Located at 912 Lady Street in Columbia, South Carolina, Farmers Market Xchange by Toms Creek Farms opened its doors on September 1, 2023. The market operates Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., offering coffee, bread, meats, cheese, and more. Hot lunches are served Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring dishes made with the freshest, natural, and organic ingredients sourced from Toms Creek Family Farm and trusted suppliers cultivated over decades of partnerships.

We love stories about entrepreneur founders of non profits. Chamber Music Charleston (CMC) was founded in 2006 an organization dedicated to developing the audience for classical music through chamber music concerts and educational performances of high artistic quality by musicians of the Lowcountry. In February, they will be introducing their 20th anniversary season.

In October, Revelry Brewing Company celebrated its 10 year anniversary with a Block Party at its Conroy Street location. Revelry also toasted a decade of impacting the local community through its partnership with farm to school non-profit, The Green Heart Project. Since 2014, the partnership has generated more than $210,000 benefiting the organization’s garden-based experiential learning projects and school garden program.

After 15 years of transformative leadership, Melanie Huggins reflects on her journey as the Executive Director of Richland Library system in Columbia, SC, where she redefined what a library can be. From making the system fine-free and securing millions in funding to spearheading groundbreaking programs like "Let’s Talk Race," Melanie has left an indelible mark on the community. She also talks about what she sees as the future role that libraries can play in the community.

United Way of the Midlands is excited to introduce the Campaign for Good, a significant initiative inspired by an extraordinary $10 million donation from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. This campaign aims to match the generous contribution by rallying community support to reach our goal of matching Scott's $10 million gift with local contributions, funding programs that address key challenges in education, employment, healthcare, and housing. United Way sees this as an opportunity to strengthen its long-term mission to create generational change in the Midlands.

To date, the community has raised over $9 million dollars.

Discover the latest initiatives at Charleston Parks Conservancy, where exciting projects like the Charleston Trees program and South Carolina's first-ever food forest are transforming local parks. These new efforts are bringing sustainable landscaping and fresh, local produce to the community, creating greener spaces for everyone to enjoy. It's all about deepening the mission of the organization - safeguarding, nurturing, and enhancing the parks, and, connecting people with their parks.

You have your local barber, your local pediatrician, but what about your local farmer? This reality is possible for Carnes Crossroads, a vibrant and growing residential community nestled in Goose Creek, South Carolina.

In this interview, Carnes Crossroads’ first-ever Farm Director Christopher Burtt gives an inside look into the community’s unique Agrihood concept plans, which will include 12+ acres of farm, a farm store, and an event barn, creating a farm-to-doorstep experience for current and future residents.

Matt Foster, CEO of NOAH Property Management, brings a wealth of experience from both the real estate sector and community leadership, having served on multiple influential boards throughout South Carolina. NOAH Property Management was founded to offer tech-forward, affordable housing solutions that empower residents earning 60-80% of the Area Median Income (AMI). Managing 23 apartment communities with over 3,550 residents across the Greenville-Spartanburg region, NOAH goes beyond conventional property management with initiatives like flexible payments, deposit alternatives, and credit-building opportunities.

Stephanie A. Rainey, Esquire, is an experienced attorney specializing in federal government contracts, procurement, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion consulting. With a background in public service and a clerkship under South Carolina’s Chief Justice Donald W. Beatty, she brings unique insight to complex contracting challenges. As the managing attorney of Stephanie A. Rainey, LLC, she helps clients navigate legal obstacles, secure business certifications, and achieve their corporate goals.

Lowcountry Land Trust--a 50l(c)(3) nonprofit organization--permanently protects land throughout coastal South Carolina that is foundational to the area's ecosystem and residents' quality of life. Having conserved over 162,000 acres of land since its founding in 1986, Lowcountry Land Trust is one of the largest local land trusts in the United States.

More information about Lowcountry Land Trust is available at www.LowcountryLandTrust.org.