"Each One Can Reach One"

Orangeburg Mission to Families

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More than twenty years ago, a group of ladies representing nine community churches in the Orangeburg area came together to organize the Orangeburg Hold Out The Lifeline: A Prenatal Mission. These ladies received training in the Family Health Advocate process and returned to their community energized and focused towards making a difference. Through their collaborative efforts with the Orangeburg County Health Department and the partnership with Hold Out the Lifeline: A Mission to Families, they developed a child care facility where expectant mothers could leave their children while being seen at the maternity clinic. Because of their generous and caring nature, they provided this service at no cost. Because of their love and devotion to their clients, they became known as “church ladies”.

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Since the inception of their project, and under the leadership of their first director, Mrs. Clara Robinson, these “church ladies” recruited 105 additional volunteers, all being trained in the Family Health Advocate process. While they continue this important service, they also educate their community about preventive health by distributing literature to local residents during the Orangeburg Festival of Roses, at the Orangeburg County Fair, and at local malls and supermarkets.

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As these energetic ladies continue their mission into the 21st Century, they have geared up to face new challenges. They changed their name to Orangeburg Mission to Families, which expands their mission to providing the holistic approach to the entire family. They have also incorporated a new mission, “Fostering Families”. This new hands-on ministry is jointly coordinated with the Hold Out The Lifeline office in Columbia and the Department of Social Services. The Fostering Families project encompasses praying for families, directing them in life, shaping their futures and their world, connecting them socially and spiritually, teaching them, and nurturing them in love and faith.

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These committed ladies, now under the leadership of a new director, Mrs. Bess Goodwin, do take time to fellowship with one another at regular meetings and conclude each year with a Christmas party. The Orangeburg Mission to Families truly exhibits what can be done by a small group of ladies who want to make a difference in their community.

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For more information, call (803) 461-3201.