Last year, 17,662 children were abused and/or neglected in South Carolina (there are many types of maltreatment: neglect, physical abuse, psychological maltreatment, and sexual abuse).
The goal of Pendleton Place is to break the cycle of abuse and to rebuild the families.
In the fiscal year 2017, the team reached more than 1,200 individuals and community members, including over 550 direct clients and nearly 280 families.
This non-profit organization has three major programs for helping kids and teens:
- Assessment Center In the first ten days, “we will do what is the best for the child”, explains Elizabeth Stoffelen from Pendleton Place: a medical check-up, a therapy if it’s required,… “We also bring families - birth parents and foster parents- together, creating a dialogue, finding the reason of the abuse and how to stop it. It’s unique in the state”.
- Smith House is a teen girls program to support young girls in a stable family home-life. “They live in a house, eat and prepare the meals together. They learn how to do the laundry or how to be prepared for their future.” Pendleton Place provides also the transportation for their summer jobs. On average, girls stay here for 7 months.
- Connections Count is dedicated to young people who need help but also young parents who need support for their kids. “It’s a preventive support for a transition. For example, how to fill an application or how to do a resume for a job”.
Want to get involved?
- Donation: it will make a difference in the lives of children and families in crisis. You can also participate to the wish list (they are essentially looking for kids and girls teenagers clothes + children’s hygiene items).
- Volunteer: you can share your experiences, skills, and talents, by donating a few hours of your time, mentoring a young adult, helping sort donations, working on a special project around the facility, or helping with their fundraising events. For example, sponsor a movie & popcorn night, organize a craft for residents or bring your favorite recipe and host a cooking class for the teens.
