The Community Organization for Rights and Empowerment is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit community-based organization in Holly Hill, South Carolina. CORE serves the residents of eastern Orangeburg County, South Carolina, and surrounding areas. In keeping with community improvement, we advocate for children, families, and community minded people.
OUR MISSION
To provide a place with a nurturing environment for children and adults to participate in improving their lives and making our community a better place to live, as CORE continuously advocates and serves in the areas of Education, Economics, and Social Development.
OUR RECENT ACTIVITIES
CORE Executive Board members met with Orangeburg County Administrator Harold Young on Thursday, July 16, 2026.
They discussed potential collaborations with several county departments and other agencies and the anticipated timetable for finalizing the lease between CORE and the county.
It was reported that dozens of area residents picked up freshly harvested produce, including corn, okra, and squash, over the Independence Day weekend.
A CORE representative attended the ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the Norway Community Center's raised bed garden on Thursday, July 16, 2026.
The garden is designed especially for senior citizens and individuals with disabilities. It is wheelchair-accessible and will provide local residents with freshly harvested food.
Four CORE representatives attended the ribbon-cutting ceremonies for the Springfield Goodland Community Center on Friday, July 10, 2026.
The center stands on the site of a former elementary school just outside the Town of Springfield. It features a spacious meeting room and an adjacent kitchen. The facility will be available for a wide variety of community activities.
CORE Executive Board members met on Thursday, June 25, 2026.
They welcomed one new member and four prospective members.
It was reported that squash, corn, potatoes, string beans, speckled butter beans, sweet potatoes, and peanuts were planted in the CORE farm.
Orangeburg County Administrator Harold Young led a tour of the community center under construction at 1250 Unity Road on Friday, June 5, 2026.
Attendees included CORE board members, County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright, Holly Hill Mayor Michael Dennis, and a host of prominent community members. Mr. Young explained the purpose of the building and his expectations of CORE as we function as tenants in the building.
CORE held its second fish fry on Friday, June 5, 2026.
Once again, we want to extend our thanks and appreciation to the community and to our volunteers for contributing to the success of this event as well as the initial fish fry on April 17. We look forward to investing the proceeds in ways that will improve and uplift the community that we proudly continue to serve.
Three employees of the South Carolina Office of Resilience gave an informative presentation at the CORE Farm Center on Monday, June 1, 2026.
The office defines “resilience” as “the ability of communities, economies, and ecosystems to anticipate, absorb, recover, and thrive when presented with environmental change and natural hazards.”
SCOR encourages nonprofit organizations across the state to become Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters, or VOADs.
The CORE board will have to decide, first, whether or not to join the program; and if so, the type and amount of assistance that the organization can pledge to provide.
Each VOAD considers its abilities in deciding what roles it can pledge to perform.
Some groups rush to provide aid, such as food, clothing, and temporary shelter, to victims immediately after a disaster.
Others assist victims who are left with long-term needs, such as repairing or replacing their house.
Still others focus on what steps they can take now that will reduce damage caused by future storms and floods.
All types of assistance are beneficial and fit within CORE’s general mission of service to the community.
CORE Executive Board members met on Thursday, May 21, 2026.
The board further refined plans for a fish fry to be held on Friday, June 5, 2026, at the CORE Farm Center at 1250 Unity Road, Holly Hill. The necessity of providing ample servings of high-quality food was emphasized.
The Farm Committee chairman reported that the well was drilled and preparations were being made to put it into use to grow row crops such as corn, okra, peanuts, peas, speckled beans, squash, turnips, and watermelons.
CORE Executive Board members held a special called meeting on Thursday, April 30, 2026.
They authorized the hiring of an individual to drill an irrigation well near the middle of the farm property.
Several CORE board members attended a community conversation about policing on April 25, 2026.
They were among more than 60 people who met with Holly Hill Mayor Michael Dennis and Holly Hill Police Chief Joshua Detter in an effort to improve communications and understanding among area residents and law enforcement officers. The Rev. Randolph Miller hosted the two-hour gathering at the Greater Unity AME Church.
CORE Executive Board members met on April 16, 2026.
Mr. Wilfred L. Pace, a representative of The KKA Organization in partnership with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), held a South Carolina Resource Workshop at the CORE Community Farm & Garden. The target audience was landowners. Five large community landowners and several small property owners were present.
Topics of discussion included USDA Conservation Programs: Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP); Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP); and Agriculture Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) with a focus on Wetland Reserve Easement (WRE) and Agriculture Land Easement (ALE).
Mr. Pace also addressed Heirs’ Property and Estate Planning: Estate planning essentials, information on free consultations, and legal assistance, including free help in drafting wills, trusts, and quiet titles.
He listed five steps to get assistance when applying for USDA programs and offered to come to their property and give them personal information on how to get the process started.
Mrs. Virginia Townsend, the executive director of CORE, thanked Mr. Pace and his team for coming to use the CORE Community Hub Platform to inform residents about opportunities available to them.
Mrs. Townsend announced that Mrs. Devonte Childs agreed to serve as a school ambassador, which would form a reliable connection between CORE and the schools. Mrs. Childs serves as a counselor in the Orangeburg County School District. Mrs. Sarah Anderson, a retired school paraprofessional, will work with Mrs. Childs.
Prospective members of the Governance Board and Advisory Board were discussed.
The next meeting is scheduled for May 21. For details, please call 803-496-3287 or contact CORE through this website.
CORE Executive Board members met on Thursday, March 26, 2026.
They agreed to plant okra on approximately one-half acre of the organization’s garden/farm property.
They agreed on the need for electricity, an agricultural irrigation well, and a fence at the property and discussed how to proceed.
They decided to hold a fish fry or a barbecue dinner, or both, in the near future.
A celebration and investiture of board members will be held upon the grand opening of the Community Center.
The CORE Executive Board met on Thursday, March 19, 2026.
Mrs. Virginia Townsend, executive director, highlighted the word “nurture” in CORE’s Mission Statement: “Nurture means to care for, feed, protect, and train someone or something – like a child, a plant, or an idea – to help it grow, develop, or succeed. CORE’s purpose is to provide a nurturing environment for our community.”
Two CORE representatives attended the Concerned Citizens meeting on March 1, 2026.
Mrs. Townsend reminded all volunteers to keep track of their hours and in-kind donations. These numbers can be shared with potential benefactors as evidence of the volunteers’ commitment to CORE.
The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade through Holly Hill was a big success with approximately 50 entries. (Photos are posted on another tab of this website.)
Lee Hendren visited the Cordova Senior Community Center to learn more about best practices and programming ideas for community centers. He also said that CORE’s website has been restored with a new domain name: www.CORESC.org
Mrs. Virginia Townsend, executive director, attended Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) training in February 2026.
This training helps small, new, and beginning South Carolina growers implement food safety programs and achieve certification. The training was sponsored by the Center for Food Safety and Health at the South Carolina State University Public Service and Agriculture Program.
CORE representatives attended a Diabetes Wellness Expo on Feb. 26, 2026.
The expo was designed to promote healthy lifestyles and increase community awareness surrounding diabetes prevention and management. Highlights included food demonstrations and aerobic exercises.
It was sponsored by Family Health Centers Inc. in Orangeburg, in partnership with the Orangeburg County YMCA and the South Carolina State University 1890 Research and Extension Program.
Mrs. Virginia Townsend, executive director, and Lee Hendren attended a South Carolina Resource Workshop at the St. George Rosenwald School on Feb. 24, 2026.
The event was sponsored by The KKAC Organization, with assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Topics included USDA conservation programs and heirs' property and estate planning.
CORE began its community garden with raised beds in the first year, but has since focused more on row crops.
OUR BOARD
Leroy White Jr., President
Kenneth High, Vice President
Roosevelt Hezekiah, Financial Literacy
Diana Jenkins, Condolences
Louie Johnson, Chaplain
James Washington, Farm/Garden President
Vanessa Castillo, Farm/Garden Secretary
Anthony Myers, Treasurer
Catherine Haynes, Finance Director
Sheldon Jenkins, Delores Smith, and Willard Wearing