Program Description

Pilgrims' Inn currently manages 5 core programs:

1. DOROTHY BING INN HOMELESS SHELTER: Our shelter serves homeless women and children, providing safe housing and life necessities, as well as counseling and guidance for both children and adults. We can house up to 17 individuals.

2. TRICIA'S COURT APARTMENTS: Our apartment complex offers 10 safe, comfortable units for individuals and families, with subsidized rent and utility costs. With partial support from a grant from the SC Department of Mental Health, we offer housing and support to families with at least one adult with a mental health diagnosis such as Bi-Polar Disorder.

3. OPEN ARMS CHILD CARE CENTER: We are the only child care center in Upstate SC that serves homeless and low-income families with full-time licensed child care for ages 6 weeks to 4 years old. Eligible parents who are working or going to school may access this service for no fee. We serve 35-40 children per year.

4. EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE SERVICES: This department serves needy families and individuals in our community through a food pantry that provides food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies; diapers and infant supplies; assistance for those who cannot afford critical medications; and assistance to prevent utility shut-offs, eviction and/or foreclosure. In the first six months of 2008 we provided food to over 1612 households, with a total of 2,534 hungry individuals - many of them children.

5. SOCIAL SERVICES: This program undergirds the other four. It includes a staff of 7, including a MSW Social Worker and a master's level Children's Counselor. Clients in our shelter and subsidized apartments each work with Social Service staff to identify the root causes of thier homelessness, develop goals to overcome barriers and achieve stability and independence, and craft an "action plan" to achieve these goals. Our staff team monitors and supports clients' progress providing guidance, accountability, and encouragement as needed. Clients from the Child Care and Emergency Assistance departments may also choose to request Social Services assistance as needed.