Building Business w/ the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce
The Building Business podcast provides compelling stories of the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce's journey, its steadfast commitment to the local community, and its forward-thinking approach to addressing the needs of businesses in an ever-changing landscape. It stands as an invitation to listeners to become part of a movement that values growth, connection, and the collective progress of the Mount Pleasant, South Carolina community.
Be prepared to be inspired, informed, and motivated, as we provide a rich tapestry of stories that celebrate the dynamic interplay of business and personal growth right here, in our own backyard.
Building Business w/ the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce
Building Hope: Windwood Farm's Mission of Healing w/ Rick Lhotan
Tucked away on 110 acres of pristine Lowcountry forest sits a place where healing happens every day. Rick Lhotan, Major Gifts Manager at Windwood Farm and Home for Children, pulls back the curtain on this remarkable organization that has kept over 5,000 local children with their families instead of entering protective custody over the past decade.
The numbers are staggering, but the stories behind them are even more powerful. As South Carolina's only Qualified Residential Treatment Program, Windwood provides specialized care for children ages 6-16 who have experienced trauma, offering approximately six hours of therapy monthly to each child in residence. The campus features a Charleston County accredited school, residential cottages, and natural spaces that become part of the therapeutic experience.
What makes Windwood truly special is their comprehensive approach. Their community-based programs work preventatively with families experiencing challenges, while their residential services provide intensive therapeutic interventions for children needing more support. Through initiatives like the Outdoor Wilderness Leadership Program, children learn environmental awareness while developing crucial social skills and experiencing moments of pure childhood joy – like catching their first fish, which Rick and Michael describe with contagious enthusiasm.
With a 95% positive permanency rate, Windwood's impact is undeniable. But they can't do it alone. From volunteering as reading buddies to sponsoring their annual gala, from providing meals to teaching financial literacy, there are countless ways local businesses can contribute to this vital mission. As Rick shares plans for the organization's 40th anniversary celebration and dreams of a fishing tournament that would directly involve the boys, it's clear that the community's continued support will help write Windwood's next chapter.
Want to make a difference in the lives of vulnerable children? Reach out to Rick at ricklhotan@windwoodfarm.org to discuss how your business can partner with this extraordinary organization making hope possible for our community's most vulnerable children.
Presenting Sponsor: Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce
Studio Sponsor: Charleston Radio Group
Production Sponsor: rūmbo advertising
Committee:
Kathleen Herrmann | Host | MPCC Immediate Past President
Michael Cochran | Co-host | Past President
Mike Compton | Co-host | Marketing Chair
Rebecca Imholz | Co-host | MPCC Director
Amanda Bunting Comen | Co-host | Social ABCs
Darius Kelly | Creative Director | DK Design
We are in 2025.
Speaker 2:Yes, we're in 2025. Mr Lotton, lotton.
Speaker 3:Lotton, yep, you got this. No Thanksgiving, no Christmas.
Speaker 1:Yeah, Thanksgiving and Christmas was great.
Speaker 2:Well, hello and welcome to the Building Business Podcast powered by the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce. We're recording today in the Charleston Radio Group Studios. Huge supporters of the chamber, thank you for recording with us today. I am Kathy Herman. I am your immediate past president of the Mount Pleasant Chamber, so that means I served as president in 2024 and I'm still on the board this year. My real job I am the marketing director for Mount Pleasant Town Center, and I'm joined today by one of my favorite co-hosts, michael Cochran. Michael Cochran served as the Chamber Foundation Chair last year, in 2024. So thank you for everything you did for us last year, michael, and tell our listeners a little bit more about yourself.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. Thank you Great to be here again, Kathy and I am a Farm Bureau insurance agent, so I'm in the insurance side of the world and love living in Mount Pleasant. I've lived in Mount Pleasant for over 30 years in the Lowcountry and absolutely love it and I love our chamber and love this venture that we've done with this podcast so that we can get local folks in here to talk about great business and get things done. It's all about chambering, as a past president has once said.
Speaker 2:Oh, absolutely, and we have another incredible guest for you today. Last year's podcast just kept getting better and better and better, and I'm really looking forward to all of the podcasts we'll be doing this year. So we have a really special guest here today. He is the major gifts manager at Wynwood Farm and Home for Children. If you are not familiar with them, you're missing out. However, wynwood Family Services provides help, hope and healing through behavioral, educational and therapeutic interventions which enhance social functioning and well-being, ensure safety and work to achieve positive permanency for children and families in our community. So I am so excited to welcome to our podcast today Rick Layton.
Speaker 1:Yeah, thanks for having me. I think we should kind of wrap up now, because that was perfect, that was perfect.
Speaker 2:Well, that was what that was on your website. I can't say that I wrote it, but they, whoever wrote your website, did it perfectly.
Speaker 1:Way to go, mia, when you listen to this. Good job, kudos.
Speaker 2:Well, we're really excited to have you here today, because I don't know if there's anyone out there that does not know about Wynwood Family or and, but it's an incredible organization. I can't wait to share all of your information with our businesses in the community. But we were just talking about the website, so I'm going to start with there the first thing I saw on the website. Rick said because of Wynwood Family Services, more than 5,000 local children have been able to stay with their families instead of protective custody over the last 10 years. That is some achievement. Yeah, some achievement.
Speaker 1:It's a highlight of our services. Oh, we're going to have to edit that out, but it's a highlight of our services. So that achievement is really because of our community-based team. So that achievement is really because of our community-based team. So we have a preventative, proactive approach to child abuse, neglect and maltreatment as one of our major flagship programs. So what that team does is work with families who have substantiated cases of child abuse, neglect or maltreatment to provide wraparound services to help strengthen that family and hopefully keep that family together instead of entering foster care.
Speaker 2:I mean, that is just that's some goal. But 5,000 in 10 years, that's a pretty and crazy number, isn't it Michael?
Speaker 3:That's an incredible number, the work that when you think about, when you put that into perspective, that's just, we see you know families in the local area and you think about that sheer number 5,000, and how many lives are affected. I mean, we go out and we see when we go to dinner you know a family with like two or three kids, you know. Or you go to a birthday party and you see you know like 20, 30 kids. We're talking 5,000. Right.
Speaker 1:That's a good point right now within 10 years, winwood has done less than wando. But I mean lucy beckham, maybe that's a whole lot of impact, yeah that's insane.
Speaker 2:So let's, just before we get into like the weeds, um, can you give our listeners just like an overview of the mission of Wynwood Farms and like key programs and how it works etc.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely so. Just like you shared earlier, we provide help, hope and healing through therapeutic, educational and recreational interventions is we work with children who have either been founded to have some neglect, maltreatment or abuse in their life to keep them with their families, which is the preferred setting of child development, or, in the cases where we're interacting with somebody who's already been separated, we help them recover from their trauma through various forms of therapy that's really focused on trauma-informed care, of therapy that's really focused on trauma-informed care. So we work with them, either through our preventative family-based or community-based programs or our residential programs in Allendale, to really get them to a point where they can either keep or stay with their families or reintegrate into a foster placement whether that's kinship care or an actual traditional foster family and continue to have a normal, healthy life like any other child should have.
Speaker 2:Are these children placed with you through DSS or the police? Yeah, great question.
Speaker 1:So for our community-based program we're all referred these cases by DSS. And then within our residential programs there's two programs on-site, so one of them is referred by DSS, the other one is voluntary placements with community referrals right and, on a side note, the chamber itself, our community engagement committee.
Speaker 2:I know they've worked with there. I'm going to talk about that in a second but we've also done to go bags for DSS right, and I didn't know what that was until I joined the chamber. And for those of you who don't know, if we ever asked for donations, it's for these. If someone needs to get taken, and immediately from their family, there's a bag. They have a bag to go to foster care with and not just have to throw all of their belongings into a garbage bag and leave. So if anyone's ever asking for a donation for GoBags for DSS, please write that down on your list.
Speaker 1:Well, and then, on that note, I'm not sure if y'all know this, but Mount Pleasant Chamber actually gave Wynwood, or provided, a whole bunch of school supplies and backpacks for the boys at Wynwood this past school year, because a lot of kids will come in and just not be prepared for school on site. So it's a great opportunity for these kids to come to a strange new place away from their families and instantly be met with. Here's a backpack from the community for people who care about you.
Speaker 2:See, we care. Yeah, we're so nice, we care.
Speaker 1:A lot of're so nice. We care. A lot of people care. That's right, but it's great. Put yourself in the perspective of a child who's just gone to a brand new place. You don't have your siblings, you don't have your mom and dad and you're told you're going to be staying here for a while. That could be kind of shocking. It's wonderful to receive a backpack that is yours that looks like it belongs to a kid. Like there was basketballs, there was an astronaut, there were dinosaurs on this. Like imagine how great a sense of normalcy that is in a really weird time in life.
Speaker 2:No, I think that's great, and is there a typical number of kids that you have at each time, or does that range?
Speaker 1:So we have capacity for 28 on campus between our two programs, we're almost constantly full.
Speaker 2:It's sad to say, but I was expecting you to say that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we're the only. We're going to get into the weeds for a little bit, but I'll pull this out, I promise Sure. So within the child well-being space within South Carolina, wynwood is currently the only qualified residential treatment program which is a special setting within DSS's continuum of care. Basically, getting out of the weeds now, that means we provide high-level treatment for children who have extreme psychological or behavioral conditions as a result of trauma. So we're a highly specialized organization that treats these kids and the beauty of it even though we're unique, the beauty of it is places like Wynwood exist so that these kids who need the help can get it. But it also is a challenge because, as of right now, we are the only one. So the kids who need these services but can't access it yet have to wait.
Speaker 2:I'm sure there's a waiting list.
Speaker 1:Unfortunately. Yeah, yeah, I'm sure Wow.
Speaker 2:So a quick question about the history of Wynwood that I've got. I'm sure there's a waiting list, Unfortunately yeah, yeah, I'm sure, wow, wow.
Speaker 3:So a quick question about the history of Wynwood that I've got, because I know that there's some very special people that pulled together and actually pulled the trigger to make this happen. Was it 25, 30 years ago, 39, now 39. Can you tell us a little bit about how it started, what the vision was, and then just kind of bring us up to where we are now? Yeah, because there's a lot of special people.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and we are the modern day. Wynwood is built on the shoulders of some amazing people. We would not be where we are today if it weren't for our original board, for our founder, for all of our donors from the past and current donors. So I mean, it's the saying is so cliche, but it takes a village.
Speaker 2:And who was the founder?
Speaker 1:So the founder is Joseph Tamsberg. He goes by Jody. Jody actually lived on property in the early 80s before Wynwood was Wynwood, before Wynwood was Wynwood, and he adopted two sons out of South Carolina DSS and really had a heart for taking care of children within the custody of DSS. And when he decided to move back to Georgetown, instead of selling the property and probably making tons of money on it, he said I want to start an organization that serves boys who have been abused and neglected in South Carolina to take care of them. So Wynwood started in 1985. Our first group home is still on campus. It's now an administrative building, but it's the home where he raised his family. It's the home where we had our first six boys and now where most of our administrative work happens. Wow.
Speaker 3:I've been out to the property probably eight times or so, six or eight times with Farm Bureau, with different things that we've done with you guys, and the property is amazing. I mean, how many acres in the country is that?
Speaker 1:So it's 110 acres and I know you're a bass fisherman, so about 30 of that are ponds that are just stocked full of all the bass you could possibly imagine. But it's 110 acres out in the National.
Speaker 2:Forest, don't tempt him. He's going to get up and go fishing right now.
Speaker 1:We already got something lined up for the spring. It's going to be fun, okay good, but 110 acres out in the National Forest and it is pristine low-country beauty. It's amazing.
Speaker 3:Absolutely, absolutely. They've got this amazing pond house, I think it's called the first year I got involved. We donated all the Christmas gifts. We said give us your Christmas gift list. We filled the entire list and we went out to the pond house. That was where they were going to wrap everything. Kids were not allowed there for about a 30-day period, but just sitting there looking at the majestic just how beautiful it was and I was like, if you need a therapeutic environment, y'all have captured it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, absolutely have captured that yeah, and that's again going all the way back to jody's vision of why winwood all the way out there in ondaw, all the way out there in the forest is to maintain that natural environment that helps kids just be kids, get away from the hustle and bustle of city life and just focus on the work they've got to do to recover from trauma, heal and just have a sense of hope for the future.
Speaker 2:So everything for the boys is done on campus. So they live there, they go to school there.
Speaker 1:A vast majority of life happens on the farm for them, so they live there, they eat there. We have a Charleston County accredited schoolhouse on campus that provides remedial education for the boys, but they also go off campus pretty frequently on community outings, which is just like a really fun time for them to go do really exciting things but also to just practice the social skills that they're learning within their therapeutic treatment. To better understand what does normal life look like when I discharge from Wynwood, and what about the ages?
Speaker 1:So we're licensed to care for children between the ages of 6 to 16 that's the toughest time too yeah 6 to 16 is rough, but it's fun.
Speaker 2:It's so fun, I'm so glad. I'm so glad. Now you are, um, the major gifts manager. Yep, does that mean? Does that mean you're the money man? Uh, maybe it means I'm a fundraiser, you're the money man. Maybe it means I'm a fundraiser, you're the fundraiser, money man.
Speaker 3:Friendraiser. You are the friendraiser. I like that perspective.
Speaker 2:I like that, Michael. We're going to call you that from now on.
Speaker 1:I'm all right with that. You're the friendraiser, I'm all right with that, I'll get new business cards.
Speaker 2:That's amazing Such an organization to promote. It's always nice right when you're trying to fundraise for something, an organization that everybody knows and really is doing some incredible work. So, as a major gifts manager, a couple of things Kind of tell us what our businesses could do for you. Is it solely financial. Any other kind of gifts you look for. Is it just money? Let our local businesses know how they can help you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's going to be a broad answer because it's a wide, open spectrum. We've got partnerships with businesses that come out to do financial literacy for some of the older boys because it's an important skill to have in life financial literacy for some of the older boys because it's an important skill to have in life. We've had organizations come out to do board games and pizza with the boys once a month where it's just like a fun little touch point for the kids to just have normal relationships with people. We've had businesses come in during gala season and provide really interesting and unique and kind gifts that we can auction off to raise funds. And, of course, we've had grant makers or businesses come in and say man, we really want to support the work that you're doing. Here's a check for X amount of money. Please use it for whatever you need. And it's a hard answer to provide because all of that is so important to what we do.
Speaker 2:It's never just about money. I mean, money helps run the world, but there are so many other things. I've always said if you don't have the money to give, you always have your time to give, right, right. And so do you manage all of that for them? That not really, no okay.
Speaker 1:So we have a great team within the development team at Wynwood. So we have our chief philanthropy officer who oversees our entire team. We have an event and communications manager that does all of our events. We have a volunteer coordinator that works with a lot of businesses, churches, civic groups, that just anything you want to do volunteering-wise, she's your person. I'm really kind of the middleman between them all, trying to connect people to where they actually want to go.
Speaker 2:That's pretty amazing.
Speaker 1:It's fun yeah.
Speaker 3:We were talking about the money side a little bit. In addition to the volunteer and your time you had shared with me a while back, some specific dollars. I'm going to get real granular Sure the amount of money that it takes for, say, an hour of therapy outdoor therapy or therapy was staggering, and then for the 28 kids could you share with our listeners and our viewers some of those details of literally what we're talking about.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we talk in terms of trauma-informed therapy because that is what Wynwood does. It's what makes us unique. So an hour of therapy for one child is $110. Now these boys go to on average six hours of therapy a month. So $660 per child for one month and that's just I don't want to say the minimum, but that's really the brass tacks. Now more therapy happens than that, but it's kind of what we project out for each child in their treatment. So we're talking gosh, I'm horrible at quick math, but we're talking about thousands of dollars a month that winwood needs to help provide these children not just trauma-informed care but really the opportunity to regain some hope, to heal from trauma and to really be excited about what the future has for them.
Speaker 3:What are some of the examples of the outdoor therapy that you do?
Speaker 1:So, outside of normal recreational activities like riding bikes and fishing, playing basketball, kickball all those are like top favorite things that you can do at Wynwood.
Speaker 1:We actually started a new program last year called the Outdoor Wilderness Leadership Program OWL for short.
Speaker 1:It's led by Coastal Expedition staff off of Sham Creek led by Coastal Expedition staff off of Sham Creek, and they come to campus once a week with alternating programs with our residential programs on campus to provide hands-on environmental education curriculum that really just one teaches them about the nature around them because with 110 acres in the forest that's a whole lot of nature. But it also just gives them time and energy to practice skills like awareness or skills like working together on teams. Just build a shelter in the forest using only natural elements around us and honestly it just gives them an opportunity to develop a sense of place and belonging at Wynwood, because again, these kids aren't from Wynwood and they're not going to stay there long term. The average length of stay is anywhere between 9 to 12 months, depending on their treatment plan and progress through that. So really what we're trying to do is make them feel at home at Wynwood but also give them an opportunity to be educated and to grow social skills as they're doing. That that's amazing.
Speaker 2:And what organization did you say helps you with that Coastal?
Speaker 1:Expeditions.
Speaker 2:Oh, okay.
Speaker 1:They have. I think their headquarters is on Shem Creek, but they have a Keowa River location as well.
Speaker 2:And see, there you go, donating right. Yeah, sure, I mean, that sounds like a major way of impacting these children, giving up their time to provide them with something they need.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was actually a donor-funded program for us. But, knowing the Coastal Expedition staff, the energy and the heart and I mean the passion that they put outside of the time that they spend with us, I mean they're definitely volunteering time outside of work to to make this program the best it could be I'm sure the boys love it too oh my gosh, it's so. They love it so much, especially when it's fishing or or when it's, uh, building shelters in the woods.
Speaker 2:They love that I wouldn't mind getting lost in the woods. Every once in a while, I think I have to find my way over there and help out. Come on, it's on tuesdays it's on tuesdays I'll host you.
Speaker 2:All right, I would love to see tuesdays call rick, go over and help him out. Um, and then let's talk about the long term, like long-term goals and impact of everything. So again, not just necessarily money, but like how do you got? How do you measure your long-term results? Is that rehabilitating the boys and getting them out in a certain amount of time? What do you consider to be the measure of success for Wynwood?
Speaker 1:The measure of success for Wynwood is positive. Permanency, which is a term used throughout this service space, but Wynwood defines it as any placement for longer than six months post-discharge got it. So that's foster family, that's kinship care. Um, in the past it was other group homes that were lower level, like independent living skills facilities. So that is the metric that we use to define whether or not we're actually being successful.
Speaker 2:That's great and it's good numbers, isn't?
Speaker 1:it, 95% of our children achieve positive permanency Wow.
Speaker 2:That's something to be very proud of.
Speaker 1:Yeah, again, I love what Wendy does.
Speaker 2:I know I can see you're smiling Every time I bring it up, you start to smile. I know it's great, I love it. That's really that really a pretty amazing number.
Speaker 3:If you could break out a little bit on the educational side with the schooling. That's Charleston County Public School, correct? I mean you have a Charleston County school on site.
Speaker 1:So great question. We're actually an affiliate of Liberty Hill Academy in North Charleston. Essentially, what that means is they provide the staff, the administrative help, pretty much everything that we need to make education actually happen happen on campus, but we provide the students and the facility. So Wynwood doesn't have teachers, we have Liberty Hill teachers at. Wynwood doesn't have teachers we have Liberty Hill teachers at Wynwood.
Speaker 2:That's amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's an amazing partnership. Again, Wynwood could not be what Wynwood is without the community that we're a part of.
Speaker 2:It sounds to me like you're not just a major gifts manager, are you? You get involved? Well, it sounds to me like you're not just a major gifts manager, are you? You get involved. Well, I'm assuming and you can tell me I'm wrong, but from the way you're speaking and the smile on your face, you probably get a little bit more involved in things that you don't necessarily have to get involved with, don't you?
Speaker 1:Yeah, I've been a part of different great groups outside of work, but this opportunity has really I mean, it's allowed me to engage with some rock stars in our community. It's amazing. That's why, when you were like, are you the money man? There's so much more than that. Of course there is, but it's great.
Speaker 3:Rick, I know one of the highlights of y'all's year one of the biggest focuses is on the fundraising side is your gala. So every year you have a big gala. Can you talk to us, talk to our listeners, about the gala itself?
Speaker 1:Man. All right, I'm going to tease a little bit, go ahead. But yes, we're entering our 40th year at Wynwood. It's a huge accomplishment. This year's gala is going to be I mean, I'm thinking in terms of Disneyland with indoor fireworks and just like rah-rah. It's going to be great. That probably won't happen.
Speaker 2:But it is going to be a night to remember. Well, come on, why not, let's start working on that now?
Speaker 1:well, you know hotels and fire code and you know I won't tell anybody. I know people at the town will, and this, this podcast, lives forever, so the fire marshal could be like rick, don't listen, fire marshal yeah, so, uh, chief mixon, pay, don't pay attention.
Speaker 1:Anyway, the gala is by far the largest event that we do every single year. It's an opportunity for us to showcase not just the impact that we had the year before, but also an opportunity to invite businesses, individuals, foundations to be a part of next year. This past gala it's hard to put it in context because it was so successful that the year before it almost looks like nothing happened Again. That's all because of the great team that we have at Wynwood. It has very little, if nothing, to do with me it's not a planner, planner I I'm I'm not our event planner.
Speaker 1:I'll get involved, I can help, but I'll just show up that you tell me where you need me to move things and I'll do it. But that's really because of the great mind of of our event planner, mia ballman, who's just I mean, a rock star.
Speaker 2:Now I'm assuming our local businesses can get involved with this. Oh, absolutely Right. Oh, yeah, so make sure you tell them where they can go to get some more information about sponsoring this amazing event.
Speaker 1:You can reach me at my email ricklotten L-H-O--a-n at winwoodfarmorg. I'd love to take you out to coffee and talk sponsorship options. There you go there you go with your gala.
Speaker 3:Is it a? Is it a sponsored table? Like you have a certain number of tables and a sponsor pays a certain dollar amount for eight or ten seats.
Speaker 1:That's that work, that's exactly exactly how our model works and we work with sponsors. Most of the time they fill their eight or ten seats really quickly, which is great because they're engaging their network to invite them into something that they care about. That's how we grow relationships within our community. But other times some people will just say I want to sponsor a table, or I want to sponsor a higher-level sponsorship, but I can't attend for any number of reasons. Here's the table back.
Speaker 2:Feel free to sell it again, or sell it again. Wow, that's amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's awesome Again. Incredibly selfless.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, have you been Michael.
Speaker 3:I have not been to this one.
Speaker 1:No, no, well, just have your marketing team reach out to me at ricklaughton, at winwoodfarmorg. We can talk sponsorship.
Speaker 2:We sure can, absolutely yes yes, yes, that sounds like a pretty lovely evening.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, it was awesome this past year. I hate to sound like a millennial, but the vibes were immaculate. I mean it was amazing. The amount of energy in the room was amazing. The people that we had in the room really rallied around our organization. It was just a fun time to be around.
Speaker 2:So good. I'm really glad that you got that out there so our businesses can help you out with that. But speaking more about local business, can you give us an example of some successful collaborations that you've had with local businesses and how it's impacted both the business and Windward?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so that's a hard question to answer.
Speaker 2:Well, I think a perfect example is. What we talked about before is the business that helps with the outside.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so any other yeah?
Speaker 2:Great. Any other examples I've got one.
Speaker 3:Okay, I've got one.
Speaker 2:Please.
Speaker 3:So, for six and a half years or so, we started with gifts and now, during holiday season, we provide the meal for the children for the boys, and it's exciting because all of our three offices get together.
Speaker 3:Our company gives us a certain amount, we match it, and then we bring honey-baked ham meals or whatever they want. We just bring it in and it's an exciting time to come in and provide that. And then we bring honey baked ham meals or whatever that, whatever they want, we just bring it in and it's an exciting time to come in and provide that and to give that.
Speaker 3:You take the pressure off because the staff's under I mean, it's always under the gun because it's 24-7 mm-hmm and so we do that, and then some years we've we've given chick-fil-a cards that you can use throughout the years incentives to incentivize the kids, you know, to give them some more normalcy.
Speaker 1:But that's just on a small scale, just one meal one time a year, but it seems like it's pretty impactful, yeah and I mean it's a hard question to answer because businesses do so much right we I wouldn't call it a partnership, but there's one particular barbershop in town that the boys go to and it's the highlight of the month for them. It's a haircut. That's not a big ordeal for me, but they look forward to it, they enjoy it and that's such a I don't want to call it a niche thing, but it's such an intangible impact that you can't see unless you're on the farm. When they come back from the air cuts looking fresh and they're like Mr Rick, look at what I got here, nice, that's awesome, it's amazing.
Speaker 2:And I know last year the chamber again the Community Engagement Committee, and correct me if I'm wrong, amanda, but I think they paint, didn't? They come in paint fences and cooked, cooked lunch with the boy. I mean, I I wasn't able to make it that day so but I heard that it was a really incredible afternoon.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and is that?
Speaker 2:the type of things businesses can do for you or yeah.
Speaker 1:So the volunteering aspect for businesses can either be one of two things One-off events that come out to do landscaping for us or helps us update some of the infrastructure, like painting a barn, for example. Just really try to make Wynwood look more beautiful. Another thing that businesses can do is work with our volunteer coordinator to develop kind of a recurring program that they help lead and run. So the financial literacy example is a great example of this. Wynn would host the program but outside of making sure that all the volunteers are compliant with our policies for volunteers, they really just run it Right and it's so helpful.
Speaker 2:Now, I don't think I asked you this how long have you been?
Speaker 1:So I have been a volunteer for Wynwood for about five years.
Speaker 2:Oh, wow.
Speaker 1:And then on staff for over a year now.
Speaker 2:Oh, so it's still a little new for you?
Speaker 1:Yeah, still a little new.
Speaker 2:That's why you're still smiling. No, not at all, I'm kidding, I'm kidding, I'm kidding If I got to go and work on a place that sounds as beautiful as as you describe it.
Speaker 1:I think I'd be smiling too. Yeah, so one place where the trees change color in Charleston, so that that's already enough to fall in love with it.
Speaker 3:On the volunteer side, while we're there, is there a vetting process or somebody wants to volunteer? Is there a process that someone needs to go through? You know, background investigation, background check, that kind of thing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so because we interact or because we take care of children that are in the state's custody, who have been traumatized and are vulnerable, there's a vetting process that includes a background check, includes a sled check, and then on top of that, there's a handbook that we provide that has every relevant waywood policy that volunteers need to know, just so that they understand this is the the space that you're entering because we want you here. You need to know how to interact with either our organization or our campus or our boys, just so that you remain safe and our children remain safe is there an orientation type class?
Speaker 1:not really, but every single time that we host a volunteer group, we spend about 10 to 15 minutes kind of covering what is winynwood? Who do we serve? What do we do? What are they going to be doing? If they need help or if they see something that they're not familiar with, do not hesitate to let us know, right, and you can volunteer for not just special events, right, rick?
Speaker 2:I mean you can volunteer just to help out, I mean yeah.
Speaker 1:So we've got so many volunteer opportunities that it could take a whole hour to tell you. Email, rick, email me, I'll connect you to Julia.
Speaker 2:So we're going to email him about sponsoring the gala and then you're going to email him about donating your time as a volunteer for this organization.
Speaker 1:But an urgent need at the moment is, if you like reading to kids who are not good at reading or want to get better at reading, we really need some reading buddies to just come out every other week and just read to the boys or have the boys read to them. Another one that we're looking at, starting as a spring kind of comes in, is a pollinator slash garden person. I have a black thumb so everything I touch dies, so I'm not gonna go into the garden. But if you like gardening, if you are really good at keeping houseplants alive that I'm not keeping alive, right, reach out, because we really need some help to start a garden for our boys, to teach them so people can take their strengths yes oh, yeah, and and literally just give them to these boys that need that need to draw on those strengths.
Speaker 1:Yeah and another great example is we had a local artist come out I think a year and a half ago now, that just painted rocks with the boys. So they went to go find rocks some just around campus and they painted them, wow. So one of them was painted like an avocado. So that was interesting to find on the ground. And then, like there's turkey hands on bigger rocks, spider-man rocks, like it's just interesting.
Speaker 1:But it was just a fun expressive outlet for the boys all because of a local artist who says I know how to paint and I know how to teach kids how to paint, so let me go volunteer my time.
Speaker 2:It's funny you said that because I just found a whole bunch of painted rocks at town center, just kind of put in the garden, so I don't know if you guys all came and I can neither confirm nor deny that they're your rocks. Well, one of them was a really bright pink, bejeweled.
Speaker 1:I can neither confirm nor deny that. I saw that in the office. You did that one, didn't you?
Speaker 2:No, you did the pink bejeweled one, but I think they're fun, they're eye-catching, and I love all the ideas, and I'm sure there's things that volunteers can do that we haven't even thought of yet, right, yeah? So I'm going to ask you a couple questions now. Go for it, if you don't mind. Michael and I are going to do this Hot seat, hot seat. So if there's one business that you could possibly partner with, that's kind of like a dream, I mean, take it to whatever you'd like to take it to. What would it be and what kind of dream project would it be If you could have anybody in the world as a, as a business?
Speaker 1:partner. Again another hard question yeah, because we've got I didn't say this was going to be easy this is.
Speaker 2:This is like defending my dissertation, but if you could do that, you can answer my that's true.
Speaker 1:Um, so I think it would have to be the south Carolina Aquarium for an entire month in June, which I think is National Ocean Month. They'd have to correct me on that, but it'd be great to develop a four-week-long program where the boys learn about the ocean and the harbor and our estuaries learn about the life that calls all these places home. Have a chance to go on a behind-the-scenes tour at the aquarium I love it and maybe, maybe, go see a turtle that they've rehabbed and recovered be released, because I mean that would be so cool for the boys to see.
Speaker 2:I think that's amazing. We have a connection with the aquarium. I'm going to have to give them a call.
Speaker 1:Well, they've got my email twice now on this podcast, so this could be great.
Speaker 2:If you're listening.
Speaker 1:Aquarium reach out direct.
Speaker 2:I mean, you heard that dream, you heard that dream, that dream business to partner with. I'm a huge fan of the aquarium, oh it's so fun. I find under the sea creatures fascinating. Yeah, I don't know how fish don't breathe, I just find the whole thing is fascinating to me. And they do such a great job at the aquarium. They really do and especially with all the turtle hatchings and their kids programs.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:They really do a good job with that.
Speaker 1:They're recent. No free ads, by the way. So sorry, but the recent event, aquarium Aglo, is always a fun event to go to. It's a fun time.
Speaker 2:That's pretty amazing. And then, on the flip side of that, has there ever been and you don't have to give any specific names, but has a local business ever come to you with a kind of off-the-wall idea? That worked out just?
Speaker 1:perfectly Coastal Expeditions. The OWL program is not Wynwood's brainchild. We had the seeds to make it happen but Captain Chris really saw what we had to offer on campus and took it and ran with it and before you know business terms, we'll pilot this. We're not really committed to doing this program long term if it doesn't work out. That pilot term only lasted maybe three weeks on Wynwood's campus. It was an immediate hit with our programming, with the boys, with our staff. We couldn't have come up with it if it wasn't for captain gross that's pretty amazing that is, that's outstanding.
Speaker 3:So here's one for you and I'm going to cheat a little bit because I have a little background information here, but if you were going to do a fundraising event in addition to the gala, what might that be? What are some thoughts and ideas of something extra that some of our businesses might like to get behind?
Speaker 1:So for the background.
Speaker 2:Mike knows the secret that I don't know.
Speaker 1:He's been involved in this idea that I've been having since we met last year Non-committal. Okay, this is just an idea, but thinking about how do we utilize that 30 acre pond, which is really a lake on our property?
Speaker 2:of course it has to do with fishing. Why do I even yeah question what this could possibly? Be, at first I said golf, and then I'm like no, no, it's michael, it's fishing yep it.
Speaker 1:So we we have been thinking about what would it look like to invite local businesses and local anglers to come out and basically do a kids' fish tournament. I love it Just to offer another touchpoint or another opportunity for community engagement, but again focusing on the children, giving an opportunity for the boys to have a healthy encounter with another human being.
Speaker 2:Right, that's what it boils down to. Yeah, I think you need to move that out of the thinking stage, because I think that would be hugely, hugely successful.
Speaker 1:It would be fun, but we have to.
Speaker 3:There's a lot of dots to be connected.
Speaker 2:Of course, a lot of people, as any fundraiser, absolutely.
Speaker 3:But in Charleston you have two of the largest manufacturers of equipment for fishing and on the tackle side, right here in Charleston, oh yeah, two of the largest, oh yeah, z-man is my favorite.
Speaker 1:Personal no free ads. Yes, yes, if you want to catch fish, use Z-Man, but it would be great to partner with them. We just need to think a little bit more strategically and develop the idea more so that, if we were to launch it, it's giving it a fair shot at being more than a pilot.
Speaker 2:I think I know someone. I'll volunteer as a chairman for the fishing tournament.
Speaker 1:I think I do too. Everybody hear that right now, right.
Speaker 2:Michael said yes, michael just committed to that. Yes, I did.
Speaker 1:This podcast will live on the internet forever. That's correct.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 1:You can't go back now?
Speaker 2:No, but I think what I love about that is obviously not just because I think it would be so much fun for the boys. But you're right about you've got that pond right, and you've got that pond right and you've got I mean, you've got the environment. You don't have to create one, you don't have to make one up, it's there and you're doing to me. That's amazing that you want to do something. You don't even have to start from scratch. You don't have to make a pond, you don't have to bring fish.
Speaker 1:You don't have to do any of that, it's there.
Speaker 2:What a great way to start off what could be a very successful fundraiser.
Speaker 1:Yeah, maybe, but again it goes it always for me with my role, it always has to connect back to how are we helping the kids in their treatment and in their progress?
Speaker 2:But they could actually get involved with that? Oh, absolutely, because I don't know, know. Do they get dressed up and go to the gala? They do not so this could be a way for them to be hands-on absolutely in the fundraising.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yes, my look my scene now michael's yeah, I know, the wheels are turning, that's it, the wheels are turning that's it, amanda.
Speaker 2:Take note of this okay okay, remember the date. So if you could have like a gigantic magic wand right and just grant one great, amazing wish for your program, what would it be so, outside of Not having any kids there?
Speaker 1:ever again right the need, not existing Right. So let's just put that for granted out there on the table.
Speaker 2:Yes, because that would be everybody's wish.
Speaker 1:It relates back to fishing. Sorry.
Speaker 2:It's okay.
Speaker 1:But I would love.
Speaker 2:Is it because he's the co-host? No, not at all.
Speaker 1:No not at all. This is my wish forever. Okay okay, I would wish that every child who goes fishing would catch at least one fish every time they go fishing.
Speaker 1:Not every time they cast, because it's called fishing for a reason. But if you want to see some kids who've had a rough go at life just be through the moon excited, you'll put a fish on the hook for them and you'll watch them reel it in. Put a fish on the hook for them and you'll watch them reel it in. You'll see them gaze at this fish as you take it off the hook and just the the. There's not a clearer example of a sense of accomplishment than when these kids reel in a fish so I would love for every kid.
Speaker 1:I think that's one of the sweetest things I've heard on this podcast.
Speaker 3:Absolutely oh thanks.
Speaker 2:Of all the ones that I've recorded. That was really, really sweet, thank you, but it is true, if I had the wand, I would do it for you, rick.
Speaker 1:Oh.
Speaker 2:I honestly would.
Speaker 1:Thanks, I got her wish now too, yes.
Speaker 2:That's exactly right. I'll give you my wish. And then what about a famous celebrity? If you could pick any famous celebrity to support the cause, who would you pick, and why?
Speaker 1:Sorry, I had to ask the boys about this because I don't really stay in touch with celebrity news.
Speaker 2:I'm sure you've got a slew of suggestions.
Speaker 1:All superheroes.
Speaker 3:I was getting ready to say they have a superhero, yeah.
Speaker 1:So Spider-Man is a top choice, iron man was another one, and then Batman coming into third place. What Really? So yeah, if we could get any of those three. No, obviously they're fictional characters, but if they were real, bruce Wayne would be getting a phone call every week. Oh, that's hysterical.
Speaker 2:You know so when we do the fishing tournament. Oh, that's hysterical. You know we have to, so when we do the fishing tournament we're going to have costume characters as Spider-Man and Batman and Iron man.
Speaker 1:We're going to have them all make an appearance. Love it, put that on the list too.
Speaker 3:Yeah, now we're committed On my event planning Podcast forever.
Speaker 1:That's right, my event planning.
Speaker 2:But how much fun, I mean, that would be so much fun for the boys absolutely that's hysterical. I absolutely love it. Um, and I've got one more for you personally. And then, um, what about a movie? If there's a movie made about what you do, who would play you?
Speaker 1:okay, so it would have to exist in the sesame street universe. The title would probably be something like I'll Walk Down the Farm Road, because Wynwood is located on Wynwood Farm Road, and I would probably be played by Glover Grover. Thank you.
Speaker 2:Grover.
Speaker 1:I thought it was Glover Grover. Well, Mike, please edit that out. That one will definitely stay in.
Speaker 2:No, that's really cool, though I like Grover Grover's awesome.
Speaker 1:He's great. He's one of my favorite characters on Sesame Street. He's amazing. Yes, I mean you want to talk about the spectrum of acting ability. We're talking about Grover, grover, grover. See, now I'm all messed, I'm all turned around that would be great. I'm down for that too, as long as I get to keep it at the end and put it in my office. That would be funny.
Speaker 2:Well, yeah, let's start making some phone calls to some movie studios. Right, we could do that, that's right, that'd be pretty awesome. Mike, do you have anything else for Rick before I tie things up here?
Speaker 3:So you know the friend-raising aspect you mentioned, you know meeting with potential donors, just people to network with. I mean, when we first met to network, we had breakfast and just breakfast and coffee. But I mean what, what would your ideal um week look like with networking with folks? Just to get the word out on a personal, intimate level probably what we did.
Speaker 1:Okay, I think. Now don't get me wrong, I love networking events. It's fun. I've met some great colleagues there. I've made good friends there and I go to them often. I was just a few months ago at the veteran small business um breakfast, slash coffee on the uss, yorktown and that was great. Got to interact with my tribe of veterans but also talk about winwood, right.
Speaker 3:But I think initially relationships are formed best and conversation happens best when you're just sitting around drinking coffee, right so if you're listening to this, please reach out to rick and buy him a cup of coffee and have a good conversation I'll buy you a cup of coffee because I'll invite you in.
Speaker 1:I'm a southern gentleman from Texas, so if I invite you somewhere I'm paying. That's awesome.
Speaker 2:Well, I agree with you. I think that there's all different ways to network. I actually have someone I know who recently joined the chamber and claims that she's shy, right, and I said, well, that's fine, why don't you come and I'll be there? And so I've introduced her and then I've left her, and then I get a phone call. You know, thank you, thank you, thank you. So, and she's also attended some of the smaller events and some of the bigger events. So, you know, networking is extremely important, but you have to be as far it works best when you're in the situation that is more comfortable for you, right, right, because if you are afraid, to be not afraid, I shouldn't say that. If you are not comfortable in a large group of strangers, you know you don't want to go, just go. You're not going to walk. Go there and start tapping on people's back and introducing yourself, Right? So I just go. You're not going to walk. Go there and start tapping on people's back and introducing yourself right um, so um.
Speaker 1:I think it's important to learn the best way for you to network.
Speaker 2:Um so rick is going to buy you coffee. That's his best way of networking. That's right, which is awesome you're not getting out of coming to chamber events no, absolutely not.
Speaker 1:Okay, chamber events are so fun. Definitely go. Go to the business expo. If you don't go to the Expo, no free ads. But if you don't go to the Expo, you're missing out.
Speaker 2:I agree 100% on that's right, that was a great.
Speaker 3:Our Expos are pretty amazing yes, they are pretty, they are absolutely amazing yep, and that same friend I just talked about.
Speaker 2:I got a booth that was she had just joined last year and got in a booth and she could not stop talking about how many connections she made. Oh yeah, and how she kind of came out of her shell at that particular event because she felt so comfortable there.
Speaker 3:And it's free to attend. It's free. It's free, yes, to attend, yes.
Speaker 2:All right. So, looking ahead at your amazing organization, your hopes for the future, obviously again to continue the great work and stuff, but these families that you serve and these boys that you serve, I mean it must mean the world to you to be able to do that every day to help these families. What are your hopes for the future?
Speaker 1:So you are right. It's incredibly motivating to be a part of something that is so much bigger than myself and serving needs that I care deeply about. My hope for the future, honestly, is just seeing an organization that is serving more families in our community. So expanding our services Is that a possibility ever?
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, absolutely. I'm assuming there's a limit on the number for a reason.
Speaker 1:so expanding our, our services, is that a possibility ever?
Speaker 2:or oh yeah, absolutely, I'm assuming there's a limit on the number for a reason so, within our community program, we can expand services.
Speaker 1:We can also expand our services on campus, but there are some statutory regulations that limit how many kids can be on there. Right, um, but I see a future where where we are capping out the number of children that we can serve. I see a future where the children that we serve are leaving the farm happier and healthier than they ever have been. I see a future where families in our communities are stronger. I see them strengthened because of the services that they've received from Wynwood and organizations like us, but also an opportunity where the need that is currently existing in our community and state and throughout the nation starts to be addressed. The nation starts to be addressed not just because organizations like us exist, but because families are doing the hard work of getting healthier, getting stronger and and just really living into what a family is all right.
Speaker 2:So for all again, everyone who's listening today, whether it's for yourself or for your business. You're going to email Rick, so say your email again.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it is rick R-I-C-K dot L-O-T-T-A-N at winwoodfarmorg.
Speaker 2:So we're going to email Rick to set up coffee, to discuss fundraising, to discuss sponsorship, to discuss volunteerism, to discuss what you can do today to help this amazing, amazing organization that is the heart of our community. Rick, I cannot thank you enough for talking about this incredible place with us today. Your time and everything that you've done for these boys is duly noted and very respectful. So I am. I've learned a lot and I really need to get out there, I'll host you on a farm tour if you want.
Speaker 2:Well, I'm gonna email you later, and I'm gonna, we're gonna have coffee. Please do For sure. Would love to have you. That's awesome. Thank you so much, and Michael. Michael, thank you so much for being in my cohort as usual, glad to be here.
Speaker 2:Again. Everybody, get to their website, get out there, help the community. Before we leave, we also need to thank our sponsors again Charleston Radio Group Studios and, of course, the Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce. If you are interested in sponsoring or being a guest on our show, in sponsoring or being a guest on our show, you can just reach out to anybody in the chamber and we'll get back to you. Be sure to like and subscribe to all of our media channels. We are on Spotify, itunes, YouTube, instagram, facebook and LinkedIn. So again, thank you for being with us today. Until next time, mount Pleasant, until next time listeners.
