Florence is located in the PeeDee Region of South Carolina.
The county has a population of approximately 137,000 residents. There are approximately 193 children in foster care in Florence County.
This office has a main area and two additional rooms for visitation and sleeping if needed. We were able to update all three rooms and create a living room and 2 bedrooms that all have comfort items and sensory support items.
We had been planning for the Florence County installation for many months. A few days before the planned installation dates we began hearing about a hurricane that was to make landfall in Florida and could affect the Carolinas. We began to think through our options and decided some of the team would head to Florence a night early and the other members would come as planned if conditions allowed. While the Upstate Region of SC was greatly affected by Hurricane Helene, everyone arrived in Florence safely.
Thanks to a connection from board member Paige Johnson, St. Luke Lutheran Church in Florence donated $5,000 for this office. Their support has been invaluable especially during a time when several members of the Lily Pad team faced personal challenges. Pastor Rusty Kehl gathered volunteers from his church and picked up paint from the store, primed and painted the walls that had previously been covered with textured wallpaper, and even assembled much of the furniture before our team arrived.
We truly couldn’t have accomplished this without their dedication and hard work. A group from the church even has plans to help maintain the rooms. We praise God for them!
