Investing in comprehensive care transforms the life of a child. Epworth has many stories of success and hope. We have captured some of those here and made them available for your to read and share. Please note that names and pictures have been changed for the protection of our children. Check back as stories are added on a regular basis.
An Expanding Circle of Love
Growing up in Tennessee, Brittney Conroy’s home life was riddled with divorce, addiction, and mental health struggles. The conflict and confusion left Brittney feeling lonely
Lifetime Connections
Bernice Porter Riggs of Lexington remembers the cold December day in 1951 when her father dropped her and her three sisters off at Epworth. At
Answered Prayers
Lowcountry resident Qwan Butler, 46, grew up in a large extended family and knew from an early age that she wanted children. In 2020, after
Akira is Making a Difference
Akira stood over the stove, frying bacon for herself and her cottage mates. After everyone filled their plates, she placed leftovers in the refrigerator, washed
We Were Made for More
Charleston couple Allison and Bo Cordle are the kind of people willing to take bold chances to create the most fulfilling and meaningful lives possible.
From Childhood Dream to Reality
Epworth’s growing Foster Care program recruits and supports foster families with training, services, fellowship with other foster parents, and more. When a foster parent chooses
Fostering Family Ties: Kinship Care
Gina and Albert, a South Carolina couple in their mid-30s, invited Amelia, now 16, into their rural home in 2021. “Amelia was my cousin’s child,”
Steering Teens Toward Better Futures
School bus driver Michelle Harris, 52, said that growing up in New York as the only child of a single working mom, she lived a
Life Lessons in Patience and Love
Lead Clinical Specialist A’Nadia Anderson recruits and supports foster parents for an Upstate foster agency. So, when the 38-year-old, with her husband Desmond, decided to
You Have the House, Now Go Get the Kids
Has there ever been a time in your life when everything seemed to fall into place almost without effort, as if fate – or God
The Rules of Love
“You’re the best mommy I could ever ask for.” When 12-year-old Kylie first spoke those words to Epworth foster mom Jennifer Rule months ago, Jennifer
Encircling Parents with Love and Support
Ripley, a 35- year-old divorced mom from the Upstate, works 50-60 hours a week at two jobs to provide for her daughters, 7-year-old Ivy and
Family Values
By the time Mandy and her siblings were taken into foster care, the 16-year-old lagged nearly two grades behind her peers. She often found herself
Lily Looks to the Future
Many people recall childhood as a time of safety and comfort when mom or dad took care of everything. Eighteen-year-old Lily carries starkly different memories
Full House, Full Hearts
During pre-marital counseling at their Baptist church, Sarah and Justin Weller were advised to think through where they wanted to be in five years as
Comeback Kid: Charlie Sprints Ahead in School
When 10-year-old Charlie arrived at Epworth in 2021, he was a second grader who had been identified as a student with a developmental disability. He
Rising to the Challenge
Growing up Natalie lacked a stable home life and dependable role models. At 16 years old, Natalie found herself making bad decisions and she became
David: A Young Man Ready to Succeed in Life
David* is a leader, a young man regarded by his peers at Epworth as someone to emulate, a friend to look up to. He is
Home for the Holidays
Often when people think of foster care, children’s homes, and residential care, the first thing that comes to mind is the separation of a child
The Epworth Basketball Boys
I can accept failure; everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.” – Michael Jordan For the first time in a few years,
The Boys of Doug Gray
If the walls of Doug Gray Cottage, one of Epworth’s cottages that houses young men ages 15-18, could talk, there are hundreds of stories it
Makala’s Story
The things that stand out most from our childhood influence who we become as adults. Our memories are our treasures. Maybe it is the way
How Community Broke Down Barriers to Foster Care
A little over four years ago at a Serve the City Event with Midtown Fellowship in Columbia, Mollie learned about Epworth Children’s Home and the
“Being at Epworth Really Grounded Me” -Maria’s Story
As a teen girl, Maria is wise beyond on her years. She is a member of the ROTC, Youth Council, and this past semester she
Siblings Stay Together at Epworth
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Epworth received a call about a large sibling group that needed a safe space immediately. The sibling group
Farming for the Future
As farmers, Sarah and Brandon Bowers know that growth doesn’t happen overnight. Growth takes time and effort, light, warmth, nurture, patience, and honestly, a lot
International Youth Day
We often hear reminders on social media of the quote of the late Fred Rogers, “Look for the helpers, you will always find people who
Finding her Way: Sara’s Story
Many people look back on their teen years as some of the best or worst times of their lives. Those years are filled with finding
Family Forever
Here at Epworth, we love to celebrate wins. Whether it is honor roll for the first time, learning a new skill, getting a new job
The Gift of the Magi
Years ago there was a movie called the Gift of the Magi. The movie was based on a story about a poor young wife who
