Celebrating Mary Black Foundation’s History: 2008
Mary Black Foundation Becomes a Private Foundation
2021 marks the 25th anniversary of the Mary Black Foundation’s role as a private foundation in Spartanburg. However, the Mary Black Foundation has a legacy that extends beyond the last 25 years. In fact, the Foundation was originally formed in 1986 – 35 years ago – to support the Mary Black Memorial Hospital and related community programs.
The sale of the nonprofit hospital to a for profit company, in 1996, led to the reconfiguration of the Mary Black Foundation and its significant growth in assets. In the 25 years since the Mary Black Foundation separated from the hospital, it has provided over $62 million in grants to support health and wellness initiatives throughout Spartanburg County. During this same time, the assets have grown to over $75 million.
SAFE Homes Rape Crisis Coalition
The mission of SAFE Homes Rape Crisis Coalition (SHRCC) is to use their collective voice to address the impact of domestic and sexual violence by providing quality services to those affected and to create social change through education, training, and activism. SHRCC envisions a community liberated from all forms of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Services that SHRCC provides include:
- A 24-hour crisis line.
- Assistance to domestic violence victims in Spartanburg, Cherokee and Union Counties.
- Assistance to sexual assault victims in Spartanburg and Cherokee Counties.
- Up to 60 days+ of emergency shelter for victims of domestic violence and their dependent children including: food, clothing, transportation, limited day care, and tutoring.
- Hospital accompaniment and advocacy for sexual assault victims during the medical/legal protocol.
- Police and court accompaniment and advocacy.
- Crisis counseling.
- Individual and Family Psychotherapy.
- Case management and follow-up.
- Information on employment, housing, financial aid, budgeting, child support, legal, medical, and social problems.
- Community support/psychotherapy groups for adults and children.
- Assistance in completing Order of Protection petitions.
- Spartanburg County Office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm and located on the 3rd floor of the Spartanburg County Courthouse.
- Cherokee County Office is Open Monday through Friday 8:30 am – 5:00 pm is located at 1612 North Limestone Street, Gaffney, SC.
- Union County Office is Open Monday through Friday from 8:00 am – 4:30 pm and is located at Union County Carnegie Library – 300 E South Street, Union, SC.
- Primary Prevention and community education about domestic violence and sexual assault.
- Training for law enforcement, medical personnel, social services agencies, and other professionals.
Partnership with Mary Black Foundation
In 2008, Mary Black Foundation provided a $125,000 grant to SHRCC to assist in the construction of a new emergency shelter. The new shelter increased the available emergency shelter beds from 41 to 50. Additionally, the new shelter allowed SHRCC to continue programming for children.
SHRCC President/CEO Jada Charley said:
“The most impactful thing is when a survivor knows that the community is behind them; supporting them to get the help they need to heal. Mary Black Foundation’s grant to SAFE Homes for a new emergency shelter was a very tangible way to show that support for survivors. A survivor can see the actual physical structure that the community has provided to give them a safe place to heal. That means so much to our agency, and it means even more to a survivor of domestic abuse. Now, in 2021, we have taken the next step to create a transitional housing program for survivors to help them with the first steps outside of emergency shelter. With this program, we are able to provide survivors with support in finding, obtaining, and maintaining safe housing outside of the shelter for themselves and their families. We are confident in being able to provide programs like this because we know that the community, and the Mary Black Foundation specifically, is willing to support whatever helps survivors remain safe and healthy.”
Over the last 25 years, Mary Black Foundation has provided over $300,000 in funding to SAFE Homes Rape Crisis Coalition. Awards include:
- $10,000 to support organizational capacity building plans to improve skills in board training and development
- $1,000 to support the Family Violence Conference
- $20,000 to support an Outreach Victim Advocate
- $35,000 to support an Outreach Advocate for college campuses
- $43,575 to support a part-time emergency shelter Support Victim Advocate
- $75,000 to support a therapist for underserved communities
