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SERVICE PROJECTS
CIVITAN REHABILITATION WORKSHOP
The Civitan Club of Spartanburg established the Civitan Rehabilitation Workshop in 1958. It was
the first sheltered workshop in the Spartanburg area. The mission was to provide employment for
clients with physical and mental disabilities. After struggling in recent years with increased
competition from federally and state funded workshops, this project has now taken on new
life. In 2000, we provided employment to over sixty clients with an annual payroll of over
$275,000. We have now acquired a fifteen-passenger van so our clients can perform
work in customer facilities.
In 2000, the workshop was relocated from the familiar old rock armory
building on St. John Street to make room for downtown revitalization projects. It's present location
at 925 Beaumont Avenue, Spartanburg, SC, provides even better service to the community. Under the
leadership of its director and fellow civitan, John Few, this facility has become a source of pride
for the Spartanburg community.
History and Update
CHARLES LEA CENTER HORTICULTURE PROJECT
The Charles Lea Center Horticulture Project was initiated in 1973 when the Civitan Club of
Spartanburg provided funds for the construction of a 3,240 square foot greenhouse
and building on the campus of the Charles Lea Center For Rehabilitation and
Special Education, Inc., located in Spartanburg, SC.
These facilities have been used to
train handicapped students at the Center how to
grow plants from seeds and cuttings. The Civitan
Club of Spartanburg is very proud of this
program and the part it has played in
establishing it. We have contributed over
$21,000 towards this project. Every spring, with
the assistance and promotion of the Civitan Club
of Spartanburg, the Charles Lea Center sells the
plants the children have grown to help raise
money to support this project.
CIVITAN CLUB OF SPARTANBURG SCHOLARSHIP FUND
The
Civitan Club of Spartanburg Scholarship Fund was
established in October of 1998, to assist
primarily graduating high school seniors in
Spartanburg County with sight or hearing
impairment, multi-disabled, or developmental
disabilities. Prior to the establishment of this
fund, the Spartanburg County Foundation had no
scholarships for special need students. Our
scholarship fund grew to almost $14,000 in its
first year. We envision assisting many special
friends in becoming self-sufficient through
higher education.
CIVITAN INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH CENTER
In 1989, Civitan International delegates at the
Chicago convention voted to begin an
international flagship project in cooperation
with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
This project became known as the Civitan
International Research Center. This is now a
60,000 square foot facility on the UAB campus
affiliated with the medical school, involved in
research and clinical activities associated with
mental retardation and developmental
disabilities (MR/DD). This facility now has over
300 scientists, faculty, clinicians, and staff
involved in studying the causes and effects of
MR/DD. Currently over 20,000 families each year
are impacted by the $11 million annual budgeted
programs of the Civitan
International Research Center
SPECIAL OLYMPICS
The
mission of Special Olympics is to provide
year-round sports training and athletic
competition in a variety of well-coached
Olympic-type sports for children and adults with
mental retardation, or closely related
developmental disabilities, by providing them
with continuing opportunities to develop
physical fitness, demonstrate courage,
experience joy and participate in the sharing of
gifts, skills, and friendship with their
families, other Special Olympics athletes, and
the community. Civitan International is a
principal sponsor of the International Special
Olympic Games. The Civitan Club of Spartanburg
supports Special Olympics on the local,
State
and International levels. |
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