COLUMBIA, S.C. — Christmas may be over, but the spirit of giving is still going. People are still donating time, money, and goods to non-profits who in turn help the community.
For example, almost everything that goes into helping the local non-profit Palmetto Place comes from those who want to give back through donation, according to development manager Laird Weaver.
"We really rely on people, we rely on our community, a lot," she said. "We get a lot of those donations, those brand new sheets for the kids and the food for them, we get through the community."
With the mission to provide a safe and supportive environment for children and teens, Palmetto Place helps those who have faced abuse, abandonment, neglect and/or homelessness.
"We really become their family," Weaver said. "They live in the shelter 24/7, we provide meals 365 days a year, we help them with all their clothing and toiletries, every youth that comes in gets their own bed and fresh set of sheets brand new, and for a lot of them it’s the first time they have ever had that."
Resident Taiasja "Tai" Caldwall, was living on the streets weeks ago with little to nothing with her.
"It was hard, it was really hard," Caldwall said. "Especially when you're by yourself. I literally had my notebooks and my blankets."
After connecting with Palmetto Place, things started to look up thanks to community donations given to the non-profit.
"When we come here we have nothing. We are just by ourselves. So with those donations it helps us more. We feel needed and these guys want to help us so let me help myself," Caldwell said.
But none of that is possible without help from others.
"Childhood looks different for them. So to be able to have partners in our community that step up and say I want to support you guys and I want to take that time to do that, it's really huge," Weaver said
Palmetto place is always looking for donations, items from their Amazon wish list, or volunteers to help their children in need.