How We Make A Difference

The following are a few of the things we support to make a difference in our community:

Schools & Communities Acting Together or SCAT
We have established the SCAT (The “Schools & Community Acting Together”) program to assist our local schools in meeting the needs of disadvantaged families.

Cherokee Family Violence Center
The mission of Cherokee Family Violence Center is to enhance the safety of Cherokee County’s victims of domestic violence by providing emergency shelter and crisis intervention services while fostering affordable housing; offering longer term education and support services; developing community partnerships and institutional awareness of domestic violence issues; and promoting a community standard of zero tolerance for violence in the home. www.cherokeefamilyviolence.org

Lexine Harper Memorial Book Scholarship Program
Dedicated to the memory of our friend and fellow BSSL member, Lexine Harper. This program is to recognize exemplary seniors graduating from local high schools who have committed themselves to service of others in the community. This scholarship awards $500 – $1000 to qualified graduating students from Woodstock and Cherokee High Schools in Cherokee County, Georgia.

BEATS Bethany’s Equine & Aquatic
Therapy Services Bethany’s Equine and Aquatic Therapy Services, Inc. (BEATS) was established in 2003 to raise money and awareness of hippotherapy and aquatic therapy for children with a variety of special needs.
www.beats-inc.org

Cherokee County Give A Kid A Chance
To help low-income families equip their children for each new school year. For the past 2 summers the BSSL has given out over 500 hygiene kits to the families participating in Cherokee County’s Give A Kid A Chance Program. www.giveakidachance.org

MUST Ministries Summer Lunch Program
The BSSL also established the Barb Nugent Summer Lunch Program in memory of one of our founding members who held this program close to her heart. We provide the food and pack the bags for 2,500 lunches each summer to participate in Cherokee County’s Ministry for Service and Training (MUST) summer lunch program. This has provided thousands of summer lunches for local disadvantaged children who otherwise would not have a meal without the subsidized school lunch program.

Community Food Drive
Community Food Drive Every Fall the BSSL organizes a community-wide food drive to fill the pantry at Cherokee County’s MUST Ministries.