Thumbs up to cooperative for collecting phones

Thumbs up to Farmers Telephone Cooperative, which has its headquarters in Kingstree, for collecting more than 200 wireless telephones in February and March for the Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault. The coalition will have those phones reprogrammed for emergency use for at-risk families in the Pee Dee. The coalition is a nonprofit volunteer group dedicated to the reduction of rape, family violence and child abuse and to the needs of its victims. The cooperative is continuing to collect used phones for the coalition. Customers still interested in donating phones can stop by any of the cooperative’s eight FTC wireless locations: 235 N. Ron McNair Blvd., Lake City; 369 S. Georgetown Highway, Johnsonville; 1101 E. Main St., Kingstree; 104 E. Church St., Bishopville; 2389 Paxville Highway, Manning; and 631 N. Pike West St., 1280 Peach Orchard Road and 255 W. Wesmark Blvd., Sumter. “We are very appreciative of the support and sense of giving that FTC customers displayed during our push to collect phones for the Pee Dee coalition,” Brad Erwin, the cooperative’s CEO, said in a press release. “At FTC, helping our neighbors who are in need is very important and we ask that everyone continue to support the Pee Dee coalition by dropping off their used wireless phones at any FTC location.”

Speaking of the Pee Dee coalition, Erin McManaway of the agency’s support services, wrote: “Pee Dee Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Assault would like to give a thumbs up to the volunteers from the South Carolina United Methodist Conference. These volunteers gave their time, skills and materials to complete much-needed improvements to the Florence Emergency Safe Shelter, the Durant Children’s Center and the Alternative to Violence/Support Services site. Their hard work was a gift of kindness and a true testimony to their care and commitment to others that will help the Pee Dee coalition better serve victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse throughout the Pee Dee community.”

Walter M. Sparrow, director of the Florence County Disabilities Foundation, offers thumbs up for “the recent donation drives co-sponsored by BB&T and Turner Padget, Graham & Laney, as well as to the Francis Marion University Housing & Residence Life Department. These donation drives benefited Florence County Disabilities Foundation’s five thrift shops, which provide training and employment opportunities for over 35 individuals with lifelong disabilities served by Florence County Disabilities & Special Needs Board. A special thank you to the employees, students and others from the community who donated to make these donation drives tremendous successes, as well as others who donate generously year-round to our thrift shops.”

Thumbs up to Bank of America in Florence for donating $2,500 to Mercy Medicine Clinic on Tuesday. “The Bank of America Foundation is committed to making sure that we give back to the agencies making a difference within the communities in which we live and work,” Jeff Jones, community market president for the bank, said in a press release. “We see an even greater need for organizations like Mercy Medicine, which have become even more crucial in economic times like this than just a few years ago.” Mercy Medicine Clinic, which was established in 1994, is a free Christian medical clinic that serves the indigent and working poor of Flor-ence and Dillon counties. In addition to primary medical care, Mercy also features dental and retinal clinics, as well as a non-dispensing pharmacy. “We are very grateful to Bank of America and its ongoing recognition of the importance of Mercy Medicine’s mission to provide health care to the indigent and working poor of our community,” Kaye Allen, executive director of Mercy Medicine Clinic, said in the release. “Their generosity helps make certain that our patients will continue receiving the medical attention they need and deserve.”