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harity begins at home, home being our small town and our relatively remote county. It’s especially so this year with so many people still dealing not only with the economy but with the ravages of Hurricane Irene.

Several non-profit organizations in Oriental and Pamlico County add a lot to life here — some by aiding in the health of individuals, some by helping to literally put a roof overhead, others by boosting the quality of life for the community as a whole.

As 2011 draws to a close – and with it, the window for tax-deductible giving – those groups that make life here so much richer — Pamlico Musical Society, Oriental’s History Museum, HOPE Clinic, Hospice, Public Radio East, PAWS and the Old Theater Corporation, to name just some — welcome your support.

The time is short, just a day or two before the end of the year. Still, there’s enough time to contribute to one or more in this sampling of the groups that focus their efforts on Pamlico County and Oriental:

Pamlico County Disaster Recovery Coalition
If you’d like to help with ongoing Hurricane Irene relief efforts here in Pamlico County, you can send a check to The Pamlico County Disaster Recovery Coalition (PCDRC) whose mailing address is PO Box 1385, New Bern, NC 28563 Katy Pugh says that all the money coming in goes “directly to rebuilding in Pamlico County.” PCDRC is a 501 C 3, she adds, with the United Way as the fiscal intermediary.

HOPE Clinic
HOPE Clinic provides free medical care to hundreds of Pamlico County residents who have little or no insurance. The energy of a lot of volunteers and contributors — from the doctors to Bayboro Pharmacy to the nurse practitioners — make HOPE Clinic work. But HOPE has also been treating more and more patients while medical costs rise and grants dwindle. As a result, the clinic is facing a five-figure deficit. Your contribution would be especially appreciated to help HOPE, as one volunteer puts it, “continue its vital functions.” For more information, contact the HOPE Clinic Message Center at 745-5760 or hopeclinicnc@gmail.com Checks may be sent to HOPE Clinic Box 728, Bayboro, NC 28515.

Pamlico Musical Society
This all-volunteer group pulls off some great events, bringing performers to the Old Theater who simply would otherwise not come all the way here to our village at the end of NC Hwy 55. Some of those artists visit the schools, too and share the music with younger ears. Pamlico Musical Society has kept the ticket prices affordable thanks to a combo of grants and donations. Thing is, much of the grant money has dried up, so your contribution is ever more important.

Membership in the PMSociety (sorry, we can’t bring ourselves to using the acronym) has its rewards, too. You can get early access to buying tickets for shows you especially want to see, and at some levels of giving, invites to the artist receptions. In the larger scheme of things, though, the more funds that Pamlico Musical Society receives from all of us, the higher caliber performers they can put on our stage. If you haven’t become a member of the Pamlico Music Society, this is your chance. (Another way to give: becoming a sponsor for a particular show.)

Oriental’s History Museum

In just five years, Oriental’s History Museum has been putting together a treasure trove of displays and histories to help visitors and residents alike, understand more of our town’s past. Not only does Oriental’s History Museum provide a link to the past, it also serves as a Visitors Center for tourists. What’s remarkable is that the museum and its volunteers do all this while relying entirely on donations from the public. (They get nothing from our town’s Tourism Board.) That means it’s up to us — residents and visitors alike — to help pay for those operational costs. Become a member. Make a donation. Stop by the museum and buy some of the items that local residents have made to help raise funds. Checks can be made payable to: Oriental’s History Museum PO Box 103, Oriental, NC 28571.

Pamlico Community College Foundation
This foundation raises money for scholarships to Pamlico Community College. The money raised by the PCCF helps students who might not otherwise afford it take this first step toward a degree. Some of the county residents are the first persons in their families to attend college at any level. The PCC Foundation’s VP Beverly Furhling says that if she can “help just one person get a college education, starting at PCC” then it will have been “worth the effort.” Your contribution would be much appreciated and can be sent to the: Pamlico Community College Foundation, PO Box 185, Grantsboro, NC 28529

Hospice of Pamlico County
The Hospice of Pamlico County provides comfort and care for the terminally ill. Your donation can help them do that important work of offering that kind of comfort. Send your check to Hospice of Pamlico County, PO Box 95, Bayboro, NC 28515

Pamlico County Arts Council works to promote and support the arts in Pamlico County. It also is a key in providing grant money to several arts organizations in Oriental and Pamlico County, but to do that it needs a robust membership. You can become a member — levels of support range from $25 to $500 — on line or by sending a check to PCAC, PO Box 104, Bayboro, NC 28515. For more info visit the PCAC website or contact the Arts Council at info @ pamlicoarts . org or call 252-249-9999.

Public Radio East
It’s in the air around us and on radios all over town. Like the Internet, Public Radio East links you to a wider world beyond our borders while at the same time, making you feel part of a community. Public radio does this with one of the world’s oddest business plans: it provides NPR news, shows such as Prairie Home Companion, and Car Talk and music…. and then asks you to pay what you want to for it. About one in ten listeners contribute. The rest, well… don’t. PRE says that per capita, the Oriental area is one of the strongest supporters of the radio station. But why rely on your neighbor’s contribution? If you haven’t given yet this year, it’s not too late. And even if you give to a station somewhere else, how about supporting PRE for making your time in Oriental that much better? Click here for a pledge form from Public Radio East. And thanks for listening…..

Pamlico Coastal Activities Coalition This new all-volunteer group aims to promote recreational, social and educational activities — such as sailing, kayaking, biking, running – and at the same time preserve and highlight Pamlico County’s natural resources. Monies donated could go toward scholarships for kids’ sailing camp, perhaps buy a dragon boat that area residents could use, enhance cycling. Monetary donations welcomed, though PCAC is also accepting boats that can then be leased out. The efforts could have the benefit of boosting tourism — think low-impact, environmental tourism. PCAC just got its non-profit 501©(3) status this month, which means your donations are tax-deductible. Those interested in volunteering, making a donation, or learning more about PCAC may contact Doug Sligh at 249-3362 or dlsligh@coastalnet.com.

One place to make your mark: donate to the Old Theater and get your name in the brick outside the stage door.

The Old Theater

How many times a year do you find yourself in Oriental’s Old Theater hearing music, seeing performances, watching a movie? Considering it started life as a movie theater, the place has incredible acoustics — musicians who come say they would like to return. It is a jewel in town. The Old Theater Corporation works to keep the venue going so that it’s always there at the ready for an audience. Memberships start at $30 — which is a deal, because it gets you a discount on many events at the theater. For a membership form, go to www.OldTheater.org. Send checks to the Old Theater Corporation, PO Box 521, Oriental, NC 28571. Also, the Old Theater is selling bricks; in exchange for your contribution to that campaign, a brick with your name or message engraved on it is added to the courtyard. For more details, email info@oldtheater.org on how to order.

Ambulance Fund
In 2011, a 40-hour a week ambulance started running out of the Straight Road fire station. That marked a milestone in the decade-long work of the Dottie Gray Ambulance Fund. It continues to raise funds. Jim Gray says that money would go to cover any additional ambulance expenses for at least the first three years, or someday, toward having a round-the-clock ambulance working out of the Oriental area. He also notes that the fire department could one day build a separate building for the ambulance crew, once it’s clear that the service is permanent. It’s all in keeping with the Ambulance Fund’s goal to improve emergency medical response in southeast Pamlico County. Checks can be made out to Dottie Gray Ambulance Fund/NCCF 772 Bent Tree Road, Oriental, NC 28571

Oriental’s First Responders
A handful of your neighbors and friends here in Oriental volunteer to be on call at all hours so that when you dial 911, they can be the first to respond before the Pamlico Rescue squad arrives. (This is still important even with the satellite ambulance now working for 40 hours a week out of the Straight Road firestation; outside of those hours, Oriental-area residents still would be served by a team coming more than 11 miles from Bayboro. This year, the squad is hoping to recruit some more volunteers to become First Responders. If you could do that, you will have many people thanking you. If not, your check would be appreciated, too. The better equipped the responders are, the better equipped you will be to make it through a medical emergency. Make that out to South East Pamlico First Responders and send it to PO Box 429, Oriental, 28571.

Neuse RiverKeeper Foundation

One pleasure of life in Oriental is how we can take a five minute walk from anywhere and be looking out on the Neuse River or one of its tributaries. That serenity is something we may take for granted. Not so the Neuse Riverkeepers. While we gaze on the water, the Riverkeepers survey and keep a watchdog eye out in order to make the river cleaner. To learn more, click here. where they have a PayPal option. Or send your checks to Lower Neuse Riverkeepers, 1307 Country Club Road, New Bern, NC 28562

The Domestic Violence Task Force of Pamlico County
One of our area’s newest charities, the task force works to help people who are threatened in their own homes. Contributions can help the volunteers help victims of domestic violence. Checks may be sent to Domestic Violence Task Force of Pamlico County, P.O. Box 352 Bayboro, NC 28515

PAWS – Pamlico Animal Welfare Society
PAWS looks out for the dogs and cats that need new homes. Those rescues take an effort and some money. You can help out PAWS by sending your tax-deductible check to PAWS at PO Box 888, Oriental, NC 28571.

Posted Friday December 30, 2011 by Melinda Penkava

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