Effort for the needy

The United Methodist Relief Center and Burger King have forged a partnership to raise awareness of South Carolina's substandard housing issues.

The center will collaborate with 35 Burger King locations throughout the Lowcountry, from Johns Island to North Myrtle Beach and as far west as Barnwell. Participating Burger King stores have installed donation boxes to collect contributions and inform patrons about those in need of support, according to the center.

The 35 Burger King stores are in Charleston, North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, Goose Creek, Johns Island, James Island, Ladson, Summerville, Orangeburg, Santee, Manning, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Conway, Georgetown, Aynor, Lake City, Little River and Barnwell.

The partnership enables the center to communicate its message, "Our Homes, Our Hope," to a wider audience, inspiring people to take action by either making donations or volunteering, the group wrote in a statement.

The center is a Mount Pleasant-based nonprofit that works to repair, replace and rebuild homes for low-income home- owners. It works primarily in the rural areas of Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester and Georgetown counties. For information, call 884-4860 or visit www.umrc.org.