Midlands Gives 2021
2020 was a memorable year and the Crooked Creek Art League became subject to the unpredictability of Covid-19.
Through the year we worked to bring back our members, workshops and community art projects. We were so successful with the Sailboats in 2019. We had so many ideas to bring more amazing art into our community. Alas! Covid had its own ideas and we were all sequestered.
Our board was not going down without a fight and we started small with Zoom meetings for the Board. We planned and decided to have our membership meetings by Zoom also. From there we created online workshops.
The Central Carolina Community Foundation is a non-profit that serves 11 counties in the Midlands. It links the resources of donors to areas of need within the communities in the area. Central Carolina Community Foundation provides a creative cost-effective way for people to invest in charitable causes they are passionate about. They also collaborate with non-profit organizations and community partners to meet community needs. Midlands Gives brings the region together throughout the year. In addition to being a year-round resource for donors, on May 5th, the initiative amplifies during an 18hour giving challenge.
From 6am to 11:59pm on that day donors can give a minimum of $20 or more to their favorite non-profit. Donors visit the online giving platform at MidlandsGives.org to search for profiles of participating non-profits, CCAL is one of those. They select their organization and add to their cart.
What can the membership do to help? You can challenge each other, match gifts, and reach out to community partners to give. There is a social media component. Place information for the dates and times up on your Facebook page, your website and Twitter and Instagram pages. Talk to friends and family. Create a Champion page at the MidlandsGives.org site and set your own fundraising goal or CCAL.
If anyone has any questions, please contact me by email at dogmom357@gmail.com.
Thanks, Alex DiFrancesco, Grant Coordinator
About the Author:
A native of Bluefield, West Virginia, Alexandra (Alex) is a retired school guidance counselor. She has had the opportunity to live on both the East and West Coasts before moving to Chapin, South Carolina in 2015.
Alex has enjoyed photography since she was a child, playing with her parents Kodak Brownie camera. She enjoys photographing a variety of subjects which includes nature and architecture.
She has been a member of Crooked Creek Art League for four years and as a member, she rediscovered her passion of photography. “I am surrounded by so many amazing artists and they inspire me.” Although just an amateur, Alex loves entering gallery shows and exhibits and considers them all a part of the learning experience. She has participated in the USC School of Visual Art and Design’s 64th Annual Art Auction, Crooked Creek Art League Annual Juried Show, Crooked Creek Art League Still Hopes Fall Juried Show, South Carolina State Fair, and the 2020 Dogwood Festival Art Show in Denmark, SC. She also just completed a one-person exhibit at Chapin City Hall. Alex also shows her photography in local galleries. Alexandra is a Juried member of the South Carolina Artisans Center in Walterboro, SC. She currently serves on the board of CCAL as grant writer.
