Community Connections moves closer to permanent home
The future headquarters for Community Connections, located at the corner of West Broad Street and Washington. PHOTO BY STEPHAN DREW
Inside the 3,000 sq. ft. building, there will be a fully-equipped kitchen, large dining hall, an office and shower facilities. PHOTO BY STEPHAN DREW
By Stephan Drew, Editor
A local faith-based nonprofit is transforming a piece of Darlington history into a beacon of hope — and they need the community’s help to finish the job.
What was once a 2-story hotel now stands as something far greater in the hearts of Darlington’s most vulnerable residents. Community Connections Darlington has officially entered Phase 2 of the ambitious renovation of their future permanent headquarters at 221 Washington Street (at the corner of Washington and West Broad Streets), marking a pivotal milestone in a years-long journey of faith, determination, and com-munity generosity.
The one-story building — a survivor of a fire that claimed its second floor long ago — still holds over 3,000 square feet of usable space, and it will hold something more: a lifeline for hundreds of underserved men, women, and children across Darlington County.
The first part of the Phase 2 construction is now underway, focusing on the interior structural supports, dividing walls, and the installation of electrical and plumbing systems — the bones and sinew of what will become one of Darlington’s most compre-hensive community service facilities.
When the entire project is fully complete, the building will house:
• A permanent kitchen serving hot meals to those in need
• A food pantry
• A spacious dining room to welcome the community
• A washroom equipped with washer and dryer
• A bathhouse open during scheduled weekly hours
• An administrative office
• Space for professional development workshops to help residents dress, prepare for job interviews, and craft winning résumés
This is not merely a building renovation. It is the physical embodiment of a vision that has guided Community Connections since its founding — meeting people where they are, and walking with them toward something better.
The road to 221 Washington Street has been anything but short. Community Connections acquired the building in 2022 and immediately began rallying the community around a shared purpose. Through the generosity of local donors, the organization has raised approximately $255,000.
Before a single interior wall could be framed, the building needed a sound roof over its head. Phase 1, completed in 2023, was an $80,000 full roof replacement — every sheet of plywood and all covering was stripped and replaced due to pervasive leaks and structural instability. It was the kind of unglamorous, unseen work that has to be done first and, later, makes everything else possible.
Now, with the roof secure and Phase 2 beginning, the organization will need additional monetary assistance to complete the renovation and open the doors. The remaining gap represents both the challenge ahead — and the opportunity for the Darlington community to leave a lasting mark.
Phase 3, to be undertaken once additional funding is secured, will include “drying in” the walls with sheetrock and completing all finishing work, bringing the facility to the threshold of its opening day.
The story of Community Connections begins in 2016, when Lindsey Byrd had a simple but powerful dream: that no one in Darlington should go hungry. With eleven organiza-tions joining hands in a donated storefront, the Soup Kitchen was born — operating every Saturday morning, offering hot breakfasts to as many as 200 community mem-bers each week.
By 2018, that vision had grown. Leaders saw the need not just to feed, but to connect — with churches, with organizations, and with the individuals living in Darlington’s neighborhoods. From that expanded mission came a new name: Community Connec-tions.
Today, the organization operates its Soup Kitchen out of the former Darlington Builders Supply Building at 586 West Broad Street, which currently houses the City of Darlington’s Streets Department. Their broader outreach — hot meals, school supplies, book bags, comforters, clothing, and children’s events — flows through the Crazy Hope Community Center.
But the dream has always been a place where the work is not borrowed or temporary, but rooted — a sanctuary in the truest sense.
Every dollar donated to Community Connections of Darlington moves a nail closer to being driven, a wall closer to being raised, and a meal closer to being served in a space built specifically for that purpose.
This is a community project in every sense of the word — powered by local faith, local generosity, and a shared belief that Darlington’s most vulnerable citizens deserve dignity, nourishment, and hope.
To make a donation or learn more:
• Website: communityconnectionsdarlington.org
• Email: connect@communityconnectionsdarlington.org
• Contact: Mr. Mark Face at (843) 495-3433 or Ms. Ellen Berry at (843) 395-1305.
Please give generously — of your time, your talent, and your treasure. The walls at 221 Washington Street are rising. Help them reach completion quickly.