Greenwood Pathway House receives national Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Award

Greenwood Pathway House is receiving $30,000 as a Chick-fil-A True Inspiration Awards recipient.

The award, presented during a news conference at Chick-fil-A in Greenwood, is part of a national program to recognize nonprofits that are leading positive change and creating tangible impact throughout the communities they serve.

Greenwood Pathway House is one of the 51 organizations to receive the True Inspiration Award after being selected from 2,200 nominations from across the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. It is the only organization in South Carolina to receive the award this year.

The True Inspiration Award is designed to empower nonprofit organizations to have a greater long-term impact on children and communities. In addition to the monetary award, Greenwood Pathway House gains access to the Chick-fil-A Impact Accelerator, which helps nonprofit organizations take their support of children, families, and neighborhoods to the next level by providing capacity-building training, support, and resources.

Brian Whitaker, the Chick-fil-A operator in Greenwood, nominated Pathway House for the award after the business’ staff toured Pathway Village. The staff was impressed by the nonprofit’s progress and efforts to address the root causes of homelessness.

“It’s a win for everyone,” Whitaker said. “Homelessness is a real problem across the nation – it’s just amazing what Pathway House does for the community.”

Anthony Price, executive director of Greenwood Pathway House, said the nonprofit is “thrilled to be a True Inspiration Award recipient, and we are so thankful for Brian and the Chick-fil-A team in Greenwood. Brian made all of this possible by nominating us for the award, and the Chick-fil-A team did an amazing job of supporting us in the selection process.”

Price also praised the community which took part in the selection process by voting on the Chick-fil-App. “Thanks to all of you, this award will improve our ability to help homeless children and their parents in Greenwood and Abbeville counties.”

How Pathway Village Makes a Difference

Pathway Village uses two different innovative approaches to foster strategic change in how family homelessness is addressed:
1. Pathway Village uses a state park concept to eliminate typical shelter restrictions that can marginalize certain families, such as fathers with children and mothers with teenage sons.

2. Pathway Village offers a one-year residential program designed to address the harms of trauma that are the root causes of homelessness. The trauma-specific programs at Greenwood Pathway House create opportunities for trauma survivors to rebuild control, develop coping skills and alleviate the immediate, long-term, and multi-generation harms of trauma. The goal is to help clients build a functional life, post-trauma, that equips them to overcome homelessness permanently.

Pathway Village provides a compassionate, trauma-informed community where children and their parents can thrive because they feel safe, supported, encouraged, and valued.

Pathway Village Impact

Pathway Village opened on Feb. 23, 2023, and already has served 37 families with 83 children. These families have achieved the following goals:

• 29 parents completed social skills programs.
• 28 parents completed parenting classes.
• 15 children enrolled in early childhood education programs.
• 15 parents obtained employment.
• 12 families have moved into their own homes.
• 72 personal education goals were achieved (45 by children and 27 by parents).
• 37 personal medical goals were achieved.