Columbia Green and the City of Columbia are excited to offer our next free educational event for Beat the Heat—Plant a Tree on September 12, 2026 at the Busby Community Center at 135 Busby Street, Columbia, SC.

Sign up to attend at https://columbiagreen.org/beattheheat. Share with a friend…or your whole neighborhood! If you rent your home or offi ce, please share with your property owner.

The City of Columbia invites the community to join us for SisterCare Saturday, a part of the 2026 Mayor’s Campaign Against Domestic Violence at Gather COLA. Attendees can support survivors of domestic violence by making a donation to dunk local elected officials and community leaders, learn more about SisterCare’s mission, and help raise awareness for those impacted by domestic violence.

Bring donation items to help fill a van that will provide much needed items for Sistercare. Needed donation items include:

Clothing Needs:

• Rain ponchos & umbrellas
• Socks
• Women’s boxer briefs

Hygiene Needs:

• Body wash
• Lotion
• Shampoo & conditioner
• Toilet paper
• Laundry pods

Kitchen Needs:

• Paper towels
• Cutlery
• Paper plates & cups
• Trash bags (13 & 39 gallon)

Other Needs:

• New twin & full comforters
• Gas card ($10-$35)
• Grocery store gift cards (any amount)

Visitors will also have the opportunity to enter raffles for prizes.

Regularly scheduled Design Review Commission Meetings. Application deadline for this meeting can be found at the link here: <https://planninganddevelopment.columbiasc.gov/design-development-review-commission/ddrc-calendar/>. For more information, call 803-545-3333 or visit the website for agendas, approved minutes, a printable calendar, and more.

The City of Columbia is calling on communities across South Carolina to come together for a powerful conversation about homelessness, solutions, and the shared responsibility to ensure every person has a pathway to stability.

The City of Columbia will host a community viewing of the documentary Beyond the Bridge: A Solution to Homelessness, an opportunity to explore homelessness beyond the statistics and headlines and examine what is possible when communities move from awareness to action.

Date: Thursday, September 17, 2026

Time: 5:30 p.m.

Location: Spotlight Cinemas Capital 8, 201 Columbia Mall Boulevard, Columbia, SC, 29223

Homelessness is not isolated to one city, county, or region. It is a statewide issue that requires collaboration among government, nonprofit organizations, businesses, faith communities, service providers, housing partners, advocates, residents and our unsheltered population.

This viewing is more than a movie —- it is a call to action.

The City of Columbia is inviting people from across South Carolina to watch, listen, learn, and consider what role they can play in creating meaningful solutions. The documentary provides an opportunity to challenge assumptions, elevate the voices and experiences of people impacted by homelessness, and spark conversations about housing, services, prevention, opportunity, and community investment.

We cannot solve homelessness by working in silos. We solve it by working together.

The City of Columbia encourages mayors, elected officials, community leaders, service providers, housing professionals, business owners, faith leaders, educators, advocates, residents and unsheltered individuals from throughout South Carolina to participate and bring the conversation back to their own communities.

From Awareness to Action

The City of Columbia believes that addressing homelessness requires more than temporary responses. It requires a coordinated approach that identifies gaps, strengthens partnerships, expands resources, and creates sustainable pathways to housing and stability.

The viewing will serve as a starting point for meaningful dialogue and collaboration. After the film screening, the City of Columbia has invited local leaders, community organizations, service providers and other attendees to participate in an impactful forum and panel discussion. Participants will be encouraged to ask:

• What can we do differently?
• What resources already exist in our communities?
• Where are the gaps?
• How can we better coordinate our efforts?
• What role can each of us play in creating solutions?

This is our collective opportunity to move beyond the bridge —- to move beyond simply seeing homelessness as a problem and begin building solutions together.

If you would like to attend the viewing, please visit this link to reserve your tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/beyond-the-bridge-a-solution-to-homelessness-tickets-1996497235977?aff=oddtdtcreator

Tickets are limited and attendees are encouraged to stay for the forum and panel discussions.

Together, we can turn awareness into action, partnerships into progress, and solutions into lasting change.