2022 Leadership Berkeley Completes Community Class Project

(Berkeley County, SC) – Each year, The Berkeley Chamber’s Leadership Berkeley graduates select a class project. The project is related to circumstances or wishes of the community that the class has recognized through the participation in the Leadership Program. This year’s Leadership Berkeley project highlighted Operation Home, a non-profit which focuses on critical repairs for low-income households to make sure they can continue to safely live in their homes. Two elderly residents in St. Stephen can now come and go more easily from their home thanks to the Leadership Berkeley class building wheelchair ramps they now have their independence. Both elderly ladies are over 94 years old, live alone, and use either a walker or wheelchair to get around.

Operation Home has been serving the Tri-County community for 25 years. Annually, they serve more than 700 families through their critical home repair, wheelchair ramp, and heat/cold relief programs. Their critical home repair program, include bathroom modifications (low curb showers, chair height toilet, grab bars, widening the doors for wheelchairs, etc.), floor repair/replacement, and roof repairs/replacements. All these projects are completed by licensed contractors in the community. Through their wheelchair ramp program, they do everything from large multi-platform ramps to small metal ramps. These are completed by volunteer groups. The heat/cold relief program distributes AC window units to families without access to AC in the summer and portable heaters to families without heat in the winter. They are able to funnel distribution through our community partners and local schools. Operation Home focuses its services on households with children, disabled individuals, and seniors. The average monthly income for one of the families is only $1,283. These families are forced to live in unsafe homes with no way to repair them. Operation Home is committed to ensuring that no person must live in a home that is inaccessible or unsafe.



If you would like to volunteer, donate, or need assistance, contact Addison Byrd at Operation Home at 843.991.5560, by email addison@operationhome.orgOperation, or online www.operationhome.org. For more information on Leadership Berkeley, visit www.berkeleysc.org or contact Simone Thornton at 843.761.8238.

About Leadership Berkeley

Leadership Berkeley is an educational program offered through the Berkeley Chamber. The 10-month program provides emerging and existing leaders in the Greater Berkeley County area with an

opportunity to enhance their civic knowledge and network. For over 25 years, Leadership Berkeley has helped participants better understand the local community, while building relationships with current and future leaders. For more information on Leadership Berkeley, visit www.berkeleysc.org or contact Simone Thornton at 843.761.8238.

About Berkeley Chamber of Commerce

The Berkeley Chamber of Commerce is the voice of business in the greater Berkeley County area. The Chamber seeks to accomplish this vision by advocating for initiatives that enable businesses to grow, thrive and remain relevant and forward-thinking in an ever-changing world. The chamber exists to create a positive impact on our community. The Berkeley Chamber strives to be the unifying force that brings together and leads those who work to improve the quality of life in the Berkeley County region through business growth.

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