What We Do
Health & Hunger
Mobile Nutrition:
Mobile Nutrition Center (MNC), created in 2017, is a mobile food pantry delivering healthy foods to sites in food deserts in Kershaw County. The MNC directly serves clients by removing barriers that prevent access to food, like transportation and income. Through community partnerships, MNC delivers farm fresh, store-bought and even rescued food and grocery products like vegetables, meats, whole pastas, rice, and baked goods to food insecure people. Our Mobile Nutrition Center (MNC) has distributed more than 400,000 pounds of food, feeding more than 60,000 Kershaw County residents, while maintaining 10 Distribution Sites and 4 Fixed Pantry Sites.
Community Gardens:
A United States Department of Agriculture – Natural Resources Conservation Service (USDA-NRCS) grant allows us to establish 8 Community Gardens throughout Kershaw County. This initiative helps us bring easily accessible, fresh and nutritious food to the county. Our emphasis is on under served populations and areas. The gardens expand outreach to increase awareness regarding healthy eating, and put an emphasis on improving the health and well-being of Kershaw County residents. Two classes/workshops are offered monthly. There are 8 garden sites, with 67 garden beds.
Garden Site Locations – Belmont Baptist Church in Westville, Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church in Lugoff, Blanketing Families in Elgin, Good Hope AME Zion Methodist Church in Camden, KC Rec Department Tennis Courts in Camden, Old McCaskill’s Farm in Rembert, Saint John Missionary Baptist Church in Camden, and a new location in Bethune.
Summer Food Program:
Summer Food Program provides over 50,000 meal and snacks to children at 35 partner sites throughout the Kershaw County area during the summer.
Education
Ready Readers
Ready Readers is a partnership between United Way of Kershaw County, Kershaw County School District, and AmeriCorps of South Carolina. The focus is developing a love of literacy for our elementary school students who are struggling to read. We know literacy lifts lives out of poverty, and by reading to children early and often, we can better prepare them for success.
Two ways to serve are to volunteer to be a reader for one hour per week, or for those 17 and older, join AmeriCorps of South Carolina.
Ready Readers has served more than 300 elementary students, in 9 schools, placing 1,000s of books in the hands of students. Volunteers
Our community and our United Way are blessed to have so many dedicated volunteers. Volunteers are a vital component in the work that goes on here. Without them, we could never see the impact our partner agencies and our own initiatives make in this community every day.
Our community and our United Way are blessed to have so many dedicated volunteers. Volunteers are a vital component in the work that goes on here. Without them, we could never see the impact our partner agencies and our own initiatives make in this community every day.
Financial Stability
Vehicle Access Network (VAN):
Vehicle Access Network (VAN) provides door to door no cost transportation for residents to access health, food, social service, employment and education related needs, through our partnership with SWRTA Santee Wateree Regional Transportation Authority, One Carolina Transit and Double R Transportation 1 LLC. There are a total of 20 vans dedicated to Kershaw County.
VAN has provided 200,000 miles, 6,646 rides, (and counting), 912 rides getting people to work.
New Day Transitional Housing and Homeless Service:
New Day Transitional Housing and Homeless Services is working towards eliminating homelessness by addressing the needs of our community’s homeless population. New Day’s mission is to “Fill gaps in homeless housing and services as we identify them by working in harmony with community agencies, local, state and federal government, churches, individuals and other ministries.”
New Day has served 300 families, providing rental assistance, deposits, and emergency shelter. There are three New Day cottage locations, one for women/women with children, one for men, and one for families or women. While living in a New Day cottage, clients receive case management to overcome obstacles that led them to become homeless. The goal of all our transitional homes is for the client to graduate into permanent housing. We have a 93% success rate for clients becoming permanently housed when exiting New Day.
Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program
YHDP is a new program for homeless youth ages 17-24. We are currently serving 9 youth offering life skills and housing to equip these young adults to be self-sufficient.
Homeless Outreach
Homeless Outreach has assisted over 26 people with a stable recovery from drugs and alcohol.
Fresh Start Mobile Shower & Laundry:
Fresh Start Mobile Shower & Laundry allows us to help those who have no means of showering or washing their clothes, leaving them feeling more confident and dignified. Fresh Start allows our Outreach to meet new people and provide clothes, food and conversation to those in need.
Fresh Start is available Monday through Thursday in the parking lot of United Way of Kershaw County, 3 showers and 1 laundry station, with a schedule for Friday locations.