Mount Pleasant Magazine Nov/Dec 2018

53 www.MountPleasantMagazine.com | www.ILoveMountPleasant.com | www.BestofMP.com I n September of 1989, as the winds subsided and the water receded following the devastation of Hurricane Hugo, the Lowcountry found itself in a time of one of its greatest challenges. Resilience being a staple of the area, what emerged from the destruction was a united sense of rebuilding and community. And one cornerstone of that effort still represents the community with those values today – East Cooper Community Outreach (ECCO). ECCO serves thousands of families per year, providing basic health and dental needs and emergency food, clothing and furnishing needs, as well as financial aid, educational opportunities and job-readiness workshops. Originally solely a volunteer organization, ECCO has grown over the years with a full-time staff but is still critically reliant on the army of volunteers who give their time in a variety of capacities. ECCO Executive Director Stephanie Kelley said the 270-plus volunteers provided what amounted to more than $850,000 in volunteer time in 2017. “They are very much at the heart of who we are and what we do, and we absolutely could not achieve our mission without our volunteers,” she said. Emblematic of the volunteer core is the Daughtridge family. Giff and Lisa and their sons, Giffin and Andy, BY MIKE GIBBONS ECCO A Family of Giving Back Photo courtesy of Giff Daughtridge.