Kim Clifton, Executive Director Originally from Savannah, Ga., and a graduate of the College of Charleston, Kim brings a wealth of successful nonprofit experience to the HALOS team. She received a Master of Social Work degree from Boston University with a concentration in program planning and development, community organizing, and nonprofit administration. With 15 years of nonprofit experience, Kim has been a VISTA volunteer in Whidbey Island, Wash., the Director of Development for a community center in inner city Boston, and a fundraising specialist in Guatemala. “What excites me about HALOS is that it is such an effective community collaboration. This makes a stronger, more vibrant program.”
Elisa Mundis Strickler, Resource Development Coordinator Since her arrival in Charleston in 2002, Elisa has worked full-time, volunteered, and supported numerous local nonprofits with diverse missions. Her work has involved a variety of tasks; including event planning, grant writing and fundraising, and coordinating the formation of task forces and advisory boards to address community-wide issues. Much of this work has been focused on cancer prevention and outreach to underserved populations, and issues related to poverty and homelessness in the tri-county area. Elisa earned a Master of Public Administration degree, with a focus on nonprofit management, from the College of Charleston in 2009. “Archbishop Desmond Tutu said, ‘Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.' HALOS allows me to do my bit of good helping children and families become strong and empowered.
Lilian Alvarez, Kinship Care Program Director After earning her Associate’s degree at the College of Dupage in Glen Ellyn, IL, Lilian decided to continue her education and enrolled at Northern Illinois University to pursue her Bachelor’s degree in Family and Child Studies with an emphasis in Family Social Services. Originally from Guatemala, Lilian always knew that she wanted a career where she could pay it forward to all the people that helped her get to where she is today. After volunteering, completing an internship and working with various populations in the medical field and for non-profit agencies in the Chicago area, Lilian decided to move to South Carolina to explore other opportunities and she’s been here since January 2011. Lilian is a grounded, compassionate, energetic, flexible and competent person whose involvement with children and adults diagnosed with clinical, mood, personality, psychosocial, learning and/or behavioral disorders, young mothers and their children, and at risk youth, will be a benefit to HALOS. “We cannot hold a torch to light another's path without brightening our own.” –Ben Sweetland. Lilian believes that the addition of the home visitation component to the Kinship Care Program will give other people the opportunity to pay it forward themselves, and will help give caregivers receive the tools necessary to provide the best care possible.
Sandra Hoke, Americorps* VISTA Sandra Hoke, HALOS' new Americorps* VISTA volunteer, recently graduated from Northern Michigan University with a Baccalaureate Degree in Psychology and minor in International Studies. She joined AmeriCorps *VISTA and moved to North Charleston to work with HALOS. She will be working with youth in Kinship Care and with volunteers this year, and HALOS is excited to have her with us! "The Kinship Care program was what truly attracted me to HALOS. I was adopted and raised by my grandma along with my two sisters. She always taught us to give back and what better way to do that than with HALOS. I believe in everything that HALOS stands for and I am very excited to be a part of the HALOS team."
Mallory Kowalczyk, Community Relations and Development Intern Mallory is a very recent graduate of the College of Charleston and is spending her first semester as a college graduate interning at HALOS. She majored in Communication, but spent a large time in sociology classes learning about issues that pertain to children, child welfare, juvenile delinquency, and crime in general. She is originally from central New Jersey where she was adopted by loving, spectacular parents. She eventually wants to pursue a dual degree in law and a masters in social work, but for now she is ecstatic to be a part of the HALOS team. “It is my goal in life to alleviate as much hurt and struggle as possible from the lives of children. Childhood is the time for kids to imagine, play, laugh, and enjoy; not worry or suffer. That’s why I love HALOS and their mission; they provide more room for kids to be kids.”