A stylized pillar forms the letter P in the foreground, with the words "THE POSTON FOUNDATION" and "South Carolina nonprofit + Carolina Cares initiative" in the center, all set against a background of faint architectural columns.

Carolina Cares Initiative

The Poston Foundation

LXCL:The Poston Foundation strengthens South Carolina communities by providing practical direct aid, expanding access to essential resources, building local partnerships, and advancing place-based initiatives that preserve community identity and create pathways to greater stability and opportunity.

Practical Essentials. Direct Community Support. Local Impact.The Carolina Cares Initiative is a direct-aid program of The Poston Foundation, a South Carolina 501(c)(3) public charity based in Columbia.Through the initiative, we assemble and distribute Carolina Cares Essentials Kits containing practical everyday necessities for individuals and families experiencing hardship, instability, homelessness, displacement, or other gaps in access to basic resources.The idea is straightforward: when someone is going through a difficult period, relatively simple items can make an immediate difference.A clean pair of socks. Basic hygiene supplies. Water. A snack. First-aid essentials. Seasonal necessities. Information about additional community resources.These are small things until you need them and do not have them.Carolina Cares exists to help close that gap.What Is a Carolina Cares Essentials Kit?Each Carolina Cares Essentials Kit is designed to provide a useful collection of basic supplies that can be placed directly into the hands of someone who needs them.Kit contents may vary depending on availability, season, community need, donated supplies, and the population being served, but may include items such as:Personal hygiene productsToothbrushes and toothpasteSoap and other personal-care itemsSocksFirst-aid basicsBottled waterShelf-stable snacksHand sanitizer or wipesSeasonal itemsResource and referral informationOther practical necessities identified through community needOur objective is not to create an elaborate package. It is to create a practical one.Every item should serve a purpose.Why Essentials Kits?People facing hardship frequently encounter immediate needs that do not fit neatly within a traditional assistance program.Someone may need hygiene supplies while looking for stable housing.A family experiencing a temporary financial setback may have to choose between basic household necessities and another essential expense.An individual living without permanent housing may need clean socks, toiletries, food, water, or basic first-aid supplies that day—not weeks from now.Someone recovering from displacement or another crisis may simply need a few basic items to make the next several days more manageable.Carolina Cares Essentials Kits are intended to provide immediate, practical assistance while respecting the dignity of the person receiving it.The program is deliberately simple.We raise funds and secure donated supplies.We purchase needed items responsibly.Volunteers help organize and pack the kits.We distribute them through direct outreach, community activities, and relationships with organizations and individuals positioned to help reach people experiencing need.Then we work to do it again.A South Carolina InitiativeCarolina Cares is rooted in South Carolina and designed around local community service.The Poston Foundation believes meaningful charitable work does not always require complicated programs or enormous institutions. It often begins with identifying a real need, organizing people and resources around that need, and delivering assistance responsibly.Our current emphasis is on strengthening the Carolina Cares infrastructure so the initiative can become a dependable, repeatable program capable of supporting more individuals and families over time.That means building relationships with:Individual donorsLocal businessesCorporate sponsorsFoundations and grantmakersChurches and faith communitiesCivic organizationsCommunity nonprofitsIn-kind donorsVolunteersProfessional and neighborhood organizationsSouth Carolinians who simply want to help their neighborsEvery contribution helps us build that capacity.Where Your Donation GoesFunds raised through this campaign support the Carolina Cares Initiative and Carolina Cares Essentials Kits.Campaign funds may be used for expenses directly connected with operating and expanding the program, including:Purchasing hygiene products and other kit suppliesPurchasing socks and basic personal necessitiesPurchasing food, water, and shelf-stable snacksPurchasing first-aid and seasonal itemsBags, packaging, labels, and packing materialsPrinting resource information and program materialsTransportation and distribution expensesCommunity outreachVolunteer packing and distribution activitiesProgram logisticsOther reasonable direct and administrative costs necessary to operate the initiative effectivelyWe intend to use charitable resources carefully and keep the program focused on its central purpose: putting useful necessities into the hands of people who need them.When businesses or community partners contribute products directly, those in-kind donations can also help stretch donated dollars further.Every Level of Support MattersYou do not have to make a large contribution to participate.A smaller donation can help purchase individual supplies.A larger contribution can help us purchase products in quantity, organize distributions, replenish inventory, or prepare for the next round of Essentials Kits.Recurring contributions are especially valuable because they give the program a more predictable base of support.Whether you contribute once, become a recurring donor, provide supplies, volunteer, sponsor the program through your business, or simply share the campaign with someone else, you are helping build the infrastructure required for sustained community assistance.Businesses Can Participate TooCarolina Cares is also designed to provide a practical community-engagement opportunity for businesses and organizations.The Carolina Cares Essentials Kit Sponsorship program currently includes the following sponsorship levels:$250 — Community Sponsor$500 — Supporting Sponsor$1,000 — Impact Sponsor$2,500 — Lead Sponsor$5,000 — Presenting SponsorBusiness sponsorships help underwrite the supplies, logistics, outreach, and distribution necessary to carry out the initiative while providing participating businesses with an opportunity to demonstrate meaningful support for the community.Businesses may also be able to assist through:Product donationsEmployee volunteer teamsMatching giftsCorporate giving programsCommunity grantsGift cardsSupply drivesDistribution partnershipsPrinting or logistical assistanceOther in-kind supportIf your company, civic organization, church, foundation, or other organization would like to discuss a larger contribution or partnership, we encourage you to contact The Poston Foundation directly.In-Kind Donations Can Make a Major DifferenceNot every contribution needs to be financial.Businesses, retailers, manufacturers, community organizations, and individuals may be able to provide new products suitable for Carolina Cares Essentials Kits.Useful in-kind contributions may include new, unopened items such as:Hygiene productsToothbrushes and toothpasteSoapSocksFirst-aid suppliesBottled waterIndividually packaged shelf-stable snacksHand sanitizerWipesSeasonal necessitiesBags or packaging materialsBecause kit contents are adjusted according to need and availability, please contact us before organizing a substantial product donation or supply drive so we can confirm what is most useful at that time.Volunteers Are Part of the ProgramCarolina Cares has always been intended to involve the community directly.Volunteer participation can include organizing donated materials, preparing supplies, assembling Essentials Kits, assisting with outreach, helping with distributions, and supporting other appropriate program activities.Community involvement serves two purposes.First, it allows us to accomplish more with limited nonprofit resources.Second, it turns charitable giving into something tangible. Volunteers can see the supplies, pack the kits, participate in the work, and understand exactly what the program is designed to accomplish.That connection matters.Building on the Original Carolina Cares EffortCarolina Cares began as a community-focused effort by The Poston Foundation in 2020.The initiative brought together volunteers, donors, community members, outreach efforts, and direct assistance around a simple principle: identify practical needs and respond to them directly.Today, The Poston Foundation is rebuilding and strengthening the initiative for its next phase.That work includes improving fundraising infrastructure, developing formal sponsorship opportunities, strengthening financial and administrative controls, building community partnerships, expanding volunteer engagement, modernizing the Foundation’s digital presence, pursuing grants and corporate support, and creating a more sustainable system for assembling and distributing Essentials Kits.We are intentionally building the program carefully.The objective is not merely to conduct one successful fundraiser.The objective is to establish a credible, sustainable community-support program that can continue serving South Carolinians year after year.Why We Are Fundraising NowFor a small nonprofit, one of the biggest barriers to delivering direct assistance consistently is having sufficient resources available before the need arises.A reliable supply fund allows us to purchase needed products when prices are favorable, take advantage of bulk purchasing opportunities, replenish inventory, coordinate volunteer packing events, and prepare distributions rather than having to begin fundraising from zero every time an opportunity to help emerges.This campaign is therefore about more than buying individual products.It is about establishing the working capacity necessary to make Carolina Cares dependable.Your contribution helps us move from:“What can we afford to do today?”toward:“How many people can we responsibly prepare to serve next?”Our ApproachThe Poston Foundation is approaching the renewed Carolina Cares Initiative around several basic principles.Direct AssistanceWhenever practical, resources should translate into tangible assistance that reaches people experiencing need.PracticalityWe prioritize useful necessities rather than unnecessary complexity.DignityPeople receiving assistance should be treated with respect. Experiencing hardship should never diminish someone’s dignity.Local EngagementWe want South Carolina donors, volunteers, businesses, nonprofits, and community institutions to have meaningful opportunities to participate.Responsible StewardshipWe are building administrative procedures, fundraising systems, documentation, internal controls, partnerships, and program infrastructure alongside the direct charitable work.Measurable GrowthAs the program expands, we intend to document activities such as funds raised, donated supplies received, volunteer participation, kits assembled, distributions completed, partnerships established, and individuals or households reached.That information will help donors and partners understand what their support makes possible and help the Foundation make better decisions about future program growth.A Small Organization Can Still Do Meaningful WorkThe Poston Foundation is not trying to portray Carolina Cares as something larger than it is.We are a small nonprofit rebuilding and expanding our capacity.We believe that transparency is more valuable than exaggerated claims.What we can offer is a focused program, a clear charitable purpose, a willingness to do the administrative work necessary to grow responsibly, and a commitment to getting practical assistance into the community.A $25 contribution matters.A box of donated supplies matters.A business sponsorship matters.A volunteer packing kits matters.A foundation grant matters.A local organization helping us reach people who need assistance matters.When those contributions are combined and organized effectively, a relatively small nonprofit can accomplish meaningful work.Help Us Build the Next Carolina Cares DistributionEvery Essentials Kit begins the same way:Someone decides to help.A donor contributes.A business sponsors the initiative.A company provides supplies.A volunteer gives their time.A community partner helps connect us with people who need assistance.Those individual actions become boxes of supplies.The supplies become Essentials Kits.And the Essentials Kits become something useful placed directly into someone’s hands.That is Carolina Cares.If you believe practical assistance, responsible community service, and neighbors helping neighbors still matter, we invite you to be part of it.Donate today.Make a one-time contribution, become a recurring supporter, sponsor the initiative through your business, contribute needed supplies, volunteer, or share this campaign with someone who may want to participate.Together, those actions allow Carolina Cares to continue doing what it was created to do:provide practical essentials, directly and respectfully, to people facing need.About The Poston FoundationThe Poston Foundation is a South Carolina nonprofit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.Based in Columbia, South Carolina, the Foundation focuses on charitable program development, direct community support, community partnerships, and long-term institutional growth.The Carolina Cares Initiative is a principal direct-service program of The Poston Foundation.Learn more about the Foundation and the initiative at:www.thepostonfoundation.orgDonate. Sponsor. Volunteer. Partner.Support Carolina Cares and help us put practical assistance directly into the community.Contributions to The Poston Foundation are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by applicable law.

The Poston Foundation

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