Lutheran Services Carolinas (LSC) is excited to announce it received a $20,000 Connected Communities grant from the Central Carolina Community Foundation to support WeCo Cottage, it’s collegiate recovery program.
“We are proud to award a Connected Communities grant to Lutheran Services Carolinas for their WeCo Cottage project,” says Erin E. Johnson, vice president of community investment for the Central Carolina Community Foundation. “This project shines a light on an issue impacting multiple students and will help empower students in recovery to live, study, socialize and thrive in a supportive setting.”
WeCo Cottage, which officially opened in 2022, is a collegiate recovery housing program located in West Columbia, South Carolina. The program provides a substance-free living environment for four co-ed residents at a time, has a large indoor community space for onsite intercollegiate recovery meetings, and an outdoor space for substance free tailgating and other social events. WeCo Cottage serves as a safe space for students in recovery attending any of the institutes of higher education in the surrounding area.
LSC collaborated with local partners, including Gamecock Recovery, The Courage Center, and collegiate recovery programs, to establish the program and will continue to use their guidance to create engaging events for a diverse group of college students.
“Everyone deserves to live the abundant living vision of Lutheran Services Carolinas,” said LSC President Ted Goins. “We are grateful to the Central Carolina Community Foundation for this grant to help us provide abundant living to students in recovery.”
About Connected Communities grant initiative
Central Carolina Community Foundation awarded $370,000 to 14 organizations this year through its Connected Communities grant. The 14 nonprofits will launch projects that improve the quality of life in the Midlands by building a more livable, equitable and just community to live, work, play and raise a family.
In its ninth year, the Community Foundation’s Connected Communities grant initiative helps connect residents to their community and knits the Midlands together. Since inception, grants totaling $3,112,573 have been awarded to support local projects.
Connected Communities grants are funded by the Foundation’s Community Impact Endowment fund and several Field of Interest funds. These funds were established with generous gifts from visionary donors who knew their unrestricted gifts would allow the Foundation to respond to the ever-changing needs and opportunities in our region for generations.
The selected projects are located in Calhoun, Fairfield, Lexington, Newberry and Richland Counties but will serve residents in CCCF’s entire 11-county service area.
For more information about Connected Communities grants, visit www.yourfoundation.org/grants or call 803.254.5601.
Pictured are Director of Foundation Relations Melissa Parrish and Business Developer Rachael Fulmer who accepted the grant on behalf of LSC.