Here's to us, we made it through the holidays! Although the holidays are my favorite time of year, I always feel like I need a vacation afterward. Unfortunately for me, there's rarely any vacation change to spare after buying gifts for all my loved ones. However, I'm so thankful that I could gift my loved ones with unique presents from some of my favorite local businesses and have the opportunity to gift one lucky winner with a prize pack from these great stores. 

Can you believe it's already Christmas Eve? I feel like there are still so many things left to do. Luckily, I was able to cross baking cookies for Santa off of my to-do list last night. Growing up, we'd make a big batch of Christmas cookies a day or two before Christmas to take to different Christmas gatherings, and we would always save a few to set out for Santa. Santa wasn't the only one who got a treat; we always made sure to leave carrots for the reindeer too! We may have even left carrots for Santa instead of cookies a few years because my mom insisted that Santa was dieting.

This year, I requested cookie recipes from Carolina Trust employees so that Santa could have a new variety. I'm not going to lie this close to Christmas, I may have snuck a few cookies, but they were specifically for taste testing purposing. I wouldn't want to give Santa a nasty cookie. He would put me on the naughty list for sure!

Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Roosevelt Scott, who passed away on Thursday, December 10th.

Mr. Scott was such a staple to the Hemingway community in the way that he brought people together through his famous BBQ. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have met Mr. Scott over the summer for WTBW News 13 Living Local Carolina. Although we were there to try out Mr. Scott's famous BBQ, it was his personality and love for his family that made him so captivating.

Last Year, I had the opportunity to interview Carolina Trust Executive Assistant Selma Reburn for a Community Focus piece, which we featured in our monthly member newsletter, The Caroliner. Selma has been employed by Carolina Trust for 33 years and is retiring on December 2nd. I wanted to reshare Selma's community focus, to give people outside of the credit union a small glimpse at how much Selma means to us and how influential her role is here. We will miss her greatly, but the legacy that she has left at the credit union will always remain.

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means it's time to start thinking about what to cook. My mom cooks the turkey in my family, and the rest of us all chip in with different sides and desserts. This year, I asked around the credit union for new recipes to try out. If you're like me, you're probably looking for something that is budget-friendly, easy to cook, and contains minimal ingredients, or at least uses ingredients that you already have. 

In honor of Veterans Day on November 11th, Carolina Trust is celebrating our veteran employees and Board volunteers all month long with Living Local Carolina Segments and billboard campaigns. If you're looking for ways to show appreciation to veterans in your life this Veterans Day, check out the list below.

Carolina Trust is raising awareness for important causes throughout the month of October. One cause that is important to us, is Down Syndrome Awareness. Employees have worn blue and yellow ribbons all week long to raise awareness for Down Syndrome and start the conversation about down syndrome with the people we come in contact with.

We are so fortunate to have a friendship with Lacey Thompson, whose two-year-old son Luke has down syndrome. Recently on a segment of Living Local Carolina, Lacey shared her story with Show Host/Producer Rainee Romero and I .

You can check out the segment below to learn about how Lacey and her husband found out that their son Luke would be born with down syndrome and how it has changed their lives. Lacey also gives some excellent advice on ways to raise awareness for down syndrome and promote inclusivity.

As the community credit union, Carolina Trust prides itself on living out the credit union philosophy, "people helping people." From the way we do business to our community involvement, we show our care for the community. We look for these same core values in the organizations we work with, which is why it is such an honor to work with The Ricky Sapp Foundation.

The Ricky Sapp Foundation was formed by NFL Veteran Linebacker Ricky Sapp to help kids become their very best and educate adults that their actions matter. Ricky saw the opportunity to take his platform and encourage youth to make positive changes within themselves, their schools, and communities. With his foundation, he's had the chance to speak to kids at school pep rallies, team sporting events, banquets, pre-games, college classes, etc. This past year, Ricky paired up with Carolina Trust for the I'm a Buddy Not a Bully project, where he attended school visits and spoke to kids about bullying and how it affected his life.

Along with motivational speaking, Ricky holds several events throughout the year with his foundation.

Since the NFL, Ricky has been very active in the football community. The Ricky Sapp Youth Football Camp is held in Bamberg, SC, annually. NFL pros, friends, and family assist Ricky with the camp.

The Ricky Sapp Foundation also holds an annual Back-to-School Drive, where they've provided hundreds of kids with support such as backpacks, school supplies, haircuts, new shoes, and more. Carolina Trust had the opportunity to help The Ricky Sapp Foundation with its Back-To-School Drive this year. It was heartwarming to see each child's excitement as they got to select a backpack full of supplies.

Click here for more information about The Ricky Sapp Foundation and how they're helping our community. Also, check out the Living Local Carolina Segment below, where show host Rainee Romero sits down with Ricky Sapp for an inside exclusive about his foundation.

For the second year in a row, Carolina Trust was named WMBF News' Best in Banking in their Best of the Grand Strand Contest. It is such an honor to be voted as "Best Bank" by members of the Grand Strand Community.

On August 26th, we celebrated National Dog Day; A day dedicated to appreciating man's best friend and the joys that they bring to our lives. If you are considering making the addition of a furry friend to your family, I encourage you to check out your local animal shelter. There are many shelters in our local community with wonderful animals looking for their forever home.