Today we’d like to introduce you to Richard Reams
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been at Palmetto Community Care for almost 4 years. I came here from working in the faith community as an ordained pastor. For various reasons, especially coming out of COVID, I was looking for a place to work focused solely on the community. I came with good experience in fundraising and capital campaigns, so non-profit development seemed like a great avenue to explore. Before coming to PCC, I was not that aware of who they were or what they did. My partner, on the other hand who has worked in the local non-profit space for years, knew everything about them and spoke very highly of the organization. So, I applied to become their Director of Development and Marketing. It has been an exceptional fit. I love where I work, who I work with, and most of all the overall mission of our organization. For instance, last year we spent over $3.5 million on medical care, medications, and insurance for our clients and over $750k in housing. It is an honor to play a role in informing the public about who we are, what we do, and how we can partner to make a difference in the world around us.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Anytime someone makes a career change, there will be bumps along the way. Quite honestly, it was the bumps in my previous job that led me to make the change! Sometimes faith communities can get so bogged down in internal conflict about things that only affect what happens in the 4 walls of their building, they forget about purpose in existing at all. I was fortunate to be part of a story in the Post and Courier about clergy leaving the church after COVID. In the article I said that I had grown tired of spending 95% of my time fighting about things that have no affects outside the 4 walls fo the church. I wanted to dedicate my time where 100% of what I was doing went to change the community around me. That still stands true today and is why I continue doing what I do.
For example, we are running large marketing campaigns right now focused on reaching people living with HIV that are not in care. Perhaps its the stigma associated with the diagnosis or not being aware that support exists, but my role is to building campaigns that destigmatize HIV and tell people they are not alone, that we can support them on their journey. We believe that no person living with HIV should go without medical care, everyday resources, and support. My job is to raise money so we can meet our mission, then communicate that mission to the people that need to hear it the most.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Palmetto Community Care (PCC) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 community-based organization funded entirely by donations, foundations, federal and state grants, and our 340B program. PCC supports men, women, and children with HIV in the Tri-County region (Berkeley, Dorchester, and Charleston counties). PCC has been providing strengths-based medical case management, Housing Opportunities for People with AIDS (HOPWA) housing assistance, emergency financial assistance, food bank home-delivered meals, legal services, mental health services, oral health care, Outpatient Ambulatory Health Services (OAHS), psychosocial support, medical and medication adherence counseling, ADAP Insurance Premium and Co-payment assistance, support groups, transportation assistance, volunteer services, nutritional support, and education, as well as referrals to various community-based service providers for PLWHA for over 33 years.
PCC is committed to addressing HIV-related health disparities and increasing the numbers of HIV-positive individuals linked to and remaining in medical care. This is accomplished by offering the full range of core and supportive services, education, and referrals to healthcare that clients need to maintain a life of health and dignity and achieve self-sufficiency.
I am the Director of Development and Marketing at PCC. That means I manage everything from first-time donors to federal grants, website maintenance to social media accounts, all marketing efforts and our fundraising events. And it’s not just PCC. PCC owns and operates a medical center (Truesdale Medical Center) that serves our clients and the community. We also have a pharmacy on-site.
Furthermore, our primary fundraiser is Charleston Beerfest, the largest beer festival in South Carolina. We recently rebranded the festival with new logos, colors and messaging – Drink Beer. Do Good.
Drink Beer. Do Good. is more than just a catchphrase to us . Last year our case managers had over 10,000 contacts with clients. They assisted 496 people in finding stable housing, 519 in finding oral or primary health care, and 441 with emergency financial assistance and food bank-delivered meals. We also paid more than $3.5 million for life-saving medications and $1 million to provide health insurance for our clients. Those are just a few examples of what it means when we say, “Drink Beer. Do Good.” Charleston Beerfest is our primary fundraiser in helping us ensure that no one living with HIV or AIDS should go without medical care, everyday resources, and emotional support.
The festival brings in over 5,000 attendees and 70+ breweries. And unlike many festivals, Beerfest is truly a fundraiser, which many people didn’t realize. They thought it was festival that simply made a donation to PCC. So, a large part of my role has been bringing PCC to the forefront of Beerfest so everyone knows why we are raising money. Thus, many people have come to know me as the guy behind all the beerfest emails!
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Realizing the importance of community and support no matter where you are in life.
Despite being in the public eye and knowing everyone, being a pastor can be a very lonely job where you are friendly with everyone but friends with very few because everyone sees you as the pastor first.
So, finding and creating healthy community and relationships are the support systems that help you get through the difficult moments in life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://palmettocare.org/ ; https://www.chsbeerfest.org/
- Instagram: @palmettocare ; @chsbeerfest
- Facebook: @palmettocare ; @chsbeerfest
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@PalmettoCommunityCare
