Community involvement
A Fun Run with Color 5K sponsored by Hagood Avenue Baptist raised money for a mission trip to Haiti.
Project Care Day promotes community service and is sponsored by the United Way and Savannah River Site.
Getting involved and giving back Barnwell County residents love to help others. There are countless civic groups and opportunities to give back to the community. Regardless of your personal skills, interests and hobbies, there is probably a group for you to get involved with. Animal lovers have the Barnwell County Animal Shelter or the Animal Advocates. Health-minded people have the American Red Cross, Axis 1 Center of Barnwell, and American Cancer Society. Veterans have several groups to get involved with, such as American Legion posts, Marine Corps League or Vietnam Veterans of America. There’s also the Barnwell County Rotary Club, Lions Club, and NAACP BarnwellBlackville Chapter, just to name a few. The Barnwell County United Way helps provide funding to several agencies and groups. Several businesses, such as the Savannah River Site, and its employees pledge money annually to the United Way.
Children from Macedonia Elementary School in Blackville collected canned food items for the Axis 1 Food Bank after learning the food bank was empty.
Over the years, other groups have started after noticing a need. In response to a murder in the Town of Williston, a group of citizens united to form the Williston-Elko CommUNITY Coalition. One way they help is by sponsoring an annual
back-to-school bash. Sometimes it’s not one particular group to respond to a need. That was true in October 2016 as residents and businesses helped coastal evacuees during Hurricane Matthew by taking food and other items to the emergency shelter.
Children at Barnwell First Baptist bring Operation Christmas Child shoe boxes to send to children in third world countries. 24 • Information Please 2017 • The People-Sentinel