“United By Design”
Since its opening during the Great Depression, Greer Relief has forged strong bonds within its community, collaborating with neighbors facing challenges to help them develop resilience.
Thanks to cooperative efforts and community generosity, the nonprofit is now open in a bright, new facility near downtown Greer. It has the capacity to serve more people with direct essential services and its prevention program, RENEW, as well as colocating with providers filling other needs.
Caroline Robertson, executive director since 2007, said the facility is owned by the City of Greer, which purchased and up-fitted the building to lease it to Greer Relief.
“The city did a good job. If not for this space, many of our neighbors would not get the services they need. Now they can walk in and say, ‘Wow, this is for me!’ Robertson said. “It’s three times the size of our former home and next to New Horizons, an agency partner.”
Greer Relief maintains the building, and is able to lease space to other organizations at a reasonable rate so neighbors can access a variety of services conveniently.
“In addition to providing emergency assistance, we facilitate the Neighborhood Impact Center with Health and Human Services partners,” Robertson said. “Under one roof, we have two new partner programs: It Does Take A Village, providing Positive Parenting Program (Triple P) classes, and the Forester Center for Behavioral Health, providing treatment, education, and prevention for residents with substance use disorders, especially AA and NA recovery meetings. We’re excited about expanding services as a high impact center.”
Other partners are Greer Free Medical Clinic, a satellite of Greenville Free Medical Clinic, SC Works, and DHEC-WIC.
“A lot of times when somebody is coming for one reason—like looking for a job or when they have a medical situation—they can connect with additional resources that they wouldn’t be able to get to if they weren’t in the same building, since Greer has no public transportation,” Robertson said.
At its previous location, Greer Relief offered food aid, serving 6,857 residents in 2023. Before, they were given a box packed by a volunteer. Now they can choose from a large selection, making their own decisions about which foods are best for their family.
“The star of our show is the Food Choice Pantry, where neighbors can go shopping for their own nutrition,” she said. “We have dry goods, perishable items, frozen foods, and fresh produce through our wonderful partnerships with Loaves and Fishes and Harvest Hope. Panera Bread, Starbucks, and Food Lion help us stock our shelves to be sure food goes out while it is still good.”
Although Greer Relief’s former location will always hold a special place in Robertson’s heart, she’s grateful for the collaboration that made the new facility available and continues to fill it with life.
“We are a growing community here in Greer, including haves and have nots,” she said. “This space is going to allow us to thrive.”
The Community Foundation of Greenville made capacity building grants to Greer Relief in 2018, 2020, and 2022. A 2023 grant funded IT infrastructure to enhance security and increase operational effectiveness at the new facility. The nonprofit has also received grants from the Dr. J.C. & Dorothy C. Frazier Endowment and Jim and Kit Pearce Endowment, both funds that are held at the Community Foundation.