Seeking to extend its influence regionally, Grace began examining Allendale County, a small rural county in South Carolina close to the Upstate where significant needs exist. We challenge members of Grace to engage in their communities, the city and the world with both words and actions. For 16 years in the Greenville area and since 2002 in Kenya, Nicaragua, Peru, and the Bahamas, Grace Members have been impacting lives connecting good deeds with the good news of Jesus Christ. Allendale County is in the midlands of South Carolina where:

• 40% of the population lives below the poverty line;
• 70% of households do not include a married couple;
• 90% of children are eligible for free lunch;
• Zero students qualified for LIFE Scholarships to four year institutions;
• 32% of children are born to mothers with less than a high school education; and
• 22% of workers are unemployed.

During 2009, we began talking with local pastors, business leaders, school representatives, and long time residents to get an understanding of the difficulties and challenges of living in Allendale County. Generational poverty is evident based on the educational system, job opportunities, housing conditions, and lack of hope heard in resident’s voices.

We slowly began to make connections in anticipation of creating long term serving opportunities in Allendale. Beginning in 2009, we provided school supplies to all first graders at Allendale Elementary School and Fairfax Elementary School. As an extension of our Adopt-A-Child program, we have sent more than 100 students and chaperones to Charleston and Columbia during the Christmas season visiting aquariums, museums, college campuses, have dinner at local restaurants, and attend Christmas plays. Few of these children had ever been to Charleston or Columbia. These day long cultural trips allowed these children an opportunity to see first hand life outside their community, create hope for a different future, and help break a cycle of generational poverty. Check out some pictures of these student tours.

In 2010, we have extended our relationships with the Allendale Schools, learning from our experience with Monaview Elementary. A spring cultural event, teacher appreciation lunches, and opportunities to interact with parents have occurred. Two youth trips occurred in June 2010 with over 120 Grace Students spending nearly two weeks in Allendale and Fairfax conducting sport camps, planting a neighborhood garden, and painting schools and other community buildings. Several community groups in addition to youth teams helped renovate the newly donated Boys and Girls Club facility in Fairfax. During Spring Break 2011, students from Anderson University and Clemson University came down for a week to serve within the community. Our goal is to provide opportunities for our members to serve on one day or weekend trips in order to answer God’s call to be culturally engaged without leaving South Carolina.

Joey and Joanna Espinosa and their three children moved down to Allendale full-time in April of 2011 to pursue full-time mission work. Since, Joey has been serving as the unit director for the Boys and Girls Club in Fairfax, South Carolina. Check out his blog, Mission Allendale, to get updates and insights on their experiences in Allendale County.