What’s happening at Macedonia Life-Skills Center
Macedonia Life-Skills Center, an all-volunteer 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, has been helping to lessen the financial burden that the COVID-19 virus has caused many families in Darlington County. For more than a year, and with funding from Genesis Healthcare FQHC in Darlington, Sonoco Products in Hartsville and Genesis Community Foundation in Darlington, Macedonia Life-Skills Center volunteers have been distributing boxes and bags of non-perishable food items, COVID-19 masks, toiletries, school supplies, cleaning supplies, and arts and crafts supplies to students and families in Darlington County. In the past three months, over 2,300 boxes of non-perishable food items were purchased from Harvest Hope Food Bank of the Pee Dee by way of Genesis Community Foundation and distributed by Macedonia Life-Skills Center volunteers to individuals, families and churches in Darlington, Hartsville, Lamar, Society Hill and Olanta. Macedonia Life-Skills Center recently received a One SC COVID Relief Grant from Central Carolina Community Foundation in Columbia and will be distributing these supplies and food again to individuals, families and churches to help with food insecurity in the communities we serve. Macedonia Life-Skills Center also operates summer and out-of-school programs. The summer food program for children 18 and below was to begin July 5 and run through Aug. 13. Because of COVID-19, an afternoon snack and supper (drive-through or walk-up bag and go) will be served from 4:30-5:30 and creative and challenging enrichment activities will be offered virtually. Feeding sites will be located at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, 400 S. Main St., Darlington, and the Matthews and King Education Center, 115B Exchange St., Darlington. On Fridays, Macedonia Life-Skills Center volunteers conduct M&Ms (Manners and Movies) with the Darlington YMCA children, ages 5-12, at the Matthews and King Education Center. Character, manners, arts and crafts, health and nutrition and bullying prevention classes are conducted and refreshments are served. Macedonia’s Out-of-School Programs create safe, supportive, after-school environments where students can receive assistance with homework, enjoy a healthy snack, socialize with friends, engage in fun and creative learning activities and learn life-skills that encourage positive behavior and enable them to be successful throughout their lifetime. Patsy Sawyer, Executive Director, says their main purpose is to keep youth off the streets and out of trouble and to change their attitudes and behavior in order to help them to become successful in life. Macedonia Life-Skills Center is working with 36 churches in Darlington County to help them expand their youth programs and activities to include youth outside of their church by implementing Character Education Programs and other positive youth programs and activities.
