Charleston, SC - Seventy-four local families in need got a helping hand this holiday season from the S.C. State Ports Authority Port Police's annual Caring and Sharing aid drive.
Now in the project's fifth year, Port Police raised $8,700 in donations and distributed more than 550 bags of groceries, household goods and gifts to struggling families in the community over the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.
Each year around the holidays, the Port Police's Good Cheer Committee contacts area school guidance counselors and asks them to nominate families that would benefit most from the project. Fourteen downtown and North Charleston schools nominated families this year.
Money and non-perishable food items are donated by port employees, customers, tenants and transportation providers. The aid received this year was so overwhelming that Port Police decided to provide additional assistance to five families for Christmas.