Palmetto Place launches expansion campaign

Public support needed to help more homeless, abused children & teens in the Midlands​

COLUMBIA, SC – Every month, Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter turns away at least 15 child victims of abuse and neglect, as well as several more homeless teens. This is not due to a lack of concern, nor is it due to a lack of necessity. Midlands children and teens still need a place to call home. They still need a place to grow, a place to learn, and – most importantly – a place where they feel safe from abuse and neglect. However, the stark reality is that our shelter is not large enough to accommodate all of the children and teens that need our help. As the number of child abuse and neglect cases continues to rise, the demand for places to care for these children rises as well.

Today, Palmetto Place launches Saving More Children, our public campaign to expand and renovate the shelter. We are currently capable of accommodating only 20 children and teens at a time. Our hope is that within the next year, we will be able to accommodate up to 30 children and teens. More than $900,000 of the $1 million expansion costs have already been raised, but we still need your help. We are now inviting the people of the Midlands to help us complete this goal. Every contribution, large or small, will bring us closer to our ultimate goal: saving more children.

“We are delighted by the support so far and we’re ready to move forward with construction and create a great space for the children and teens who need Palmetto Place,” said Coker Day, Chairman of the Saving More Children campaign.

The two founding groups for Palmetto Place have both contributed significantly to the campaign, with a $100,000 gift from the Junior Woman’s Club of Columbia and a surprise gift of $75,000 from the Midlands Home & Emergency Fund for Abused & Neglected Children.

“I’m overwhelmed by the Midlands’ generosity,” said Erin Hall, Palmetto Place’s director. “Together, we can take care of children and teens and give them the bright future everyone deserves.”

Saving More Children will double the square footage of the existing shelter. Once the campaign goal is met, construction will begin. Lambert Architecture and Hood Construction have been chosen for the leads on this project.

“Our goal is to open the new Palmetto Place—and welcome even more children who desperately need a safe place to live—by the summer of 2016,” said Marie Dieckmann, President of Palmetto Place’s Board of Directors.

Contributions may be made at www.PalmettoPlaceShelter.org, by calling (803) 786-6819, or by mailing a check to P.O. Box 3395, Columbia, South Carolina 29230.

Please consider making a donation, so that we can make a difference.

Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter provides a safe and nurturing environment for abused and neglected children and unaccompanied teens, offering them a broad range of services concentrating on well-being, personal healing and development. The Shelter has cared for more than 7,000 children and homeless teens since opening its doors in 1977.