Our hearts are with our neighbors in Appalachia and the southeastern US who have been affected by Hurricane Helene. We encourage you to support disaster relief efforts and buy from local business’ online stores in the region if you are able. Gift cards are always a good idea! Explore more ways to support and check back often as we continue to update the list.

Actions to Take: 

• SC Voter Registration deadlines are fast approaching: ** Deadline extended to Oct 14

• • 10/4 -  Deadline to register in person  

  • 10/6 - Deadline to register online, by email or fax (by 11:59pm)  

  • 10/7 - Deadline to register by mail (must be postmarked by this date)

  • Even if you think you're registered and ready to vote in November, it's a good idea to double check your registration before the deadlines pass. Click here to check your voter registration. 

• Make a reminder now to compost your pumpkins at one of these pumpkin composting/smashing events.

Wins for Locals: 

• Anchor institutions who procure from local businesses. Let’s give it up for:  

• • MUSC for continuing to grow it’s contract with Verde to go beyond the made-to-order food station downtown to now being the sole provider of their packaged grab-and-go food. 

• IAAM for their recent showcase of local vendors, including two Community Business Academy graduates - Gola Sweetgrass and Naturally Geechee. Their preferred vendor list also promotes these stellar members and Community Business Academy grads: Carolima’s Lowcountry Cuisine, Farrah’s Backyard Catering, The Drizzled Pear, IBA Rentals, Your World on Film, The Aneris Collective  

• Lowcountry Rapid Transit recently announced it has reached 60% design completion, a significant milestone in bringing high quality, affordable, and accessible bus rapid transit to our region. They plan to engage with surrounding neighborhoods and communities this fall and to host a public meeting in December. More to come. 

• In September, the Department of Justice's Antitrust Division filed a lawsuit against Visa for illegally punishing or threatening to punish merchants with higher fees if they try to use competing services to process debit card payments. See Institute for Local Self Reliance’s response.  

Pain Points: 

• Local food/bev businesses continue to struggle due to the rising costs of products, people, rent, and liability insurance. The Post and Courier recently dug into the issues here and here. We're following this issue closely, listening to our members' perspectives and staying in touch with state-level decision makers as we enter the 2025 legislative cycles.

• Charleston County residents and businesses affected by Tropical Storm Debby during the incident period of August 4-August 22, 2024, are eligible to apply for low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration (SBA). Applications and additional disaster assistance information can be found at sba.gov/disaster. The deadline to submit applications related to physical property damage is November 18, 2024. The deadline for applications regarding economic injury is June 18, 2025.