The Pate House is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community-based organization located in the quaint fishing village of McClellanville, SC, with satellite offices in Awendaw and Isle of Palms. The Pate House’s Mission is to bring people out of homelessness (or on the verge of homelessness) and poverty and improve their quality of life through mentorship, resources, counseling, training, and assistance in job placement opportunities in the community and the surrounding Charleston area. We believe that many of these unemployed/under-employed people can become active, productive participants in our community and empower themselves and their children to strive for a better and safer future. With our charity work and intervention, we strive to bring hope and purpose back into their lives. We are experiencing a growing interest and need in the community to bridge the transition from unemployment to employment, as well as assistance with job skill training and affordable housing options.
The Pate House focuses on connecting people with resources, knowledge, and encouragement through a Christ-like model. People can find themselves in situations that appear hopeless. We see women or men leaving abusive relationships, unexpected job loss, illness-related unemployment, unplanned pregnancies, and those struggling with mental illness and addiction. We help bridge the gap between those who need housing and/or employment and those in the community who may have resources or employment opportunities. On a tangible level, employment is often the first step. Steady employment has the power to deter people from crime, depression, anxiety, addiction, and hopelessness. Unemployment, on the other hand, has been found to relate closely to substance abuse, depression, crime, and other negative outcomes.
This impact can be seen on a practical level, as steady employment enables people to meet their basic needs for housing, food, clothing, and transportation. A steady income also affords people the means to pay various debts that they may owe to individuals and the state, including child support, court fees, damages, suspended driver’s licenses, and restitution. Meaningful employment empowers people to become what God created them to be for His Kingdom and His Glory.
On an intangible level, employment meets a key need for social connection and feelings of community contribution and self-worth. Attaining much-needed dental or medical care and/or working a job can help a person develop a positive identity and self-image by being able to provide for themselves and their families. Their contribution can generate more personal support and enable them to develop stronger positive relationships among family members and the community in which they live. These benefits can affect a person’s psychological well-being and promote ongoing success for themselves, their families, and the community.
Vision
To provide an economic and spiritual bridge for the displaced, homeless, veterans in need of assistance, the disadvantaged, downtrodden, and for all individuals striving to regain the basic necessities of life. On occasion, we have even helped homeless animals. Our goal is to restore hope and dignity to those in need so that they might achieve economic stability and be able to rejoin their community as full and active citizens.
Mission
To provide leadership in and form partnerships with private and public sectors and institutions in order to improve the quality of life for individuals facing homelessness and job loss. The Pate House is a comprehensive network of services that collaborates with other community outreach programs. As people move from homelessness and disadvantage into having their basic needs met, they begin to transform into productive members of the community.
“Advancing job opportunities for the unemployed and unskilled in our community” and helping people find affordable housing are our two main concerns. This will give people a real chance to become productive citizens in the community in which they live. Our goal is to help people get off the street and into productive lives. The Pate House is a place where people can receive services without judgment for their past. Helping Other People Everyday (“HOPE”) is our tagline.
The Pate House researches ways to remove barriers to opportunity, advocates those solutions to policymakers and the public, and helps innovative social enterprises deliver results on the ground. The primary pathways to opportunity – strong families, quality schools, and stable employment – which historically gave people a chance to succeed, regardless of social and economic background, have experienced a rapid decline in recent decades. We study and understand the obstacles along these pathways to success and work to break through the barriers that keep people from thriving.
For many people, finding and keeping a job is a major challenge. People can be burdened with numerous obstacles, both socio-economic and mental. The list of barriers can be long, i.e., a lack of transportation, a lack of career guidance, an ineffective resume, a prior conviction, family responsibilities, low self-esteem, drug addiction, untreated mental health issues, and being stuck in a repetitive cycle of self-destruction and hopelessness.
The Adult Learning/Resource Centers provide computer classes, career training, job readiness workshops, resume preparation, life skills workshops, GED classes, credit repair, clearing criminal background, and access to other resources to help residents improve their lives, gain employment, and even pursue higher education. We are able to help get people enrolled in these programs and encourage them to complete the programs. We currently do not have a transportation van, but we hope to have this option in the future.
Overall, The Pate House connects local employers with those who are homeless or in shelters with meaningful employment opportunities. We want them to find employment, learn new life skills, and attain job training. The Pate House’s goal is to help people learn to overcome personal, physical, financial, and emotional barriers to getting a job and or finding more permanent shelter and necessary transportation.