Growing Hope

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Growing Hope We center children, support families, and brighten our communities with hope

10/20/2026

Working hard to renovate our apartments for young people aging out of foster care! We are so grateful to @ Lowe's Companies for this grant and all the incredible Lowe's heroes for coming out to help today!

Please join us in welcoming Carol Addy and Lorene McDowell to Growing Hope’s Board of Directors!✨ Carol Addy joins us as...
10/19/2026

Please join us in welcoming Carol Addy and Lorene McDowell to Growing Hope’s Board of Directors!

✨ Carol Addy joins us as our Treasurer. As Chief Revenue Officer of Palmetto Citizens Federal Credit Union, Carol brings nearly 30 years of financial services experience and extensive expertise in financial leadership, strategy, and organizational growth. A University of South Carolina graduate, she also serves on the SC Board of Financial Institutions and the SC Philharmonic board. We’re excited for the insight and stewardship she will bring to Growing Hope!

✨ Lorene McDowell, LISW-CP, brings more than 25 years of experience in healthcare, social work, and community leadership. As Assistant Director of AccessHealth McLeod, she helps improve healthcare access for uninsured and underinsured individuals living with chronic illnesses across South Carolina’s P*e Dee and coastal regions. Lorene also maintains a private therapy practice and brings a deep commitment to compassionate care and connecting people with the support they need.

Carol and Lorene bring valuable perspectives and a shared commitment to strengthening South Carolina communities. Their leadership will help guide our work supporting children, youth, adults, and families as they build stability, connection, and opportunity.

We’re thrilled to have you on board, Carol and Lorene!

Growing up takes support and that need doesn’t end when a young person ages out of foster care. 💚Thank you, Wells Fargo,...
10/16/2026

Growing up takes support and that need doesn’t end when a young person ages out of foster care. 💚

Thank you, Wells Fargo, for investing in Growing Hope’s transitional living program at Leaphart Place and the young adults building their futures here!

For young people leaving foster care, the transition to adulthood can mean navigating housing, employment, education, and everyday responsibilities without a dependable family safety net. Learning to budget, applying for a first job, or figuring out what comes next becomes much harder when you’re also worried about having a safe place to live.

Leaphart Place provides 20 furnished apartments and supportive services for young adults who have aged out of foster care and are at risk of homelessness. Residents have opportunities to build practical life skills, pursue education and employment, access mental health support, and connect with a community that supports their progress.

That support can mean having someone to practice for an interview with, help work through a challenge, or celebrate a milestone. It means having room to learn and grow while building the confidence and skills to live independently.

Wells Fargo’s funding helps sustain this work and create opportunities for young people who deserve stability, connection, and a chance to pursue their goals. We’re grateful for your partnership!

Want to help? Your generosity supports Growing Hope’s work with children, youth, and families, including young adults taking their next steps at Leaphart Place.

Learn more and donate: wearegrowinghope.org/donate

Carson and Thomas are both hoping for a carefree day at a trampoline park, jumping, laughing, enjoying snacks, and makin...
09/17/2026

Carson and Thomas are both hoping for a carefree day at a trampoline park, jumping, laughing, enjoying snacks, and making happy memories with their foster families.

Nine-year-old Laylah is preparing for permanency with her kinship family. Her family has lovingly created a bedroom just for her, and she is wishing for a TV to complete her new space. It would give her a special place to relax and enjoy the dance performances and musical movies she loves.

Each wish is a chance to remind a child that they are seen, celebrated, and supported. You can grant a wish or help us share them with others:

💙 Grant Carson’s trampoline park wish: https://www.onesimplewish.org/wish/view-wish?id=213980
💙 Grant Thomas’s trampoline park wish https://www.onesimplewish.org/wish/view-wish?id=213981
💙 Grant Laylah’s $120 TV wish: https://www.onesimplewish.org/wish/view-wish?id=218526

Even a share can help connect these children with someone who wants to make their wish come true.

Sometimes hope looks like meeting a big need. And sometimes, it looks like a trampoline park, a favorite toy, or simply ...
08/13/2026

Sometimes hope looks like meeting a big need. And sometimes, it looks like a trampoline park, a favorite toy, or simply getting to experience the joy of being a kid. Right now, three wishes from young people served by Growing Hope are waiting to be fulfilled through One Simple Wish, two trips to the trampoline park and a Thomas train set for a young enthusiast. These may feel like simple things, but they matter. Every young person deserves opportunities to have fun, explore what they love, make memories, and know there are people in their community who care about their happiness, not just their needs.

Take a look at these three wishes and help us make a little more joy possible. Because hope lives in community.

https://www.onesimplewish.org/community-partner/5339-growing-hope

We are incredibly excited to share that Growing Hope has been selected as one of just 100 organizations nationwide to re...
08/12/2026

We are incredibly excited to share that Growing Hope has been selected as one of just 100 organizations nationwide to receive a $100,000 Lowe’s Community Impact grant to revitalize Leaphart Place, our transitional housing program for young adults aging out of foster care.

Leaphart Place has been part of our community for 20 years, providing more than a place to live. It is a place where young adults can build stability, independence, and a foundation for what comes next. And they deserve a home that reflects the same care and possibility we want for every young person.

This investment will allow us to make meaningful improvements to Leaphart Place and create a space that feels welcoming and cared for. Because the environments we create for young people matter. Where someone lives can communicate something powerful: you matter, you belong here, and your future is worth investing in.
At Growing Hope, we believe that hope lives in community. This project is a beautiful example of what that can look like in action: partners coming together to help create the kind of community we all want to be part of.

We are deeply grateful to Lowe’s for investing in Leaphart Place and, most importantly, in the young adults who call it home. We can’t wait to share what comes next.

Meet Kyle. He is a bright 13-year-old who has experienced foster care apart from his twin brother. Kyle is nonverbal, fu...
07/14/2026

Meet Kyle. He is a bright 13-year-old who has experienced foster care apart from his twin brother. Kyle is nonverbal, full of joy, loves being outside, and working hard to become more independent.

A $70 pair of slip-on Skechers would allow Kyle to practice putting on his own shoes, one small daily task that could give him a huge sense of confidence and accomplishment.

Please help us fulfill Kyle’s wish by August 6 and support his next step toward independence.

Grant Kyle’s wish here:
https://www.onesimplewish.org/wish/view-wish?id=212360

Leaphart Place is a microcosm of what happens when community comes together to help young people aging out of foster car...
07/13/2026

Leaphart Place is a microcosm of what happens when community comes together to help young people aging out of foster care with no place to go. Growing Hope built Leaphart Place 20 years ago with the help of several funding partners, and we continue to find ways to keep it running, year in and year out, serving young adults in need of safety, support, and skill building. We wouldn't be what we are without our community, without funders like United Way and the Lipscomb Foundation, without regular, everyday people donating $50 here and there to help fill the pantry or cover the cost of a new door lock or light bulbs (https://www.wearegrowinghope.org/donate).

And we certainly wouldn't be where we are without places like the Palmetto Citizens Foundation, who donated these incredible new mailboxes and, perhaps the greatest gift of all, their time! On July 11th, the Foundation came out once again to help us clean apartments and paint over the work of some local, unknown artists (better known as graffiti). We aim to invest the dollars we get into these kids, every cent we can eek out goes straight to them. With community partners like this, we can keep making the difference in the lives of young people in South Carolina. And what better feeling is there than knowing you helped a young person who spent their childhood in foster care, launch successfully into a brand new chapter, one that they deserve! Join our Leaphart Place community, we'd love to have you!

Help a bright young boy create lasting summer memories. Woodrow is a bright, resilient boy in foster care who loves math...
06/04/2026

Help a bright young boy create lasting summer memories.

Woodrow is a bright, resilient boy in foster care who loves math, solving problems, and learning new things. He is curious, thoughtful, and hardworking, always striving to do his best in school and in life. For children in foster care, opportunities like camp can be especially meaningful. Camp offers a safe, supportive environment where children can grow, connect with others, and discover new strengths.

Your support can help cover camp fees and related expenses, making this incredible opportunity possible for Woodrow. Together, we can give him a summer filled with friendship, adventure, growth, and hope.

https://www.onesimplewish.org/wish/view-wish?id=209737

04/30/2026

At Growing Hope, we work hard every day to support children and families across South Carolina. One of the most critical times of a young person's life is when they are aging out of the foster care system. This is why Leaphart Place was built 20 years ago. To provide safe housing coupled with support. Mental health therapy, budgeting, cooking, obtaining a G.E.D., managing social relationships, etc. There are not nearly enough places for these kids to land, but we know we wouldn't exist either without our generous funders.

Thank you to the Lipscomb Foundation for grant funds supporting these young people in building their skills and education to be successful independently!

Thank you to Dominion Energy for funds to cover rent gaps and ensure immediate and uninterrupted mental health services!

Thank you Carolina Children's Home for supporting Leaphart Place, year in and year out, ensuring every young person we serve has the resources they need to thrive.

Thank you Amazon for donating food so our residents have full bellies for work and school.

Thank you to all in our community who have contributed to Leaphart Place, in the past or considering support in the future. Leaphart is a reflection of how incredibly beautiful community can be and how powerful it is when we come together.

If you would like to learn more or donate to support these young adults who have aged out of foster care, explore more here!

Address

440 Knox Abbott Drive Suite 250
Cayce, SC

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5pm
Friday 8:30am - 5pm

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