The Home Team

The plight of homeless teens in the Midlands is often an invisible problem to the general public. In one given night in January 2016, over 300 youth between the ages of 18 and 24 were experiencing homelessness–just in the Midlands. As children age out of foster care, they may have limited options for a place to sleep, education, a job, a future. There are resources to help, and The Home Team partnered with Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter to expand awareness of the issue of homeless teens and the resources available to them. Awareness can help the homeless find resources and drive public donations and volunteer opportunities.

The Awareness Campaign has three parts:

I. Media outreach

a. Article in SC Living, publication of the Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina
b. Public Service Announcement recorded by NBC’s Craig Melvin

II. Public outreach

a. Donating and coordinating booths at Soda City, a farmers’ market on Main Street in Columbia, to provide information on the agencies helping the homeless:

i.  Palmetto Place Children’s Emergency Shelter
ii.  Mental Illness Recovery Center, Inc. (MIRCI)
iii.  Transitions Homeless center

III. Sustained Outreach

a. Six-month developed media plan for Palmetto Place to implement throughout the year