By Rick Abercrombie
On June 13, Shari Selke, Director of Sharing God’s Love, spoke to the Optimist Club of St. Andrews-Irmo. After a brief hiatus, Selke is actually in her second stint as Director, having recognized the role as her life’s work.
St. Andrews Optimist Club has donated financially to SGL for a number of years, and a few Optimists serve as volunteers.
SGL exists to serve families that find themselves in either a temporary setback or longer-term hardship, and it is a source of food and clothing in either of those situations. SGL publishes, on its website and Facebook page, a list of Pantry Needs that are ongoing.
Through a combination of grants, corporate gifts, and individual gifts, larger bulk items make their way to the pantry. SGL partners with more than 30 agencies to accumulate those supplies. Then, staple items such as grits, flour, sugar, and canned goods are organized in such a way that dispensing them on the client receiving end is efficient.
Hours of operation are 9 am until noon Mondays – Fridays. While SGL is open and “humming” during those times, it limits client visits to once a month. A couple of “drive-bys” in one of those days, and readers can gain a perspective of the reach and effectiveness of Sharing God’s Love. Just pass by the facility shortly before 9, and there is a parking lot full of volunteers’ and clients’ cars. Pass by the same location after noon, and the lot is almost empty.
Selke said that among the clients, far more of them avail themselves of SGL’s services once or twice whereas the long-term hardship clients are less numerous.
SGL does some of its own self-initiated fundraisers: two yard sales selling donated household goods, and an annual golf tournament.
Selke is very aware, almost hourly, of the good SGL is doing now and has done in the Irmo area for its 42 years. God’s love has hands and feet in Irmo, to be succinct. In Selke’s words, “If they don’t leave here with hope, I haven’t done my job.”
The year-end statistics from 2024 reflect SGL’s effectiveness and its positive impact on its neighbors who need relief the most:
3,800 families assisted, translated to 11,664 individuals
625 new families added to the list of recipients
3,302 families receiving food assistance
2,086 families helped with clothing needs
Keeping the lights on for 630 families
382 school children receiving school supplies
191 refugee families receiving various forms of assistance
Pictured are speaker sponsor Tony Langdon, Selke, and Optimist Club President Gary Boyd.
