Nonprofit organization provides hope by attending to some basic needs

There’s a commercial for a popular washing powder in which the company provides free laundry services to people affected by natural disasters to ensure they have clean clothing, a basic human need. The company calls its efforts “loads of hope.”

For me, a similar sentiment comes to mind when I think of the work of the Pee Dee Community Action Partnership. This nonprofit organization provides loads of hope by attending to some basic needs of the underprivileged and underserved residents of Florence, Dillon and Marion counties.

Born out of the nation’s War on Poverty in 1964, the community action movement today reaches into every state and covers 96 percent of the country’s counties. There are an estimated 1,000 community action agencies which provide direct support to more than 34.5 million U.S. residents who live in poverty.

According to the Community Action Partnership, the national association representing such groups, most residents supported by these organizations are extremely poor and have household incomes below 75 percent of the federal poverty threshold.

In South Carolina, 15 community action organizations serve low-income and disadvantaged citizens in our state.

Chartered in 1965, the Pee Dee Community Action Partnership is helping to improve lives in our community and, amid uncertain economic times, is holding steadfast to its mission of public service.

The organization’s services are rooted in building up and supporting families. For example, its Head Start program, which services more than 800 children in the region, provides the educational and developmental building blocks for success.

In addition, the program helps meet the health and nutritional needs of those three and four-year-old children and thereby removing any obstacles to learning.

For at-risk teens, the Weed and Seed program provides a safe environment to teach self-sufficiency and independence. And, the Self-Help Housing program makes the American dream of homeownership more accessible.