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Oct 24
โ๏ธ CELEBRATING LEADERSHIP, COMPASSION, AND ACCESS TO JUSTICE! โ๏ธ
We are incredibly proud to share that our Executive Director, Kieley Sutton, is the recipient of the inaugural Ellen Hines Smith Access to Justice Award, presented by the South Carolina Access to Justice Commission in recognition of her contributions to expanding access to justice for South Carolinians. ๐
The work we do at Rainy Day Fund is not easy. Every day, we see how financial barriers can stand between individuals and the opportunity to move forward with their lives. Whether itโs restoring a driverโs license, addressing barriers to employment or housing, or navigating the costs associated with the legal system, these challenges can have a lasting impact on individuals and families.
Kieley understands that access to justice means more than what happens in a courtroom. It means recognizing the barriers people face, meeting people with compassion, and working to create practical solutions that help them move forward.
Her leadership and vision have helped shape Rainy Day Fund into an organization committed to removing those barriers and helping people build a path forward.
Kieley, we are PROUD of you! ๐ Your dedication to justice, service, and compassion reminds us why this work matters and why we keep showing up, even when the work is hard.
This recognition celebrates not only an incredible accomplishment, but also the importance of the work that continues every day across our community.
Join us in congratulating Kieley on this well-deserved honor!
๐ Learn more about the award and Kieleyโs work, visit @scaccesstojustice and click on the Ellen Hines Smith Award to meet Kieley.
#RainyDayFund #AccessToJustice #SocialJustice #CommunityImpact #Leadership #BarrierRemoval
Oct 22
Yes, we are still accepting and gathering supplies for the two Hygiene Pantries we support at the Richland Library Social Work Department and the Richland County Public Defender`s Office.
Civic engagement at its finest as these supplies were collected by our Spring Valley High School Student Representative!
The weather is changing and support is needing warmer clothing items. Some of the items can include:
Long-sleeve cotton t-shirts.
Crew socks.
Jogging pants.
Sweatshirts.
Hats.
To learn more or discuss how you can help, reach out via email to cole@raindydayfund.us or shontae@rainydayfund.us
Hand warmers.
Oct 21
๐ $200 can be a lot more than $200.
Just ask Destinee Wilson.
Destinee, a former Rainy Day Fund Board member, recently donated **$200 to sponsor the Richland Library Social Work Department Hygiene Pantry for the month of August.**
That $200 became:
๐ 16 cotton T-shirts
๐งฆ 30 pairs of crew socks
๐งผ 365 body wipes
๐งด 200 deodorant wipes
And those numbers become something much more meaningful when you think about the people who will receive them.
For someone spending their days and nights outside, a body wipe can mean a chance to freshen up.
A clean T-shirt can mean feeling a little more comfortable.
A fresh pair of socks can mean relief for tired feet.
These aren`t just hygiene products.
They`re small reminders that someone cares.
Destinee, thank you for continuing to invest in the work of Rainy Day Fund and for helping us support the Richland Library Social Work Department Hygiene Pantry this August. ๐
Now we`d love to see what our community can do together.
Sponsor a month of the Hygiene Pantry for $200.
Your $200 can help us purchase the everyday essentials that make a real difference and you can help support both of our Hygiene Pantries.
Ready to sponsor a month or help with donations?
๐ง Contact Cole at cole@rainydayfund.us or Shontae at shontae@rainydayfund.us
Let`s turn $200 into comfort, dignity, and care.
Because sometimes the smallest things can mean the most. ๐
#RainyDayFund #HygienePantry #DignityMatters #CommunityCare #GiveLocal #NeighborsHelpingNeighbors
Sep 11
When we ask our community, you show up. ๐
A few weeks ago, we shared a simple ask: Rainy Day Fund needed a place where our small team could gather for a full day of administrative work while we continue our search for a permanent office space.
We were overwhelmed by the response. The suggestions, connections, encouragement, and offers of support reminded us once again that we are surrounded by a community that believes in the work we do.
And one of those offers came from South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center.
We are incredibly grateful to SC Appleseed for opening their conference room to our team and sharing their space with us. This gives us the opportunity to step away from the usual hustle, work together in one place, and spend some much-needed time strengthening the foundation behind Rainy Day Fund.
Because the work doesn`t happen only when we`re meeting with clients. There is a lot that happens behind the scenes such as planning, grant writing, organizing, building systems, and making sure Rainy Day Fund is positioned to continue serving our community well.
Thank you, South Carolina Appleseed for making room for us. And thank you to everyone who responded to our original request, shared our post, offered suggestions, or simply cheered us on. This is what community looks like. People making room for one another so the work can keep moving forward. ๐
We are grateful. @appleseedsc
Aug 28
**UPDATE*-Correction made to the flyer**
Social Work CEUs are pending.
Aug 18
๐ **A little local love can go a long way.**
We have some exciting news!
@smallsugarsc saw our Hygiene Pantry post and reached out to help. They are now hosting a donation box for our Hygiene Pantry! ๐
We dropped off the box this morning, and now we`re asking our community to help us fill it.
So, the next time you`re stopping by smallSUGAR:
๐๏ธ Shop local.
๐งด Bring a hygiene item.
๐ฆ Drop it in their donation box.
๐ Know that your purchase AND your donation are helping support our community.
We`re currently looking for items including cotton T-shirts, socks, body wipes, travel-size body wash, shampoo, deodorant, lotion, sunscreen and lip balm.
**Thank you, smallSUGAR, for opening your doors and your heart to this effort. We are so grateful for businesses that don`t just see a community need, they step up to help meet it.
Now, Columbia...let`s fill that box!** ๐
#RainyDayFund #smallSUGAR #ShopLocalGiveLocal #HygienePantry #CommunitySupport
Aug 17
๐งฐ WHATโS IN YOUR TRAUMA RESPONSE TOOLKIT?
Knowing what to say matters.
Knowing what not to say matters.
Knowing how to connect someone to safety and resources matters.
And sometimesโฆ the first contact can make all the difference.
Rainy Day Fund is bringing attorneys, social workers, advocates and helping professionals together for a FREE Trauma Response Toolkit training focused on:
๐ง Trauma-Informed Care
โ๏ธ Advocacy
๐ค Cross-system collaboration
๐ก๏ธ Safety
๐ Resources
๐
Friday, August 21, 2026
โฐ 9:30 AMโ3:00 PM
๐ Richland Library โ Main Branch
1431 Assembly Street, Columbia, SC
๐ 5 SW CEUs APPROVED
โ๏ธ CLEs pending
โ Breakfast snacks + lunch provided
๐ FREE to attend
Featured topics include stalking response, trauma-informed advocacy, and understanding how the systems we work in intersect with the experiences of the people we serve.
If you support people navigating trauma, crisis, violence, or complex systems โ this training belongs in your calendar.
๐ฒ Scan the QR code on the flyer and REGISTER TODAY!
Tag a colleague who needs to be in the room. ๐
#RainyDayFund #TraumaResponseToolkit #StalkingAwareness #CommunityResources #ColumbiaSC
Aug 16
โ๏ธ What if you couldn`t escape the heat?
Imagine spending 24 hours a day, 7 days a week outside in South Carolina`s heat, humidity, and sun.
No cool shower.
No air conditioning.
No fresh clothes waiting for you.
Now imagine what it might feel like to finally wash up, put on a clean T-shirt and fresh socks, apply some lotion or lip balm, and have a little relief from the elements.
Those things may seem small to us. They aren`t small to someone who has been without them.
We`ve received wonderful support in the past, but donations have slowed down. We`re hoping to get the shelves and the community moving again.
We need help with some specific items for the Hygiene Pantry:
๐ Cotton T-shirts, unisex if possible, colors other than white
๐งด Travel-size body wash
๐งด Travel-size shampoo
๐งด Travel-size lotion
โ๏ธ Travel-size sunscreen
๐ Lip balm
๐งฆ Socks
Want to help?
๐ง Contact Cole or Shontae: cole@rainydayfund.us, shontae@rainydayfund.us
Donate an item. Organize a collection. Share this post. Because dignity can look like something as simple as a clean shirt. ๐
#RainyDayFund #HygienePantry #DignityMatters #CommunityCare
Aug 11
A Simple Community Ask ๐
As many of you know, Rainy Day Fund is currently searching for a permanent office space. While that search continues, we`re looking for a temporary solution.
We`re wondering if anyone has access to a conference room or meeting space that our small team could use one day a week for 6โ8 hours over the next several weeks.
We won`t be meeting with clients as this would be strictly for administrative work, planning, grant writing, case management, and keeping our programs running smoothly behind the scenes.
We`ve been utilizing the public library (and we`re so grateful for that resource!), but meeting room reservations are limited to three hours, which just isn`t enough time to complete everything we need to do.
If you, your employer, your church, or your business might be able to share a conference room with us one day a week, we`d love to connect.
Please send us a direct message or email us at RDF@rainydayfund.us if you have a space or know someone who might.
Thank you for always showing up for our organization. Every act of kindness, big or small, helps us continue serving South Carolinians working toward stability. โค๏ธ
Can`t help with a space? We`d appreciate you sharing this post so it reaches someone who can.
Jul 29
Tiny team. Giant to-do list. Even bigger hearts. โค๏ธ
Three people.
Countless emails.
Hundreds of client conversations.
Thousands of miles traveled.
One mission.
This little crew keeps Rainy Day Fund moving every day, and we`re so thankful for partners like the South Carolina Bar Foundation on who believe in the work we`re doing.
Thanks for another incredible networking event and for selecting Rainy Day Fund as a FY27 grantee!
Jul 24
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