Heaven’s Hope aims to build a special home for children
By: Andrew Boardwine
FLORENCE, S.C. — Heaven’s Hope joined ambassadors from the Greater Florence Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday to celebrate the organization’s new chamber membership with a ribbon cutting.
Heaven’s Hope, a Pee Dee based nonprofit organization, is looking to construct a home that specializes in the treatment of medically fragile children, which would be the first of its kind in the state of South Carolina.
Rachel Lee, executive director of the organization, said families with medically fragile children in South Carolina are forced to make a decision: Either learn to operate all the intricate equipment that their child needs to live or let their child live in a hospital.
Heaven’s Hope wants to give families an alternative option.
“I would love it for children to have a safe place,” Lee said. “These children are exposed to so much pain and so many unknowns. I would love to create this home where this is their happy spot. It’s a place where they can blow bubbles and put stuff on the walls of their room. A place where they can just be a kid.”
The mission for Heaven’s Hope is “to provide a loving place for medically fragile children to call home that meets their emotional, spiritual, medical, physical, social and educational needs.”
Lee said being a part of the chamber will help the organization network with other businesses and organizations in the Pee Dee.
“In the past, we have seen the chamber of commerce do some events and we’ve seen the benefit of what the chamber has to offer to local businesses and even small nonprofits like us,” Lee said. “We made the decision that this was something we wanted to be a part of. It’s something bigger than ourselves.”
The organization will host a fund-raising event on Saturday, Nov. 17, called the “Swamp Fox Highland Games and Celtic Festival.” The festival will take place at The Columns Plantation and all funds will go toward the initial start of the home.
Lee said the festival is a celebration of Celtic culture and history. There will be kid’s activities, vendors, cultural demonstrations and athletic events.
For more information, visit heavenshopesc.com or follow them on social media.
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