On December 22, 2024 Sisters in Action (SIA) and Ladies of Excellence (LOE) spread some holiday cheer in Colleton County by delivering 122 gifts to the residents of Pruitt-Walterboro. SIA and LOE are two organizations that mentor and advise adolescent girls from Colleton County Middle School and Colleton County High School. The premise of the groups is to improve the community through mentoring and community service.
Mission: Spread Joy was made possible by the charitable contributions and donations of local residents and organizations in the Lowcountry. Young girls collected and bagged various items for the residents of Pruitt-Walterboro and then passed out, not only the gift bags, but also cheerful smiles and warm seasons’ greetings. The organizations were greeted by a caring and kind staff under the guidance of Mrs. Pam Bowen that afforded SIA and LOE to distribute the gift bags.
“It was so heart-warming to see the smiles and the joy on the faces of the people and their loved ones,” Mrs. Joceyln Grant-McNeil, SIA/ LOE advisor stated with a twinkle in her eye.
Ms. Shiffon Robinson, a previous employee of Pruitt-Walterboro and a current advisor of SIA/LOE, led the way, escorting the volunteers through the hallways and being candidly greeted by the residents and employees. The consensus amongst all the volunteers, staff, and residents is that the experience “felt good”.
The reason for Mission: Spread Joy was derived from a personal experience with Pruitt-Walterboro from SIA/LOE advisor, Ms. Gloria Brown, whose father was a resident for over a month last year. She was moved by the kindness and treatment of her late father, Frank Perry. “The staff treated my dad and family with dignity and respect in his most vulnerable state. I wanted an opportunity to give back to a place that helped us in such a difficult time in my family.”
Pruitt-Walterboro is a skilled nursing and rehabilitation center that houses many elderly members of the Colleton County community and surrounding areas. It also employs many residents in Colleton County.
In the future SIA/ LOE plans to take on more community service missions that will activate drive and passion in young girls to have a positive impact on our community.
