There are 300 homeless shelter beds throughout South Carolina that must serve 2,000 men, women, and children who are either homeless or at risk of being homeless. Of these people 49% are African-American, 35% White, 13% Hispanic, 2% Native American, and 1% Asian. Approximately 42% are women and children; 33% veterans; 47% graduated high school; 45% are diagnosed with mental illness; 69% work in minimum wage, day labor jobs; 9% have substance abuse problems; 33% are HIV positive; and 23% have a physical disability.

People are homeless due to lack of affordable housing, mental illness and lack of needed services, low-paying jobs, substance abuse and lack of needed services, unemployment, domestic violence, poverty, and prison release.

How can you help? Collect non-perishable food and deliver it to the shelter nearest you, prepare and serve meals at the shelter, ask the shelter what personal and household items they need and donate them, volunteer to perform administrative and fellowship tasks at the shelter, ask the shelter to identify their most urgently-needed items and either supply them or donate funds for them, and, if you are medically trained, volunteer to organize a new or staff an existing free health clinic at the shelter.

If you would like your South Carolina homeless ministry organization featured on this website, please contact us.