ALSA Columbia Support Group

Please mark your calendars, Columbia ALS Support Group meetings will be the 4th Tuesday of the month, from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM

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Meeting held at:  ALS Association SC Chapter

7499 Parklane Road, Suite 144

Columbia SC 29223

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We offer conference call-in option for each Support Group meeting in case you cannot make it in person but would still like to participate. 

To join the meeting via Conference Call follow these instructions:

● Call the Dial-In Number:                             712-770-5505

● Enter the Participant Access Code:             422 302 followed by the # sign

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Any questions contact: Brett Vowles MSW | Care Services Manager  The ALS Association South Carolina Chapter | 7499 Parklane Rd. Suite 144| Columbia, SC 29223 office 803-851-3238 | email

Tax Preparation Volunteers needed; Orientation, training opportunities this Fall

If you say yes, you’ll receive orientation and training this fall at The Cooperative Ministry and then begin volunteering during the tax season (February – April 2020) at one of our sites. Training is offered both online and in the classroom. Our tax sites are generally open nights and weekends and your volunteer hours are flexible.

Submit your inquiry now to become a VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) volunteer to Ed Palekas at or epalekas@coopmin.org. 

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The Cooperative Ministry | 3821 W. Beltline Blvd, Columbia, SC 29204

Emergency Services Guide

Assistance & Education Resources

Medical and Dental Services

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Birthright of Columbia

(803) 765-0165

(800) 550-4900

1405 Gregg Street

Columbia SC 29201

Children and Family Health Care

803- 256-2500

2638 Two Notch Rd Ste 110

Columbia SC 29204

Children’s Dental Clinic

803-576-2739

Lexington & Richland Co.

Health Departments

2000 Hampton Street

Columbia SC 29204

Columbia Free medical Clinic (18 or older)

803-765-1503

1875 Harden Street

Columbia SC 29204

Eau Claire Cooperative Health Services, Inc

803-733-5969

1228 Harden St

Columbia SC 29204

Good Samaritan Clinic (medical & dental)

803-790-0239

7915 Old Percival Rd

Columbia SC 29223

Laurel Medical Practice

803-799-8407

1520 Laurel Street

Columbia SC 29201

Palmetto Health Community Health Center

803-296-3244

2133 Walker Solomon Way

Columbia SC 29204

Small Smiles Dental Clinic

803-691-9930

3000 Two Notch Rd

Columbia SC 29204

VA Health Care for Homeless Veterans

803-776-4000

WJB Dorn VA Medical Center

6439 Garners Ferry Rd

Columbia SC 29209

Housing

schousingsearch.com

877-428-8844

300 C Outlet Point Blvd

Columbia SC 29210

Parenting Education Programs and Legal Aid

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Department of Consumer Affairs

803-734-4200

2221 Devine St, Str 200

Columbia SC 29205

Fairwold Learning Center

803-735-3435

5935 Token St

Columbia SC 29203

Midlands Fatherhood Coalition

803-933-0052

1821 Hampton Street

Columbia SC 29201

The Nursing Center

803-771-2337 ext. 12

1332 Pickens St

Columbia SC 29201

Richland County First Steps

803-256-7237

2008 Marion Str, Suite B

Columbia SC 29201

Richland School District One Adult and Community Education

803-343-2935

2612 Covenant Rd

Columbia SC 29204

SC head Start Collaboration Office

803-898-2550

1535 Confederate Ave

Columbia SC 29201

SC Legal Services

888-346-5592

2109 Bull St

Columbia SC 29201

American Red Cross

Columbia Blood Donation Center

2751 Bull Street

Columbia SC 29201

Things to Know About Water Safety

Ensure every member of your family learns to swim so they at least achieve skills of water competency: able to enter the water, get a breath, stay afloat, change position, swim a distance then get out of the water safely.

Employ layers of protection including barriers to prevent access to water, life jackets, and close supervision of children to prevent drowning.

Know what to do in a water emergency – including how to help someone in trouble in the water safely, call for emergency help and CPR.

Making the water safer for everyone.

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Why Is Water Safety So Important?

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It only takes a moment. A child or weak swimmer can drown in the time it takes to reply to a text, check a fishing line or apply sunscreen. Death and injury from drownings happen every day in home pools and hot tubs, at the beach or in oceans, lakes, rivers and streams, bathtubs, and even buckets. 

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The Red Cross believes that by working together to improve water competency – which includes swimming skills, water smarts and helping others – water activities can be safer… and just as much fun. 

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What Does It Mean to Be Water Competent?

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Water competency is a way of improving water safety for yourself and those around you through avoiding common dangers, developing fundamental water safety skills to make you safer in and around the water, and knowing how to prevent and respond to drowning emergencies. Water competency has 3 main components: water smarts, swimming skills and helping others. 

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For the past 100 years, we’ve been helping millions of kids, teens and adults learn how to swim and become lifeguards and instructors. So the water can be a safer place for everyone. The American Red Cross created the first national water safety program in the U.S. – and today it’s still the gold standard for aquatics training. All of that training is making a difference. In the last century, we’ve helped to reduce accidental drownings by nearly 90% nationwide.

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Join us as we champion water safety for the next 100 years. With programs based on the latest science, and new ways to learn in the water and online, you’ll be ready to get your feet wet.

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Helping Save Lives

A National Action To Reduce Drowning Rates, In 50 Cities and Towns

Launched in 2014, which marked our century of swimming safety education, the Red Cross is working with its partners with an initial goal to teach 50,000 more people in 50 selected cities across 19 states how to swim, and is urging people across the country to make sure that they and their families can swim.

• The selected cities were chosen due to their high number of fatal drownings or overall drowning rates – most higher than the national average.

• Making a positive impact by connecting with communities to cut those rates – by helping kids, teens and adults be safe in the water is why the Centennial Campaign is so important.

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The Red Cross and its partners train more than two million people a year in swimming. The Campaign has helped increase our impact by that initial 50,000 goal and is still going strong!