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Trident United Way Women United announced Kay W. Phillips, PhD, LISW-CP, the executive director at the Kay Phillips Child Advocacy Center, as the winner of the 2018 Nonprofit Leader of the Year Award.

Through a nomination process, the award recipient is selected based on her impact in the nonprofit field, specifically in the areas of education, financial stability, or health in the tri-county region.

Phillips has served as the executive director of the Kay Phillips Child Advocacy Center since August 2004. Phillips brings to her role over 35 years of administrative, personnel, and management experience. She also holds a doctorate and Master of Social Work from the University of South Carolina.

Through her leadership, the Center has grown to include 23 full-time staff members and a multi-disciplinary team of 60 community agencies who aid in the investigation, prosecution, and treatment of child abuse victims. To date, the Center has served over 12,500 children and their families by providing services to reduce trauma for children and their families and make recommendations for the best outcomes for those who have experienced child maltreatment.

In addition to running the Center, Phillips is a member of the Summerville Rotary Club and the Dorchester County Agency Director’s Forum. At the state level, she is a current board member of the South Carolina Network of Child Advocacy Centers and has served in the past as the president and secretary of the organization.

Phillips is working toward bettering outcomes for children across the state in her current role as a governor appointee to the South Carolina Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children. The committee researches issues regarding the children of South Carolina and offers policy and legislative recommendations to the governor and legislature.

Phillips is native to the Lowcountry. She is married to Ralph Phillips and they have three children. If you would like to learn more about the Dorchester Children’s Center, come visit the center and attend the next Community Awareness Luncheon to take place on Friday, April 27 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The center is located at 303 East Richardson Ave. RSVP for the luncheon at www.dorchesterchildren.org.

The number of abuse cases handled by local children’s centers continues to increase every year, even as those centers wait for funding mentioned months ago by Berkeley County.

Local advocates and nonprofits who work with victims of physical and sexual abuse or neglect against children are often faced with numerous financial challenges and getting grants and donations is a competitive process, made more difficult because of the subject matter.

One local director said there is sometimes a concern when talking about the horrendous abuse with potential givers, saying the acts are so despicable the nonprofits worry it won’t be believed, or those hearing it will be too repulsed to continue.

That is why last year five local agencies were happy to respond to Berkeley County Council’s efforts to provide funding.

The county set aside $250,000 for charity and it was ready to be doled out. Agencies invited to make a proposal were HALOS, Carolina Youth Development Center, Windwood Farm Home for Children, Callen-Lacey Center for Children, Dee Norton Child Advocacy Center and Dorchester Children’s Center.

All of the agencies in one way or another play a role in the battle against child abuse, be it a place to live, fostering or counseling. Two of them, Dee Norton Lowcountry Children’s Center and Dorchester Children’s Center, are on the front lines. They are where a child’s long journey to recovery will begin in practically every case.

After the agencies made their pitch to council last year, it seemed it would be a short wait to see what amount they would receive. So far not a penny has been handed out.

“They just started debating that they shouldn’t be giving the money away,” said Kim Clifton, executive director at HALOS, an agency that helps with fostering and kinship placements for abused children.

Since then, no more discussion has taken place about funding the services provided to Berkeley County residents.

“It’s expected to have some follow up,” Clifton said. “It is strange. You do all this stuff to get the money then it’s no longer available.”

Starting the debate on the same evening the proposals were made in October 2016 was District 3 Councilman Ken Gunn, and he has not changed his position.

“My point was I didn’t think it was right for the county council to give $250,000 to anyone,” he said.

Gunn said he’s sympathetic to the cause, but his obligation is to the county taxpayer. He said he will consider a referendum so the taxpayer can vote on the amount and where it will go.

“I said I had no objection to supporting it, but there are a lot of worthwhile groups out there,” he said. “I mentioned the Salvation Army.”

While the Salvation Army “exists to meet human need wherever, whenever, and however we can,” according to its mission statement, it does not provide the service local residents are receiving from specialized agencies.

At this time no group is doing more for abused children in Berkeley County than Dorchester County and the Dorchester Children’s Center. The Summerville facility handles, among other things, forensic medical exams, forensic interviews and family counseling.

Some of DCC’s numbers show that as off July 2017 the center had 739 cases – and 338 of those are from Berkeley County.

The final tally for 2017 will more than likely look similar to previous years. In 2015 DCC served 1,210 clients; 682, or 57 percent, were from Berkeley County.

In 2014: 1,023 clients were served, 488 of those were from Berkeley. In 2013: 976 served and 428 were Berkeley County residents.

One concern is that Berkeley County isn’t paying its fair share for the service it is receiving. District 4 County Councilman Tommy Newell recognized the inequity.

“It was brought to my attention the Dorchester Children’s Center has taken care of more children from Berkeley than Dorchester,” he said.

Newell, who also works closely with the Callen-Lacey Center, which provides abused children a place to live, said the money is still there, it just went back into the county’s general fund.

“I wanted the $250,000 to go to the Dorchester Children Center and Callen-Lacey then it opened up for everybody,” Newell said. “It was going through a process that ended.”

A troubling end for Dr. Kay Phillips, executive director at Dorchester Children’s Center. In addition to grants and donations, DCC also receives money from Dorchester County based on one tax mil, so funding varies year to year. This year her center is slated to get $530,000. Comparatively, in 2015 the cost for treating Berkeley County clients totaled more than $650,000. Each client, regardless of where they are from, costs the center $963.

“We are happy to do it, we want to do it,” Phillips said. “But as the numbers grow and with the counties just growing so fast, especially Berkeley, how are we supposed to keep up with no help?”

Phillips said any amount of money the county gives will be split between DCC and Dee Norton, proportionate to the number of Berkeley residents each sees.

“We’re thankful for all the funding we get, what we’re asking Berkeley County for is some help,” she said.

Newell said a majority of council agrees the money should be released. He said he expected something to happen soon.

“I am going to take it up again,” he said. “I will put it on the agenda first thing in October.”

More than two years after Dorchester Children’s Center started a $2.5 million campaign to expand its operations to help abused children, officials plan to officially dedicate its newest building in a special ceremony Wednesday.

In 2014 the nonprofit started a campaign to raise project funds. Roper St. Francis Physician’s Endowment gave the center a total of $1 million—an unprecedented gift for the center, which had never before received such a large monetary donation, officials said.

The Medical Society of South Carolina approved the funds in November 2014, and half the money was given to the center up front; the other half was donated once officials matched the $500,000 through donations and pledges earlier this year.

The structure now contains a plaque listing both medical organization’s names.

“We are so grateful for the amazing gift…and for the wonderful donors who allowed us to meet our capital campaign match,” said Fund Development Director Keri Scougale. “We are proud to be a part of such a supportive and generous community.”

The funding gift also gave the center the chance to further the expansion project while simultaneously conducting its routine affairs, assisting with physically and sexually abused children from Dorchester and Berkeley counties.

The center is currently debt-free on the building, though it’s continuing to work toward growing its endowment, which is part of the $2.5 million, Scougale said, though she did not have a current total still needed.

The endowment will assist with reserve funds covering building maintenance, utilities and repairs.

Construction on the building was completed in early 2015 and shortly after, staff moved in to the spacious addition, complete with rooms for medical procedures, interviewing and family meetings.

Dorchester Children’s Center is located at 303 East Richardson Avenue.

Every year thousands of volunteers pitch in as part of Trident United Way’s Day of Caring.

More than 250 community service projects took place in the tri-county area Nov. 18 as part of this year’s big event.

Such was the case at the brand new Sand Hill Elementary, where volunteers from the Bank of South Carolina cleaned up debris, did some landscape improvements, cleaned up the computer labs and painted four-square sets for students to play in.

David Gregorie, credit analyst with the bank, said the bank has always been very supportive of Trident United Way and has donated more than $1 million to the organization over time.

“This (Day of Caring) is one of the main things we do,” he said.

Bank of South Carolina employees were joined outside by Ashley Ridge High school horticulture students, who built a “hoop coop” for the school – a type of chicken coop that can move. The school was also donating four chickens for the elementary school to take care of.

Ben Gibson, agriculture instructor, said is a very easily replicated project. Lowe’s donated much of the materials for both the students and the bank volunteers.

Gibson said Ashley Ridge likes to give back and “show the kids that we can volunteer at places other than our own place.”

Tenth-grader Madison Byars said it was fun coming out and seeing the elementary school students; the high school brought along with them a male baby miniature potbellied pigs named Porkchop for the elementary students to pet.

“I think they’ll really enjoy having a chicken coop out here with the chickens,” Byars said.

Principal Wally Baird and Assistant Principal Annette Roper said they were very appreciative of the volunteers, saying they jumped in to help out with things the school has not had time to focus on yet.

Baird said excellent schools come with strong community support.

“It can only get better and better,” he said.

At Dorchester Children’s Center, a group of Cummins employees was on their third day of work for this year’s Day of Caring. They started a demolition project on an older building on the property last week and were finishing up Friday.

By doing all the demo work, said liaison Jake Sunding, the group is able to help the center reduce its costs to renovate the building, which was originally a small apartment building.

Since then, he’s organized a volunteer group at his employer to work with the center for each year’s Day of Caring. In past years, Cummins employees have painted, renovated a shed and built shelves to hold the center’s extensive files.

This year’s volunteers included employees from Cummins Marine and Cummins Turbo Technologies.

At the George H. Seago Library in Summerville, volunteers with the University School of the Lowcountry in Mt. Pleasant conducted beautification efforts. According to Jennie Redmond, executive director for the Dorchester County Public Library, volunteers pressure-washed the front sign and sidewalk, raked and scooped up leaves and trimmed hedges on the property.

“They do a lot of community service,” Redmond said of the group. “They did a good job for us.”

Robyn Wittenberg Dudley, who volunteers with the Summerville Dorchester Museum, welcomed the assistance of Lincoln Electric Company workers to improve the museum’s outdoor walkway and paint a few window frames.

“This makes it a more pleasant place for people to come to and learn about Summerville history,” Dudley said. “I’m very gratified by the outpouring of support from the community for this museum,” Dudley said.

Jesse Wilson, a plant manager Lincoln Electric, said he was happy to escape the regular routine of retrofitting cutting machines and work alongside coworkers to touch-up one the town’s precious facilities.

This was Lincoln Electric in Ladson’s first year participating in Day of Caring.

“It’s kind of a win-win for us because we get to get away from the grind of the things we do every day and see each other in a different light,” Wilson said. “It’s good for everyone.”

Leslie Cantu, Jenna-Ley Harrison and Rickey Ciapha Dennis Jr. contrib

Dr. Kay Phillips, executive director of the Dorchester Children’s Center, has been appointed to the South Carolina Joint Citizens and Legislative Committee on Children.

The Committee on Children was created by statute to research issues regarding the children of South Carolina and to offer policy and legislative recommendations to the Governor and Legislature. Membership of the Committee on Children is comprised of three senators appointed by the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, three representatives appointed by the Speaker of the House, three citizens appointed by the governor, the state Superintendent of Education and the directors of the Departments of Mental Health, Social Services, Juvenile Justice, and Disabilities and Special Needs.

Kay Phillips Children’s Advocacy Center was pleased to be one of the two Lowcountry organizations to receive $25,000 grants from the Walmart Foundation.

Twenty-four South Carolina nonprofits – including two in the Lowcountry – have received more than $360,000 in funding as a result of grants from Wal-Mart and the Wal-Mart Foundation.

The funding will support hunger relief, healthy eating and other critical local programs across the state.

Local recipients include: Dorchester Children’s Center in Summerville and The Salvation Army in Charleston. Each received $25,000.

The Summerville Exchange Club presented Kay Phillips, executive director for the Dorchester Children’s Center, with a $6,000 check from the proceeds of their annual golf tournament. The Summerville Exchange Club would like to thank Kay Phillips, Keri Scougale, and all of the employees at the Dorchester Children’s Center for the positive impact that they have on the lives of the children in Dorchester County and the surrounding areas.