OPPORTUNITY VILLAGE
The Opportunity Village is a residential program that loves and empowers women with community, personal and professional growth, employment and purpose on their path to restoration of health and self-sufficiency. The year-long, faith-based program serves single women and women with children ages 11 and younger with proven, measurable success for long-term transformation for those that are ready and willing to receive guidance and work hard. Using a “tiny house” model, the village provides 21 tiny houses and 10 transitional houses to serve the women in the program. The comprehensive program requires residents to take measurable action steps to regain their health, specifically in the areas of physical, financial, behavioral, spiritual, and workforce development. Throughout this year-long program, residents work through an Individualized Success Plan (ISP) for themselves and each of their children, with the help of their Case Manager, Financial Coach, and Care Coach to achieve their goals. Upon graduation from the program, residents are working, have reliable transportation, savings, and are offered the opportunity to enter the Bridge program. Bridge residents live in a transitional house for another year, while working and maintaining connection with The Opportunity Village team. In 2016, students from three local high schools EACH raised $15,000 to sponsor a tiny house and inspired the entire community to support this project. The success of The Opportunity Village has attracted the attention of organizations nationwide, many of whom have visited The Dream Center to learn how to duplicate the program model.
Raise a Village Day
On October 22, 2016,
Make a Difference Day brought over
500 volunteers from all over the state to build the first homeless shelter program of its kind in the upstate of South Carolina.