Every Child Deserves a Merry Christmas

Every year, The Salvation Army of Greenville provides Christmas gifts to more than 1,500 children through the Angel Tree program. In the tri-county area (Greenville, Pickens and Oconee Counties), The Salvation Army serves over 2,500 children! Without Angel Tree, many of these children would otherwise have very little or nothing to open on Christmas morning. However, thanks to our generous community, these Angels will have a merry Christmas! Angel Tree gives individuals and partnering corporations an opportunity to “adopt” less fortunate children and provide them with personalized gifts and necessities. Because all Salvation Army Angels are not served by other holiday assistance programs, donors can be confident their gifts go directly, and without excessive overhead, to children who are truly in need. Click here for more information about how to apply for Angel Tree Christmas assistance.

Want to “Adopt” an Angel?

If you’re looking to adopt an Angel, you will have a few different options! Learn more below:

Adopt Angels Online

• This Christmas, you can shop for an Angel Tree tag virtually! Once you adopt your Angel online, your digital tag will be emailed to you. This tag will list your Angel’s wish list, clothing sizes, etc., so you can start shopping! Ready to adopt an Angel? Click here!
• Once you finish shopping for your Angel, place all your Angel’s items together in a bag and mark the bag with your Angel’s name and number (ex. Bobby, GVL1900). Please return your Angel’s bag to the specified drop-off locations:
  • Greenville Convention Center
    • Address: 1 Exposition Drive, Greenville, SC 29607
    • Drop-off Days: December 1-4; December 7-9 (Please do not drop off toys at the Greenville Convention Center prior to December 1!)
    • Hours: 8 AM to 4 PM
  • The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center
    • Address: 424 Westfield Street, Greenville, SC 29601
    • Drop-off Days: November 13 through December 9
    • Hours: See all Kroc Center hours here.
• Questions about your tag? Email us here.

Adopt an Angel at a Participating Walmart Location

• You can adopt a physical Angel Tree tag at participating Walmarts this Christmas! Stop by the Walmart Supercenter on Pelham to adopt an Angel today.

Adopt 4 or More Angels

• If you represent an organization (church, school, business, etc.) looking to host an Angel Tree at your location OR to adopt 4 or more Angels, please email us here for more information.

Shop our Online Angel Tree Registries

• Want to help fulfill Angel Tree tags from the comfort of your own home? You can shop for our most-needed Angel Tree items on our Walmart Registry for Good! Shop our Greenville County registry here and our Oconee County registry here.

About the Author: Harper Howze is a freshman at Sumner Academy in Kansas City, Kansas, and an aspiring writer. This is his first published work. Lucille Chaveas, his co-author and “Grand” (grandmother), is a Brevard resident and an avid supporter of the Brevard Music Center.

The message is simple – COVID-19 has made a severe impact on the blood supply and The
Blood Connection is asking the community to donate blood as soon as possible to support the
critical need of blood for local hospitals in this area.

To find a blood drive: https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/zip
To find a center (5 in Upstate, 2 in Western NC): https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/centers
Those interested in hosting a blood drive in the community: thebloodconnection.org/host-a-drive<http://thebloodconnection.org/host-a-drive>

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) launched a new coronavirus tracking tool.

The new webpage provides an at-a-glance view of several important data elements used to assess measures of impact from COVID-19 in South Carolina, including information for the current day, previous day, and previous 14 days. The data elements represented in the dashboard include:

• Rate of cases per 100,000
• Rate of tests per 100,000
• Percent positive
• Deaths by date
• Hospitalizations
• ICU hospitalizations
• COVID-19 patients

DHEC officials say it’s important to note that one of these data elements should not be viewed as more important than another; instead these elements should be viewed together as a whole to provide an overview of South Carolina trends.

For more detailed information at the county level, continue to visit DHEC’s county-level dashboard page.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ADDICTION

There is a heavy correlation between domestic violence and addiction. Both perpetrators and victims have high rates of substance use disorder or admit to abusing substances in the past year. It can also be very difficult for victims of domestic violence to seek help for their addiction. According to SAMHSA, more than 60% of women seeking drug or alcohol treatment claim their abuser tried to prevent them from going to treatment. Domestic violence and addiction are two complicated issues that often overlap.

Some statistics to help illustrate this fact include:

• 40-60% Of domestic violence incidents co-occur with substance abuse.
• More than 25% of women seeking domestic violence help admit to using substances.
• Over 20% of men who commit domestic violence admit to abusing drugs or alcohol.
• In the US, almost 20 people are abused by their partners every minute; about 10 million per year.
• According to the CDC, 1-4 women and 1-7 men will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.

When you donate to Rebuild Upstate, you’re doing so much more than just helping us purchase lumber and tools.

Fund Grab Bars

Grab bars prevent an elderly person from falling.

Fund Roof Repair

Provide materials to patch a roof that protects the rest of the home from rot.

Fund Floor Repair

Provide materials for a floor repair that will provide safety and peace of mind.

America’s national parks belong to all of us. They connect us to the natural world and root us to our nation’s rich and fascinating history.

National parks exist because people had the foresight to protect the wonder of these unique places for future generations. The parks are a legacy that has been handed down to us; it is up to us to prove that we are worthy of that legacy by continuing to protect and preserve these iconic locations for the generations that come after us.

That’s the idea behind our annual Preserve Our Parks Fund Drive. In order to provide the resources for the crucial work that’s needed in our parks in 2021, we must raise $1,332,000 before December 31.

As an added incentive, when you donate to the Preserve Our Parks Fund Drive, you are able to send a beautiful eCard featuring our national parks to whomever you want. Let your friends, colleagues, and loved ones know how important our national parks are to you.

Volunteer for Christmas in Greer Station! Help Greer Relief provide Christmas cheer safely during Christmas in Greer Station festivities. Volunteers are needed to safely serve s’mores, marshmallows, and hot chocolate on December 4th. On December 6th, Greer Relief will have hand sanitation and mask stations throughout the Greer Christmas Parade route. Volunteer support is needed to man these stations and help with other parade activities.

During peak “leaf season” (November 12 – January 15), if your yard waste isn’t collected on your regular trash/recycling pickup day, it will be collected the following day. Please place materials at the curb by 7 a.m. and follow the guidelines below. The City will collect leaves, grass clippings and tree limbs/branches that are no more than six feet long and six inches in diameter. 

• Rake leaves into a loose pile at the curb (no bagging)
• Keep leaf pile separate from tree limbs/branches
• Remove rocks, litter and other debris from leaves
• Make sure piles are at least 3 feet from each other and from other obstacles
• Keep piles of leaves and grass clippings at least a foot from the curb to prevent them from being swept into the storm drain
• Remove vehicles from street to ensure trucks can access yard waste piles

Also, please don’t place pumpkins at the curb with your yard waste. They can’t be collected by the City’s automated trucks. Instead, compost or dispose of them in your trash container.

Every Child Deserves a Merry Christmas

Every year, The Salvation Army of Greenville provides Christmas gifts to more than 1,500 children through the Angel Tree program. In the tri-county area (Greenville, Pickens and Oconee Counties), The Salvation Army serves over 2,500 children! Without Angel Tree, many of these children would otherwise have very little or nothing to open on Christmas morning. However, thanks to our generous community, these Angels will have a merry Christmas! Angel Tree gives individuals and partnering corporations an opportunity to “adopt” less fortunate children and provide them with personalized gifts and necessities. Because all Salvation Army Angels are not served by other holiday assistance programs, donors can be confident their gifts go directly, and without excessive overhead, to children who are truly in need. Click here for more information about how to apply for Angel Tree Christmas assistance.

Want to “Adopt” an Angel?

If you’re looking to adopt an Angel, you will have a few different options! Learn more below:

Adopt Angels Online

• This Christmas, you can shop for an Angel Tree tag virtually! Once you adopt your Angel online, your digital tag will be emailed to you. This tag will list your Angel’s wish list, clothing sizes, etc., so you can start shopping! Ready to adopt an Angel? Click here!
• Once you finish shopping for your Angel, place all your Angel’s items together in a bag and mark the bag with your Angel’s name and number (ex. Bobby, GVL1900). Please return your Angel’s bag to the specified drop-off locations:
  • Greenville Convention Center
    • Address: 1 Exposition Drive, Greenville, SC 29607
    • Drop-off Days: December 1-4; December 7-9 (Please do not drop off toys at the Greenville Convention Center prior to December 1!)
    • Hours: 8 AM to 4 PM
  • The Salvation Army Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center
    • Address: 424 Westfield Street, Greenville, SC 29601
    • Drop-off Days: November 13 through December 9
    • Hours: See all Kroc Center hours here.
• Questions about your tag? Email us here.

Adopt an Angel at a Participating Walmart Location

• You can adopt a physical Angel Tree tag at participating Walmarts this Christmas! Stop by the Walmart Supercenter on Pelham to adopt an Angel today.

Adopt 4 or More Angels

• If you represent an organization (church, school, business, etc.) looking to host an Angel Tree at your location OR to adopt 4 or more Angels, please email us here for more information.

Shop our Online Angel Tree Registries

• Want to help fulfill Angel Tree tags from the comfort of your own home? You can shop for our most-needed Angel Tree items on our Walmart Registry for Good! Shop our Greenville County registry here and our Oconee County registry here.

About the Author: Harper Howze is a freshman at Sumner Academy in Kansas City, Kansas, and an aspiring writer. This is his first published work. Lucille Chaveas, his co-author and “Grand” (grandmother), is a Brevard resident and an avid supporter of the Brevard Music Center.

The message is simple – COVID-19 has made a severe impact on the blood supply and The
Blood Connection is asking the community to donate blood as soon as possible to support the
critical need of blood for local hospitals in this area.

To find a blood drive: https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/zip
To find a center (5 in Upstate, 2 in Western NC): https://donate.thebloodconnection.org/donor/schedules/centers
Those interested in hosting a blood drive in the community: thebloodconnection.org/host-a-drive<http://thebloodconnection.org/host-a-drive>

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) launched a new coronavirus tracking tool.

The new webpage provides an at-a-glance view of several important data elements used to assess measures of impact from COVID-19 in South Carolina, including information for the current day, previous day, and previous 14 days. The data elements represented in the dashboard include:

• Rate of cases per 100,000
• Rate of tests per 100,000
• Percent positive
• Deaths by date
• Hospitalizations
• ICU hospitalizations
• COVID-19 patients

DHEC officials say it’s important to note that one of these data elements should not be viewed as more important than another; instead these elements should be viewed together as a whole to provide an overview of South Carolina trends.

For more detailed information at the county level, continue to visit DHEC’s county-level dashboard page.

When you donate to Rebuild Upstate, you’re doing so much more than just helping us purchase lumber and tools.

Fund Grab Bars

Grab bars prevent an elderly person from falling.

Fund Roof Repair

Provide materials to patch a roof that protects the rest of the home from rot.

Fund Floor Repair

Provide materials for a floor repair that will provide safety and peace of mind.

America’s national parks belong to all of us. They connect us to the natural world and root us to our nation’s rich and fascinating history.

National parks exist because people had the foresight to protect the wonder of these unique places for future generations. The parks are a legacy that has been handed down to us; it is up to us to prove that we are worthy of that legacy by continuing to protect and preserve these iconic locations for the generations that come after us.

That’s the idea behind our annual Preserve Our Parks Fund Drive. In order to provide the resources for the crucial work that’s needed in our parks in 2021, we must raise $1,332,000 before December 31.

As an added incentive, when you donate to the Preserve Our Parks Fund Drive, you are able to send a beautiful eCard featuring our national parks to whomever you want. Let your friends, colleagues, and loved ones know how important our national parks are to you.

Volunteer for Christmas in Greer Station! Help Greer Relief provide Christmas cheer safely during Christmas in Greer Station festivities. Volunteers are needed to safely serve s’mores, marshmallows, and hot chocolate on December 4th. On December 6th, Greer Relief will have hand sanitation and mask stations throughout the Greer Christmas Parade route. Volunteer support is needed to man these stations and help with other parade activities.