Turbeville Children's Home open once again

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Nearly three years after closing, the Turbeville Children's Home is going strong once again, although under new ownership.

Founded by the South Carolina Free Will Baptist Association in 1949, the home is now owned by the International Pentecostal Holiness Church, which purchased the home in October 2015. The former owners voted to close the home in February 2014 for financial reasons. The state association commissioned a feasibility study for various possibilities of utilizing the Children’s Home property to enhance the ministries of Free Will Baptists in South Carolina.

Ultimately, the facility sat empty for more than a year before officially reopening March 1. And though the home has new owners and a new denomination, the community has still rallied to support it as it did before.

Clarendon County Councilman Benton Blakely and other officials from Black River Electric Cooperative came out in mid-April to help build playground equipment for the home.

"They needed a lot of help in getting some things set up here," said Blakely. "There was a lot of work that needed to be done on the inside, and the employees were working on that. We helped with the playground because that was a need they had and we had the equipment and manpower to do it."

On July 4, home employees and volunteers held a hot dog sale and supply drive in front of the Turbeville Dollar General.

Thirty-six children will call the facility home when it's at maximum capacity. Director Mike Dillard said about two dozen call it home now, ranging from 7-17 years of age. He said placement is made through the Department of Social Services.

Children staying at the home attend local schools like East Clarendon Middle-High School and Walker-Gamble Elementary School, and the home has as its ultimate goal to place the children back with their biological families.

The children's home is always thankful for help. Donations may be made to the Turbeville Children's Home by mailing P.O. Box 229, Turbeville, SC 29162.

Pictures show the July 4 hot dog sale and supply drive.