Investing in your Community

(WOLO) COLUMBIA, SC. Women in Philanthrophy board member, Joan Hoffman tells ABC Columbia the community needs to do a better job of taking care of eachother. Tuesday night some of the 4 hundred members of the Women in Philanthrophy met to discuss the importance of making an investment in the people in need living in the Midlands. They also discussed where that money is going when donations are made. Hoffman says the average family here in Columbia makes 36 thousand dollars a year, but needs more than 37 thousand dollars in order to make ends meet. Which means many of them are living one paycheck away from poverty. Hoffman and many in the group who met this evening say those who have a little extra to give to charitable donations say you can make an impact by donating money they put back into the community. In 2011, the organization says they donated more than 100 thousand dollars that went to help free medical clinics, and mentor and educate homeless teens.