<b>By Pamela Brownstein</b>

The atmosphere at The Shed in Port Royal was jovial and light-hearted last Friday, Feb. 8. as local organizations and nonprofits from Beaufort, Colleton, Hampton and Jasper counties gathered at the reception for the 2013 Grant Recipients of Coastal Community Foundation’s The Beaufort Fund. Regional Vice President of The Beaufort Fund <b>Edna Crews</b>, former Beaufort County School District Superintendent, was the upbeat and gracious master of ceremonies as more than $550,000 was awarded to 59 deserving organizations.

[caption id="attachment_9887" align="alignleft" width="150"]<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BFund2-bw.jpg"><img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-9887" alt="Nancy Thomas, Fred Washington and Marcia Wood" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BFund2-bw-150x150.jpg" width="150" height="150" /></a> Nancy Thomas, Fred Washington and Marcia Wood[/caption]

Chairman Fred Washington also addressed the crowd and discussed the process of reviewing extensive grant proposals, doing site visits and deciding how to allocate the money.  The Beaufort Fund Grant Review Committee included <b>Fred Washington, Jr., Audrey Bittner, Earl Bostick, Tracy Johnston, Alan Moses, Joanne Moses, Kathie Smith, Sharon Stewart, Charles Webb and Marcia Wood</b>. “These are different folks who come together for a common purpose,” Washington said, and he praised the committee’s efforts for working so well together for a worthy cause.

In his closing remarks, <b>President and CEO George Stevens </b>talked about the role of The Beaufort Fund as helping to build bridges between nonprofits so groups can work as partners.

Three lucky groups also walked away with an additional $500 each in door prizes: Hampton County <a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BFund4-bw.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9888" alt="BFund4 bw" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BFund4-bw-300x199.jpg" width="300" height="199" /></a>First Steps, Jasper County First Steps and Colleton Habitat for Humanity.

Special thanks to <b>Program Officers Richard Hendry and Sydney Fowler</b>, and also to <b>Q on Bay </b>for supplying the barbecue and food.

For more information, contact Edna Crews at 843-379-3400 or visit www.coastalcommunityfoundation.org.

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<strong>2013 GRANT RECIPIENTS</strong>
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<b>Three-year grantees</b>

• Child Abuse Prevention Association (CAPA)

• Citizens Opposed to Domestic Violence (CODA) <a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BFund3-bw.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9889" alt="BFund3 bw" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BFund3-bw-300x199.jpg" width="300" height="199" /></a>

• Collaborative Organization of Services for Youth (COSY)

• Hope Haven of the Lowcountry

• Ronald McDonald House Charities

<b>One-year grantees</b>

<strong>ARTS</strong>

• Arts Council of Beaufort County

• Hampton Friends of the Arts

• USCB Center for the Arts<a href="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BFund5-bw.jpg"><img class="alignright size-medium wp-image-9890" alt="BFund5 bw" src="http://www.yourislandnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/BFund5-bw-300x199.jpg" width="300" height="199" /></a>

<strong>EDUCATION</strong>

• AMIkids

• Antioch Educational Center

• Beaufort County and Jasper County First Steps

• Born to Read Beaufort Partnership

• Boys &amp; Girls Club of the Lowcountry

• The Children’s Corner

• Colleton County First Steps

• Colleton County Memorial Library’s Summer Reading Program

• Hampton County First Steps

• Hampton County Literacy Council

• Hampton County School District One

• Junior Achievement Coastal South Carolina

• Literacy Volunteers of the Lowcountry

• St. John A.M.E. Church

• South Carolina Governor’s School for Science and Math Foundation

• Technical College of the Lowcountry Foundation

• Thumbs Up

• YMCA of Beaufort County

<strong>ENVIRONMENT</strong>

• Beaufort County Open Land Trust

• Center for Heirs’ Property Preservation

• Lowcountry Open Land Trust

• Nemours Wildlife Foundation

<strong>HEALTH</strong>

• ACCESS Network

• Alzheimer’s Family Services of Greater Beaufort

• Beaufort Women’s Center

• Bluffton-Jasper County Volunteers in Medicine

• Friends of Caroline Hospice

• Good Neighbor Free Medical Clinic

• Little Red Dog Foundation

• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI)

• Sheldon Township Community Support Partnership

• Volunteers in Medicine Clinic

<strong>HUMAN NEEDS</strong>

• American Red Cross, Carolina Lowcountry

• Catholic Charities Support Services’ “Our Lady’s Pantry”

• Circle of Hope Ministries, Inc.

• Colleton Habitat for Humanity

• Family Promise of Beaufort County

• HELP of Beaufort

• Lowcountry Food Bank

• LowCountry Habitat for Humanity

• Lowcountry Legal Volunteers

• Meal on Wheels of Bluffton/Hilton Head

• Second Helpings

• Senior Services of Beaufort County

• Under One Roof

• United Way of Bamberg, Colleton and Hampton Counties

<strong>COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT</strong>

• Agape Family Life Center

• Alexander Community Development Center

• Franciscan Center

• Neighborhood Outreach Connection

• The Colleton Center
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