We are thrilled to announce the winners of our Clear The List 2024 drawing! At Ravenel Associates, we are deeply committed to supporting our local educators, and we recognize the significant impact they have on the future of our communities. This year, through the Clear The List initiative, we had the honor of helping six incredible teachers by fulfilling their Amazon Wish Lists.

After carefully reviewing all the submissions from our professionally managed communities, we conducted a random drawing on July 31st, 2024, to select our six winners. Without further ado, please join us in congratulating the following educators:

1. Kelley Hair from Charleston Charter School for Math and Science, residing in Twelve Oaks at Fenwick Hall
2. Allyson Brown from Lain Middle School of Science and Technology residing in Planters Pointe
3. Rachel Conroy from Jennie Moore Elementary, residing in Pointe at Rivertowne
4. Angel Kochera from Drayton Hall Elementary, residing in Common at Grand Oaks
5. Julie Anderson from Angel Oak Elementary residing in Summertrees
6. Sarah Hurst from Stiles Point Elementary residing in Summertrees

Each of these outstanding teachers will receive up to $500 to fulfill their classroom needs through Amazon, directly helping to enhance the learning environment for their students.

We want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the educators who participated in this initiative. Your dedication to your students and passion for education inspire us all. While we could only select five winners, please know that your efforts do not go unnoticed, and we are honored to have you as part of our community.

Visit http://caionline.org/CTA to learn more!

We're excited to announce Ravenel Associates' participation in Clear the List 2024, a nationwide initiative dedicated to supporting local educators by fulfilling classroom needs. We recognize the dedication of our local teachers and the invaluable role they play in shaping young minds. Through Clear the List 2024, we aim to alleviate some of the financial burden on teachers and provide them with essential resources for their classrooms.

We're sponsoring five teachers living in our professionally managed communities with up to $500 each towards their Amazon Wish Lists. If you're a teacher and would like to participate, please submit your Amazon Wish List link by July 30th, including your name, school, and community name to ClearTheList@ravenelassociates.com.

On July 31st, we'll randomly select five teachers and fulfill their Wish Lists directly through Amazon! Those selected will be notified and announced on our website.

In addition to Clear the List, we're hosting a school supply drive at both Ravenel offices to benefit Sanders Clyde Elementary and Angel Oak Elementary. We invite all employees and owners to contribute and make a difference in our local schools.

School Supply Drive Suggestions:

• Backpacks
• Notebooks
• Pencils, markers
• Glue sticks
• Crayons, colored pencils
• Tissues, hand sanitizer
• Scissors (blunt)

Drop off your donations:

Charleston office

960 Morrison Drive, Suite 100

Charleston 29403

Johns Island office

3730 Betsy Kerrison Parkway, Suite 2

Johns Island, SC 29455

Thank you for joining us in supporting our teachers and students. Together, we can make a positive impact in our community!

Lowcountry Food Bank

We are proud to announce that again this year, we will be collecting non-perishable food for the Lowcountry Food Bank . The most needed items are canned tuna and meats, low-sugar cereals, peanut butter, whole grain rice, pasta and oats, 100% fruit juice, low-sodium soups and stews, canned fruits and vegetables. Collection boxes will be in place this week in the lobby of both offices. If you are able to donate, we ask that you have everything in by November 21^st. Thank you for helping us give back to our community.

We wanted to take a moment to introduce you to our wonderful team of professionals here at Ravenel Associates. Our group of Leaders, Managers, Accountants, Administrators and Building Services make it possible to keep everything running seamlessly. A huge thanks to our current (and still growing) family here at Ravenel.

We would like to thank everyone for all the donations and gifts provided for the Lowcountry Orphan Relief. Also, a special thank you goes to Vickie for incorporating this charity as part of our 30 Days of Giving this year. As a company we pulled together all fifty stockings we were given which will be a wonderful Christmas surprise to the children in need.

This year we are sponsoring a new charity for Christmas, Lowcountry Orphan Relief. Lowcountry Orphan Relief, Inc. (LOR) is a non-profit organization that provides goods and services to children who have been abused or neglected. To learn more about this organization, please visit Lowcountry Orphan Relief.

In the lobby of the 960 Morrison office, we will be posting the “stockings” for 50 boys and girls ranging from 3 to 9 years old. The stocking states what size clothes and shoes they need. All donations are due in the downtown office by December 9^th.

For every stocking sponsored, Ravenel Associates will donate $50 to One80 Place, another wonderful local organization, working to end homelessness in our community.

Again this year, we will be collecting non-perishable food for the Lowcountry Food Bank . The most needed items are canned tuna and meats, low-sugar cereals, baby food, peanut butter, whole grain rice, pasta and oats, 100% fruit juice, low-sodium soups and stews, canned fruits and vegetables. Collection boxes will be in place this week in the lobby of both offices.

To learn more about the programs we’ve chosen, please click on their link. Please visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ravenel-associates-... to make a donation to the Lowcountry Orphan Relief.

HomeWiseDocs

Covid-19: Delta Variant

Dear valued clients and friends of Ravenel Associates,

As we continue to monitor Coronavirus (COVID-19) developments closely, the health and well-being of our clients and employees is of utmost importance to us. We would like to share an update on how Ravenel is responding to the rapidly changing environment caused by the continued spreading of coronavirus (COVID-19) - Delta Variant.

Our firm is devoted to the health and safety of our people, clients, and communities we serve. With safety as our primary concern, Ravenel is taking all necessary precautions with each decision oriented around our people and our clients..

As a precautionary measure, Ravenel Associates has implemented the following control measures designed to minimize the risk of impact to our services:

• Enabling work from home capabilities for essential employees
• Requesting heightened levels of hygiene. To facilitate, we offer hand sanitizer and liquid soap for handwashing.
• Restricting office entrance to individuals who have a fever or other flu symptoms or have visited a Coronavirus hotspot in the last 14 days.
• Mask required to be worn by employees and visitors, vaccinated and non-vaccinated, while in common areas.
• Limiting all non-essential business travel
• Implementing additional control measures as events unfold.

We will continue to monitor this fluid situation and will work to ensure essential services remain operable. For decades, Ravenel Associates has demonstrated unwavering support to our clients in past emergency situations, and in dealing with the present circumstances, we will continue to use every effort to deliver uninterrupted essential services to all our clients.

Thank you,

Jules Deas
President

Ravenel Associates will be hosting a community blood drive at our downtown location on Thursday, March 5th from 10AM - 3PM. All donors will receive light refreshments and $20 Visa gift cards provided by The Blood Connection.

Please consider donating blood. Your donation could save three lives.
Click here to schedule your appointment today!


Should anyone choose to donate their gift card to The Lowcountry Food Bank, Ravenel Associates will match your donation dollar for dollar. Since every dollar donated helps provide 6 meals, the difference we can make together is exponential.

Additional Blood Drive Info.pdf

RARE Charleston Blog Home

You’ve probably heard that spring and summer are the best times to sell your home, and we’ll be honest: they do have their perks. But with mortgage rates remaining low and motivated buyers steadily flowing into the market, this fall is shaping up to be a pretty profitable selling season.

If you’re gearing up to list your home soon, then you’ll need to pay extra attention to your outdoor areas. Here are the top five spaces to give a little TLC to before you sell!

The Lawn

Once you’ve raked up the leaves, you might think your lawn is all taken care of. But there’s much more to fall lawn care than bagging up leaves! If temperatures haven’t majorly dropped by the time you list, you’ll need to keep mowing your lawn—it’ll continue growing until the first hard frost.

If you’ve got a few bare spots in your yard, fall is also the perfect time for overseeding! Since the ground is relatively warm but the sun isn’t quite as powerful as in the summer, growing conditions are better than ever. Just be sure you’re providing your lawn with plenty of water, and those sparse spots should start to fill in.

The Garden

Since you’re planning a move, you probably don’t want to start planting new veggies, but there are other ways to give your garden a fresh look. First, you’ll want to make sure all of your leftover plants from spring and summer are cleared out, and your plot is weed-free. Once that’s taken care of, it’s time for the fun part!

Picked up a few pumpkins or gourds from the farmers’ market? Set them out near your doorstep. Need a home for a scarecrow or two? Give them a perch on either side of the garden. You can fill in any blank space with potted plants like mums or sunflowers or a decorative holiday banner!

The Roof

With trees shedding leaves and dead branches, you’ve probably got a decent amount of brush and foliage dotting your roof. Now’s the time to pull out the ladder and do a clean sweep. Plus, it’s the perfect chance to get a look at the condition of your shingles and see if any need replacing!

While you’re up there, be sure to sweep out your gutters, as well. There’s a good chance the extra debris has them more clogged up than usual, which could lead to flooding or exterior damage. Clearing them out will prevent any issues, and show buyers that you go the extra mile in maintaining your home.

The Porch

The crowning glory of your home’s exterior, the porch should act as the first taste of what the inside of the home has to offer. You want to strike the perfect balance between warm and welcoming and clean and clutter-free!

First, take care of spiffing the space up by sweeping the floors, ringing out the welcome mat, and dusting off any outdoor furniture. If you have one too many chairs or a crowded collection of potted plants, you should remove some of the clutter.

Then, add a little character! Put a few pumpkins by door, set out a scented candle or two, swap out your porch light for a warmer wattage, and update your throw pillows—just be careful not to overdo it. Since your porch space is likely relatively small, a little goes a long way.

The Front Door

It’s only a small portion of your exterior, but if you play your cards right, your front door can be one of the most eye-catching parts of your home. Nothing draws attention like a fresh coat of paint, so you should consider picking a shade that pops and matches your siding—like a warm red or a bold blue. At the very least, you should use furniture wax or dish soap to scrub out the dinginess.

Once you’ve revamped your door, it’s time to accessorize! Since it’s fall, you should be able to easily find a seasonal wreath to hang. If you really want to go the extra mile, think about replacing your house number or knocker with some shiny new hardware.

For more useful tips CLICK HERE to visit RARECharleston.com.

RARE Charleston Blog Home

We’ve all been there. One day, you look around your house, and there’s just So. Much. Stuff. Stuff in boxes, stuff on the walls, stuff in the corners—just…stuff. If you’re gearing up to sell your home, you’re going to have to deal with all that accumulated clutter eventually. Luckily, there are plenty of simple strategies for getting the job done!

Arm yourself for the Crusade Against the Clutter, and use these top tips to transform your home before selling.

Start Early

If you aren’t prepared, things can quickly get overwhelming. After all, you’re not only getting your home ready to sell, but you’re also packing things up, finding a new home, and dealing with your finances. It makes sense that decluttering your home isn’t first on your list, but it’s one of the most important steps!

Before you list your home, you want the space to be ready to wow buyers from the second they walk through the door. If you kick off your decluttering months in advance, you’ll be in much better shape come listing time.

Expand Your Storage

For many people, clutter accumulates simply because they don’t know what they actually have. An easy way to fix this issue and make your home more organized is by coming up with an intentional storage solution.

Hit the store and pick up some sliding storage and plastic tubs, then label each unit and keep it stored anyway until needed. That way, you’ll know exactly what you have and where it is. Never worry about misplaced holiday decorations or a surplus of school supplies ever again! Plus, a lot of your stuff will already be neatly packed away come moving time.

Take It Little by Little

Decluttering can be a long process, filling up nights and weekends and free time—especially if you put it off until the last minute. Luckily, if you start ahead of time, you’ll have the luxury of taking it little by little. And not just one room at a time—we mean really little, like an hour or two hours spent on just the kitchen cabinets or bedroom closets.

You can even make it fun! Get everybody in the house together and play a game of 12-12-12. The rules are simple: walk through the house and find 12 items you want to keep, 12 items you want to get rid of, and 12 items you want to sell/donate. You’d be surprised how quickly you can reduce your clutter after a few rounds, and it only takes a couple of minutes!

Make it FAST

For the last tip, we’ve gotten the inside scoop from professional organizer, Peter Walsh. Walsh says that decluttering is as simple as remembering this short acronym:

Fix a time. Plan ahead, and find a time that works for everyone in the house—and make attendance mandatory!

Anything not used in twelve months. If you haven’t used it in a year, then you probably don’t need it. Ask yourself a few questions: Do I need it? Is it valuable to me? Is it worth the space it’s taking up? If no, then kick it to the curb.

Someone else’s stuff. Still have that borrowed tupperware? Give it back. Holding onto things that family members have left behind? Send it their way. If it’s not yours, find a new home for it!

Trash. It’s easy to get sentimental and hold onto things that are well past their expiration date (metaphorically speaking). Don’t be afraid to take the plunge—and maybe even go overboard—and trash some of your older belongings. If you don’t want to go full in and trash it, then you can always donate it to a good cause.

CLICK HERE to read more or View all posts by RARE Charleston ?

Autumn is officially here!