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2018 Non-Profit of the Year Our Non-Profit of the Year recognizes an organization that has demonstrated a strong effort in successfully using its organizational mission and resources to improve the quality of life and business in Pickens County, along with working in close partnership with the business community to achieve the desired results. In 2011, Jim and Chris Wilson found themselves in a place where many Christians end up. They had spent many years filling a church pew and serving only inside the walls of their church. Through studying scripture, they realized that God was calling them outside those walls. The Wilson’s, along with a few friends, decided to start meeting each week to pray about how they could offer a place of hope in the community. By May 2012, after meeting every week for a year, they formed a 501c3 non-profit. There was no building, but there was a vision. The group continued to meet and began helping people in need and their momentum began to grow. In October 2013, they purchased the former Simpson Academy Alternative School, and since that time, the organization has helped hundreds of people in need. Today, their building is home to seven other non-profit organizations including the Shine Soup Kitchen, 5 Point Church Food Bank, Reach, Samaritan Dental Clinic, JC Cares, and Predestined Teen Outreach. In addition, they operate two Resale stores to help with the financial sustainability of the ministry, and participants earn “Dream Dollars” to use as cash in the resale store by attending any of the 50 free classes that are offered each month. Most recently, they developed Opportunity Village, a one-of-a-kind homeless shelter using a “tiny house” model which has been nationally recognized and is being replicated as an effective model for addressing homelessness. Their mission is simple …. Love People. They serve those in need with a hand-UP instead of a hand-out by empowering them to make different and better choices in becoming healthy and self-sufficient. Please join us in honoring The Dream Center of Pickens County as our 2018 Non-Profit of the Year.
2018 Non-Profit of the Year
Our Non-Profit of the Year recognizes an organization that has demonstrated a strong effort in successfully using its organizational mission and resources to improve the quality of life and business in Pickens County, along with working in close partnership with the business community to achieve the desired results.
In 2011, Jim and Chris Wilson found themselves in a place where many Christians end up. They had spent many years filling a church pew and serving only inside the walls of their church. Through studying scripture, they realized that God was calling them outside those walls.
The Wilson’s, along with a few friends, decided to start meeting each week to pray about how they could offer a place of hope in the community. By May 2012, after meeting every week for a year, they formed a 501c3 non-profit. There was no building, but there was a vision.
The group continued to meet and began helping people in need and their momentum began to grow. In October 2013, they purchased the former Simpson Academy Alternative School, and since that time, the organization has helped hundreds of people in need.
Today, their building is home to seven other non-profit organizations including the Shine Soup Kitchen, 5 Point Church Food Bank, Reach, Samaritan Dental Clinic, JC Cares, and Predestined Teen Outreach. In addition, they operate two Resale stores to help with the financial sustainability of the ministry, and participants earn “Dream Dollars” to use as cash in the resale store by attending any of the 50 free classes that are offered each month.
Most recently, they developed Opportunity Village, a one-of-a-kind homeless shelter using a “tiny house” model which has been nationally recognized and is being replicated as an effective model for addressing homelessness.
Their mission is simple …. Love People. They serve those in need with a hand-UP instead of a hand-out by empowering them to make different and better choices in becoming healthy and self-sufficient.
Please join us in honoring The Dream Center of Pickens County as our 2018 Non-Profit of the Year.