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.
We want to extend our thanks and appreciation to everyone who contributed to the success of our fish fry fundraiser on April 17, 2026.
Everyone enjoyed the event so much that we're planning to have another fish fry on Friday, June 5. We hope to see you there!
OUR RECENT ACTIVITIES
The CORE Executive Board met on Thursday, May 21, 2026.
The board further refined plans for a fish fry fundraiser to be held on Friday, June 5, 2026, between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the CORE Farm Center at 1250 Unity Road, Holly Hill. The necessity of providing ample servings of high-quality food was emphasized. Take-out dinners will be $15. Sandwiches will be $10. Tickets can be purchased at Kenny’s Florist.
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.
The CORE Executive Board 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.
The CORE Executive Board 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.
The CORE Executive Board 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 well, and a fence at the property and discussed how to proceed.
To raise funds, 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, Secretary
Diana Jenkins, Treasurer
Louie Johnson, Chaplain
Vanessa Castillo, Catherine Haynes, Sheldon Jenkins, Anthony Myers, James Washington, and Willard Wearing