GCCF Awards Innovation Grant, July 2023
Greenwood County Community Foundation (GCCF) has awarded an Innovation Grant for $50,000 to Greenwood Pathway House in support of Pathway Village.
Anthony Price, Executive Director of Greenwood Pathway House (GPH) noted, “Pathway Village utilizes family cottages and Post-Traumatic Growth (referred to as ‘PTG’) programs to create stable families that are capable of thriving over time. The village design eliminates typical shelter restrictions that often prevent certain families from receiving help. The village concept provides a community where children and their parents can thrive because they feel safe, supported, encouraged, and valued.”
The GCCF Innovation Grant is offered biennially and supports creative ideas that foster strategic change within the Greenwood County community. It is awarded to applicant organization demonstrating a sound approach to addressing root causes of systemic problems or deficiencies, and by contributing to a healthy, thriving community. Collaboration and partnerships among organizations are expected and essential to assure lasting impact and success.
Mary Woodiwiss, GCCF Director of Grants and Projects, commented, “This year’s pool of applicants for the Innovation Grant was extraordinarily strong. Through our granting cycles, our Board and staff are regularly reminded of the excellent work conducted by our local nonprofits every day and we are grateful for their faithfulness in addressing community needs. It is a privilege to be able to support such efforts with GCCF funding.”
“GCCF’s Innovation award continues to be a valuable tool to encourage ‘outside the box’ solutions that address root cause problems in our community”, said Herman Fletcher, GCCF’s Board Chair. “The new Pathway Village housing concept and the deployment of the Post Traumatic Growth (PTG) model have already demonstrated successful results. Greenwood Pathway House utilized a $5000 GCCF grant awarded in one of our previous annual cycles to establish the PTG model which is now bearing fruit. This is an example of good stewardship and perseverance which is commendable.”
After receiving the Innovation Grant on behalf of GPH, Price expressed, “We are honored to be chosen for the Innovation Grant. We believe that Pathway Village is a model for reintegrating homeless families as thriving members of our community. In the five months since we began operating Pathway Village, we have enrolled 26 families with 52 children, more than in the previous 5 years combined. But it’s not just about enrolling a lot of people, it’s about lifting them up and helping them thrive. We’re truly grateful that GCCF is providing grant funds to help us operate Pathway Village at full capacity.”
