother’s handwritten recipes for all of our siblings. She put
them into a notebook with a copy of one of my grandmother’s
final letters. It was such a great gift and meant a lot to us.
10. One year, my precious grandmother (in her 90s), gave each of
her 16 grandchildren a photo album that she had worked months
Written by Sheila RussellPhoto Courtesy of Shutterstock
7. 7
Thanksgiving is a beloved American holiday, an annual celebration
of the Pilgrim settlements of 1621, held on the fourth Thursday of
November. Throughout the 18th century the date evolved into a
New England holiday celebration; as northeastern states became
more populated and residents moved south and west, the tradition
became more widely spread.
In 1858, South Carolina governor William Henry Gist joined a
number of other governors presiding over southern states in declaring
Thursday, November 25th as an official day of Thanksgiving. The
Charleston Daily Courier reported that on that day “Our city
presented a Sunday appearance. Businesses rested. The stones
answered only to the wheels of light vehicles. The church-bells
discoursed sweet music, and crowds flocked to the houses of worship.”
While Thanksgiving is no longer a day known for widespread
religious observation and the closing of businesses, it remains a day
full of traditions of celebration and enjoyment, joining together with
loved ones, and giving thanks for wellbeing.
This Thanksgiving was the 39th year Charleston hosted the annual
Turkey Day Run & Gobble Wobble 5K run, the largest 5K race in
South Carolina. Kicking off at 9AM sharp, at Marion Square at the
intersection of Meeting and Calhoun, the race’s 3.1-mile course runs
through historic downtown Charleston with a finish line on the west
side of Marion Square, across King Street from the Francis Marion
Hotel.
The Turkey Day Run originated in 1914 and has undergone a
myriad of changes since the start. There was even a time when the
race started in downtown Charleston and ended in Summerville.
It was reinvented in 1978, when Council 704 reached the current
form of a 5K “Gobble Wobble”, a walk and run for serious and
family-oriented participants. Attracting more than 8,000 people
from over 35 U.S. states as well as Canada and Mexico, the
Gobble Wobble is currently one of the largest long-running annual
South Carolina events.
Participants run south on Meeting Street, passing a number
of downtown landmarks including the Gibbes Museum of Art,
Hibernian Hall, and The Mills House Hotel until they reach the
“Four Corners of Law,” the downtown intersection of Meeting and
Broad Streets. The intersection earned this name for its corners
being marked by Charleston City Hall; Federal Courthouse and
Post Office; the former South Carolina Statehouse, now the County
Courthouse; and St. Michael’s Episcopal Church, where President
George Washington once worshiped.
The race continues with a turn onto South Battery, passing by rows
of historic antebellum mansion homes and the Ashley River before
making a left onto lower King Street; from there it continues up King
to the finish line.
The current Turkey Day Run & Gobble Wobble also includes an
after party at the park for race participants and enthusiasts. The
post-race party includes live music, free food, and beer, as well as
activities for younger attendees, such as face painting and jump
castles. There is also a race mascot, Tom the Turkey, who attends
the event.
Before the end of the after-party, awards are given to the top three
runners in each division; awards are in the form of cash and in the
amount of $500, $250, and $100, as well as an additional $100 prize
to the winners of the Master and Grand Master groups.
The mission of this annual event is to raise money for lowcountry
charities. Each year, a portion of the proceeds is donated to each of
the selected Charleston-area non-profit organizations. In 2015, the
Turkey Day Run donated to over 30 charities, including One Eighty
Place, Lowcountry Food Bank, Special Olympics, and Hospice of
Charleston Foundation.
To learn more about the Turkey Day Run and how to get involved
in the 2017 race, visit www.turkeydayrun.com/givingBack.php.
to organize and put together. Each grandchild’s album was filled
with pictures from her collection of that particular grandchild—
from the time they were an infant into their adult years. I still
cherish my album!
11. At the time when our oldest child was born, I wrote all about
that day. Now, more than 30 years later, I will give this to my son
on Christmas Day.
12. I made my wife a small wooden crucifix out of some really
beautiful wood that was recovered from our house. She likes it
because it’s one-of-a-kind.
13. Unbeknownst to me or my siblings, my grandfather wrote a
memoir of growing up in the Depression, serving in World War I,
etc. One of my sisters discovered this and gave me and each of our
other siblings a copy as a Christmas present.
14. One Christmas I ended up giving my husband one of his most
memorable gifts. Because our children are homeschooled, they are
home most of the time. However, there was a three-month period
of time when they attended a science camp one day a week on
Tuesdays. My gift to my man was to invite him to come home for
lunch every Tuesday for some special time together.
15. I received a card in the mail with a picture of me and my
friend. She wrote a sweet note saying how thankful she was for our
friendship. This was much better than a gift card.
I hope these are helpful when you go out shopping, and remember
the best gift we can give each other throughout the holidays and
the rest of the year is peace, tolerance, and love.
Merry Christmas
Written By Meredith Poston
The Turkey Day Run:
A Lowcountry Thanksgiving Tradition
9. 9
A Small Slice
of the Big Wind Part II
Part II: A Small Slice of the Big Wind
Friday, Oct. 7th— – I woke up to calm wetness outside. De-
spite my headache and sore throat, I was ravenous and lined
up behind a couple of hundred people for breakfast. Most
folk would probably think a bowl of cereal and a cup of weak
coffee isn’t worth the ordeal of waiting for. The several hun-
dred who eventually lined up behind me might have even
agreed —-in principle. At the moment, however, we wanted
whatever was available, and the sooner the better.
After breakfast, I dropped by the nurse’s office for like the
third time and finally found her not deluged with people.
This extremely nice African-American lady had flown all
the way out from Nevada just for us. People might have harsh
words about the Red Cross system, but they definitely have
some stellar people. She gave me a couple of antihistamines
and that cleared up my sore throat and headache woes that
I’d been enduring for several days in less than 2 hours.
The last I heard, Matthew was still headed our way, but
there was still a possibility it could veer off and head out
to sea. About 9am, I stepped outside just to see what was
up. The wind was brisk and I felt a few drops of rain, but
that didn’t last long. Personally, I expected Matthew to drop
right on Chucktown, but how intense would things get for us
way up here in North Charleston? Probably we wouldn’t get
the total bashing that Haiti was now trying to recover from,
but I could visualize trees being blown over, loss of power
and flood conditions.
Not for the first time, I considered the experience of the
Donner Party in 1846 —-you know, the pioneers that got
lost taking a short cut and got stuck in the Rockies all winter,
starving until they eventually resorted to cannibalism. Hav-
ing them and other disaster victims in mind helped me keep
a more philosophical perspective about my own situation,
especially as I listened to a few malcontents complain about
the poor coffee or the small portions at meals, etc.
I heard our numbers were already in the 600s, but more
refugees were bussed in all day. By evening, there was an
announcement that 150 of us were being sent to other places
and they were asking for volunteers. I was tempted, but I
decided to stay with the known inconvenience, as opposed
to the unknown. Besides, Matthew seemed bent on doing
Charleston for sure and I didn’t want to be on the road or
possibly more vulnerable if things were to go drastically cha-
otic really fast. For the moment, it seemed to be the same
outside as it had been for the last two days —-a little wind
and a cloudy sky.
Oct. 8th— – I woke up to calm wetness outside. It had
rained during the night but nothing horrendous. Then about
10am, I looked out the window again just in time to catch
a dramatic surge in the atmosphere. As I stood there and
watched, a strong breeze very definitely went to what I can
only call “blustery-gusty”. Branches were breaking off of
trees and flying through the air while the trees themselves,
particularly the taller ones, bowed low in respect to Moth-
er Nature as she passed through. Matthew was no longer
just some scare story on the TV. The hallway lights flickered
once as if to confirm this.
It was an interesting few minutes as I conjured all kinds of
potential for how this could go for us. A tree being uprooted
and blown through the window I was looking out did not
seem unreasonable just then, but I didn’t move. I’m an or-
nery cuss in some ways. Besides, who wants to live forever?
The wind was still howling when I went to lunch at 11:45,
but not as strongly. I chided myself for not getting an earli-
er start. Lunch wouldn’t start being served until 12:30 but
already the line stretched halfway to the dining hall’s main
exit. Everyone else seemed calm, bored even. Some were
in high spirits. Why not? It’s the 21st century and we were
surrounded by professionals trained to deal with disasters.
What’s to worry about?
A few minutes before 12:30 there was some kind of kerfuffle
at the front of the line. A middle-aged woman started shout-
ing at someone to “Shutup! Shutup!” Four or five hundred
people just watched, some seeming to hope a fight would
break out. People nearby calmed her down, though, and the
moment passed. I have no idea what it was about.
All things considered, this many people crammed into such
a tight spot, surrounded mostly by strangers in a time of un-
certainty, it’s a wonder there wasn’t more serious trouble all
(Continued on page 16)
Written By Richard Fowler
10. 10
The election is over, leaving us distraught. We’re fired
up about the world. We’re ready for a change. We have
to come together for the Holidays with our family.
Oh no. Our family is fired up about something
completely different, which potentially is
heinous or flat out wrong. How do we cope
with these cringe-worthy speeches that
may not even make sense? Well, I’ll
tell you.
1. Better your argument. You
can give anecdotal evidence all
you want, but when you produce
peer-reviewed, scientific articles about
your topic, your family may be more apt to
believe you.
2. Sip your tea. Some things are better left unsaid.
Unless someone’s opinion is directly hurting them or
someone else, just leave them to their ignorant bliss.
3. Be open-minded. Maybe they have some good
points. Maybe you actually are wrong. Always be open
to listening to others’ opinions and maybe they’ll be
open to listen to yours.
4. Don’t let it get personal. When in an argument,
stay away from ad hominem insults: calling
each other names because you dislike their
opinion. Any credibility you had is now
gone.
5. Drink. I hate to say it, but
sometimes you gotta do it. Keep
your eggnog at hand and stay in
the Christmas “spirits.”
6. Just stay home. “Sorry guys, I
couldn’t come to dinner. My fish drowned
and I’m still in a state of mourning.” Seems
legit, right?
So don’t freak out too much when your Uncle Rob
is poking you and trying to set you off. Or after a few
drinks, he’s on the porch ranting about something he
hates. Leave him be, or correct him, your choice; but
don’t let it drive you nuts.
How to Survive
the Holidays:
Election
Year
Edition
Written By Jenesha NancePhoto Courtesy of Shutterstock
11. 11
Training course gives Big Issue South
Africa vendors a career boost
14 November 2016 by INSP News Service
By Margaret Connors, The Big Issue South Africa
Three Big Issue South Africa vendors recently shared the
opportunity to complete a six-month home-based care course at
the Kayamandi Nursing College in Wynberg, in Cape Town’s
southern suburbs.
During the training, the vendors were taught the practical and
theoretical skills needed to be nurses or home-based care givers,
increasing their further education and employment prospect in the
care industry.
The three successful vendors who completed the course
were Nondinaye Tyalisi, Thandeka Swartbooi and Siphokazi
Mogobiane.
Nondinaye, one of the top achievers on the course, always wanted
to be a nurse, but had not been able to complete her Grade 12, a
requirement for going to nursing college.
But now, aged 39, she hopes to one day own her own early
childhood development centre or have a career as an assistant
nurse. “That is what I like,” she says, “because I’ve always liked
children, and they say it’s fine to have two different dreams. For me
it is nursing and early childhood development work.”
Nondinaye says she learned more than she would ever have
thought possible, However, due to a shortage of money, she wasn’t
able to continue her studies after the free six-month period.
Due to the promise Kayamandi Nursing College’ principal saw
in her, he offered to pay for her next course, but as she could not
afford the transport to Wynberg, Nondinaye was unable to carry
on.
Undeterred, and with six months of training in home-based care
behind her, she is now ready to look for a job. “Once I find a job,
I will work for up to a year, and then either go back to school, or
continue work,” she says.
For all of the women attending, the course provided the support
and information needed to jump-start a career in a care-based
profession.
And, as Nondinaye reminds herself, “The Big Issue is not only a
magazine for you to survive on. It is a magazine for you to survive
on until you get what you want.”
Nondinaye and her colleagues are on that path. They had the
opportunity to learn about something they all wished for at a
younger age and are, slowly but surely, seeing their dreams become
a reality.
12. 12
I took to some of the known local hangouts around Charleston to
mix and mingle with the people who make up the core of our fair
city in hopes find out what they love about the holidays here in the
Lowcountry. At any given time of the year, there is no shortage of
activities in and around the Holy City. Somehow we pack in even
additional events, concerts, plays, specialty markets, home tours,
and more on top of the traditional parades, last minute shopping,
visits with Santa, decking the halls, card writing, baking cookies,
and wrapping presents into the wee hours of the morning.
Having grown up in a small town in Georgia where we did not
have all of these awesome extra things to do, you can imagine
that I was, well like a kid at Christmastime when I spent my
first Christmas here in Charleston! This year makes my twelfth
Christmas in Charleston, and each is just a little bit more magical
than the last. A couple of weeks ago, as I listened to two wide-
eyed children excitedly recount the details of the previous night’s
Holiday Festival of Light Run, I tried to imagine what it might be
like had every Christmas been like a Charleston Christmas. These
boys are 4 and 6 years old and have been attending this special
preview of the light display at James Island County Park with
their mom and dad for at least the past five years, and every year
on the following morning I get that same wide-eye, excited view
through their eyes. (…Once each of them were at a stage where
they could talk to tell me about all the fun they had, that is.)
This thought led me to getting to know our wonderful
Charlestonians a little better. (Bear in mind that while each
response had a unique story with it, a few
of them were repeated, thus making the
list on the shorter side.)
The question I asked went as follows:
What is your favorite thing to do during
your Charleston Christmas that never
loses its magic?
-“The downtown Christmas parade.”
-“The Sound of Charleston Holiday Concert at The Circular
Church.”
-“Taking the whole family to Boone Hall Farms to pick out the
perfect Christmas tree.”
-“Waiting for the coldest night to go see the Holiday Festival of
Lights.”
-“Baking lots of cookies, and trying a new recipe every year.”
-“Every year growing up in Mt. Pleasant, my brother and I would
get together with all of the other neighbor kids and go house to
house singing carols.”
-“My family would take this time of year to finally get around to
visiting a historical church downtown.”
-“The Parade of Boats.”
-“Go and see The Nutcracker. We particularly enjoy the Russian
ballet.”
-“It was always important to my parents that we bought extra toys
for the Toys for Tots drive. Now my kids pick out the extra toys.”
-“Hot chocolate and attend the tree lighting in Marion Square.”
-“My dad and I still go check out the trainset in Charleston Place.”
-“Finding an Angel Tree and playing Santa for someone else.”
-“Starting the season off by visiting the
house at Boone Hall Plantation and
arguing with my sister about whose
house would look more like it when we
got older.”
My conclusion is that if there is such
thing as “Christmas Magic” we
definitely have lots of it right here in
Charleston, South Carolina. Your
traditions may be exactly the same
from year to year, or perhaps it is your
tradition to do something different
every year. Regardless of what you do
there is no doubt that you will always
have plenty to choose from right here
where you call home, and the following day you will meet your
friends with wide eyes, and excitedly tell them all about it.
Happy Christmas Charleston!
Merry Everything!
Written and Photos by Minta Pavliscsak
Christmas Magic
13. 13
If there’s one thing that Olivia Crosby will tell you, it’s that no one
has gone so low that they cannot rise back up. Five months sober
following a lifetime of chemical hell, hers is an inspiring story of
overcoming and strength.
As a young girl growing up in a million dollar home in Mt.
Pleasant, no one would have suspected a future life of drugs,
stripping and prostitution.
Olivia explains the three tenets of her 12 step program, a program
she credits with helping her recovery.
“There is a mental aspect. Alcoholics are wired to react to
alcohol differently than non-alcoholics. We become obsessed with
whatever substance we’re addicted to, and we always feel that the
next time will be different.”
Then there is a physical craving. Every addict develops a medical
need that demands satisfaction and must be filled. For the addict,
this means a kind of prison where the only thought is the next hit.
There is also a spiritual element. “We all have a spiritual hole
inside us”, she says, “and it pushes addicts toward self-pity and
depression”. Alcohol and drugs are a way to ‘fill’ that hole, if only
temporarily and unsatisfactorily.
Olivia’s journey began at a young age. She was drunk at 14 and
in high school was sneaking shots from her father’s liquor cabinet.
The dependence on alcohol led to smoking marijuana, which
then progressed into acid while still in high school.
She enrolled in nursing school, but by then her addiction had
turned to heroin. A friend of hers told her about how much money
she could make stripping, and so as a 19 year old she had a new
career. Opiates and heroin kept her going during this 10 year stint.
Around that time, a long time affinity for “bad boys” got her into
the crack cocaine crowd. Crack became her way to overcome the
horror of heroin dependency. But it was no easy road. “Whoever
created crack was possessed by Satan”, she insists, “not a demon,
but Satan”. By now she had turned to prostitution to feed her
$500 a day habit.
At 36, she had come to a point in her life when the emptiness
caused her to cry out, “is this it?” She prayed fervently that God
would either take her life or rescue her. That night, she got high,
and that morning, she got beaten and raped. She was taken to
MUSC. Rather than blame God, she realized that winding up in
the hospital was, paradoxically, an answer to her prayer. It caused
her to see the danger of the life she was living.
She still takes the time to visit her old territory and help her old
friends trapped in despair and addiction. She gives what she can,
believing that it is important to pass on whatever blessings we
have received to others.
Her message to parents? “Parents cannot keep their kids
straight. You can’t stop someone from becoming an addict. It’s
in their DNA. But if your child becomes an addict, love them
unconditionally, don’t enable them, and encourage them into
recovery.”
Her message to kids? “This disease does get worse, never better.
Get sober as quickly as you can. This disease is fatal!”
Olivia’s fight will never end. She has looked into the face of her
enemy and has its measure and is determined not to go down
that road again. With her new rescue puppy, a 1 year old husky
named King, she fights a fight that would break most people. As
we move into a holiday season largely shorn of its significance by
materialism and greed, we can look to Olivia as an example of
redemption and the strength of the human spirit.
REDEMPTION IN
CHARLESTON
Written by Paul Gangarosa
14. 14
Are you thinking about visiting our nation’s capital? Believe it
or not, you really can do a weekend trip to Washington, D.C.
from Charleston, South Carolina. JetBlue, United, Southwest
and American airlines all offer non-stop flights to the District of
Columbia that only take an hour and a half. Fares are also very
reasonable now at around $150 round-trip. If you have more time
I would suggest riding Amtrak. The train ride takes about 9 hours
but you can get up and walk around, buy a snack at the dining car
or read a book that you’ve been wanting to get to for awhile. I have
taken Amtrak several times and like the relaxation of a train ride
but it’s a long day. I would definitely not suggest driving to D.C.
as the traffic is a nightmare on interstate 95 and especially bad
outside D.C. Not to mention, it takes about 9 hours to drive there
without traffic. In the interest of time, air travel is definitely the
best way to go.
There is so much to see and do in D.C. that you need a month to
do it all but who has that much time? When I go, I cram as much
as I can into the allotted time. My niece and I recently spent a few
glorious days in D.C. and had loads of fun. In four days we were
able to do a lot but if you only have a weekend there’s still a lot that
can be seen. Do some research on the internet before you go and
make plan. When you arrive in D.C. hit the ground running with
the plan to see as much as possible.
Last year, we were lucky enough to get an inside tour of the
Pentagon from a friend who works there. Each wing and corridor
is different and the military artifacts are amazing! We even saw
Sadam Hussein’s gold plated Assault Rifle. The general public can
request a tour in advance by going to: http://pentagontours.osd.
mil/tour-selection.jsp
On to the Smithsonian Institute. With 19 museums and galleries,
it’s hard to see it all. In my experience you just have to pick a few
and go. My son’s favorite is the Smithsonian National Air and
Space Museum. Comprised of 2 levels, I find that this museum is
the easiest to navigate with an easy to follow floorplan. Who can
resist seeing the Spirit of St. Louis, Sputnik or Amelia Earhart’s
Lockheed Vega? Not me!
Another favorite of mine is the National Museum of the American
Indian which is simply amazing! It’s 4 levels and a little hard to
follow but I suggest you start off by watching the film “Who We
Are” in the Lelawi Theater on level 4. They are many displays
and galleries but don’t miss seeing Geronimo’s rifle in Our people’s
gallery! There is an assortment of native made (and non-native
made) goods, books, music, etc. in the Roanoke Museum Store on
the second level. I purchased a beautiful hand-made belt that I
adore. If you are hungry while visiting, try a buffalo burger at the
Mitsitam Café.
The National Zoo is another must see with animals from A to Z.
We went early on a Monday morning and watched the pandas eat
their breakfast when there were few other visitors around. They are
just magnificent creatures! There are many more animals to see as
the zoo boasts around 1,800 animals from 300 different species
including great apes, big cats, Asian elephants, birds, amphibians,
reptiles, small mammals and more.
I particularly loved watching the meerkats play!
I am a proud member of the Daughters of the American
Revolution (DAR) and to me, no visit to D.C is complete without a
visit to the DAR museum. My niece had not ever been and we had
the best time wandering around from room to room!
In addition to many fine exhibits and unique historical artifacts,
DAR also boasts a huge research library for the family historian.
Out of the 225,000 books in the library, I was so excited and proud
to find two genealogical books that I wrote in the family history
section. http://www.dar.org/
Weekend Trips From
Written by Jill Hunter Powell – Managing Editor
Photos by Hunter Powell
15. 15
To see the monuments, I highly recommend the Monuments by
Moonlight tour. I have personally taken this tour four times and
find it the best way to see the monuments. I particularly love the
way the monuments take on a whole new look at night. The trolley
tour makes stops at Iwo Jima, FDR, MLK, Jr., Lincoln, Vietnam
and Korean War memorials. They are all majestic in their own
way, but don’t miss walking through the Korean War Memorial
at night. You feel as though you are walking through a field in
Korea with the soldiers. It’s quite eerie! http://www.trolleytours.
com/washington-dc/night-tours.asp
As for getting around in D.C., the easiest way is to take Uber.
If money is less important than time this is by far the way to go.
My husband likes to ride the Metro. It’s a relatively easy system
to access and all you need is the Washington Metro app on your
phone and a Smart Trip card purchased at any Metro station and
you are in business. The only trouble with Metro is that unless
you are traveling a far distance it’s a bit time consuming in my
opinion, at least for sightseeing. For instance, the Metro stop for the
National Zoo is either Woodley park or Cleveland park. We seem
to always go to Woodley park and the walk to the zoo is uphill.
This is not recommended for small children or the elderly. If you
have limited time, trust me and go by Uber where it’s too far to
walk. You will walk a lot at any rate so Uber is a leg saver.
If you have never been to our nation’s capital or if it’s been
a long time since you were there, pack your bags and go!
You won’t be sorry!
16. 16
the time. The only other human disturbance I personally
witnessed was on our second night there. Some young wom-
an ——in her late teens or early twenties—— was pacing the
hall agitatedly, loudly declaring her intention to “take my
f____in’ kid and get the f__k out of here!” Some guy was
trying to reason with her and I got that the gist of her dis-
pleasure had to do with either “stupid rules” or a particular
official trying to enforce them. Or both.
My 62 year old legs whined a bit, but the 45 minute wait in
line was worth it. I was famished, so that was the best high
school cafeteria hamburger I ever had in my life. That and
one apple was lunch. No seconds allowed.
Though the wind continued to howl, no window had yet
imploded and we still had power. As I went in search of an
outlet to recharge my Kindle, I was in a good mood. I heard
a little grumbling here and there and was tempted to tell
them about the Donner Party or the Titanic to smugly reas-
sure them of how much worse it could be. But I didn’t. Find-
ing a plug outlet was my top priority since my Kindle was
down to like 22% energy. There were games to be played
and internet that needed to be surfed.
The first couple of days I had surprisingly easy access to the
one outlet in the cafeteria. A microwave oven used one plug-
in and I just helped myself to the other. But now it was totally
taken over by the two coffee pots on full time duty. People
need their caffeine fix. There were hallway outlets scattered
throughout the building, but finding a free one wasn’t easy.
Phones and Tablets and Gameboys were on life support ev-
erywhere. One spot was cluttered with what looked like a
full-blown home-entertainment center —-basically a laptop
computer and speakers. Kids were watching a Disney car-
toon movie on it as I passed by.
I finally found a free outlet in a hall that had only recently
been opened up to us. My charger perked along, probably
would have re-energized faster if I hadn’t been surfing the
web, but I managed to get up to 30% before the lights went
out. You read correctly —-the gods chose that moment to
knock out our power and force us to go on the backup gen-
erators while my Kindle and phone were both at low energy.
As of that moment, you can forget all that stoic philosophy
and the comparisons with the Donner Party. This was se-
rious! No more on-line Mah-jongg or Facebook or on-line
anything. Is this what we’ve come to? Hardy pioneers grit
their teeth, sacrificed and transformed the vast frontier of
an entire continent just so their descendants would come to
be so techno-reliant that a total power outage is enough to
reduce them to jelly?
A few minutes later, I summed it up to my friend, Victor:
“It’s official now. This sucks!”
By the way, Victor Malverez is an excellent human being
who volunteered his time, muscle and know-how to take
some of the load off the regular volunteers, some of whom
were really stressed out by then.
The generators kept most of the lighting and phones in
operation but, curiously, the stoves in the kitchen were not
essential enough, apparently. The Red Cross came through
with the latest in military k-rations cuisine. Crates of FREs
or e-Packs were delivered in time for dinner. I remember the
old k-rations in tin cans and plastic packets —-all generic
and olive drab— – from my military service in the 70s and
early 80s but this was something new. I had a package of
freeze-dried pork with meat sauce that I was to heat, myself,
without benefit of any kind of oven or even fire. We live in
surreal times, so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise that I
had to add water (included) to trigger the cooking process.
With a little coaching, I got ‘r done in about ten minutes and
it wasn’t bad. There were also crackers, osmotic raisins, a fig
bar and a packet of Skittles.
That’s basically about all there was to it. The next day, we
had an FRE breakfast (I think mine was chicken and pasta
that time) and waited for buses to take us home. Downtown
got the worst of it, but it was nothing like that real bully,
Hugo, in 1989. Matthew had rocked Haiti and Florida, but
just didn’t care anymore by the time he got to us. Crews
were already out cleaning up and the most I saw were large
piles of blown down tree branches by the road and an occa-
sional huge puddle of water. —
Richard Fowler
(Continued from page 9)
18. 18
NOW HIRING
If you have job openings you’d like to place in the Lowcountry Hearld,
please contact our Managing Editor Jill Powell at
jill@lowcountryherald.org.
World Market and Bed Bath Beyond
across from Citadel Mall
Sake House at Tanger Dunkin Donuts Coleman Boulevard Mt.
Pleasant
McDonald’s on Sam Rittenberg hiring
closers
Charleston Sports Pub on Sam Rittenberg
hiring all positions
Days Inn W. Montague
Big Billy’s on International Blvd. By
Tanger
Castle Keepers hiring for 3-day, 4-day, or
5-day weeks
Old Navy – all locations
Charleston Harbor Marina in Mt P-hiring
All positions
Stop everything. Your dream job is here!
Are you the crazy cat person of your
friend group? Can you usually be found
drinking coffee or wine (depending on the
time of day, obvi)? Do you have a passion
for ameowzing customer service? Can you
speak in fluent cat puns?
If so, we’ve been looking for mew! Apply
to work at Charleston’s first cat cafe right
meow: www.pouncecatcafe.com/jobs
Walgreens Mt. Pleasant hiring for all
positions
Sudoku
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