Free Eye Exam Project 2020

Eyeglass World Collaborated with AROC to provide free eye exams and 1 compliment eyeglass to the following low-income individual's..

Youth & Family Health Fest

St. James-Santee Family Health Center

It Takes A Village

Partnership Collaboration

       Partnership with USDA Francis Marion National Forest Service

Since 2014, Awendaw Regional Outreach Center (AROC) has proudly partnered with the USDA Francis Marion National Forest Service Ranger District, in collaboration with Janna Dupre, Deputy Director of the Sewee Visitor’s Center. This impactful agreement, which began in 2014 and continued through September 30, 2016, brought in $11,680 in USDA funding to support our mission.

Thanks to these generous contributions, AROC was able to hire in-school youth, offering them meaningful work experiences that transformed their lives and set them on a path toward a positive and rewarding future.

In 2016, we were thrilled to learn that our agreement had been extended through June 30, 2019. Although no additional funding accompanied the extension, we remained committed. Through personal contributions and community support, we continued to provide youth with immersive experiences that reflect the work of a Natural Resource agency—opening their eyes to a world they might never have seen otherwise.

These experiences introduced students to career pathways such as:

 Forester

• Hydrologist

•  Soil Scientist

•  Recreation Leader

•  Fisheries Specialist

•  Botanist

From 2014 to 2015, our collaboration served 12 in-school youth from Charleston and Berkeley Counties. By the end of the program, we had supported 19 students in total—all of whom graduated from high school. Their post-program outcomes were inspiring:

• 8 enrolled in college

• 2 entered the military

• 8 gained employment

• 1 launched his own landscaping business

This partnership exemplifies the power of collaboration, vision, and community investment in shaping the future leaders of tomorrow.