SOS Care will break ground for the expansion of Oak Tree Farm Friday

CORRECTION! A story that ran in a recent edition of the Horry Independent newspaper erroneously put July 20 as the date for the groundbreaking. That is wrong! It will be July 22.

By KATHY ROPP

Kathy.ropp@myhorrynews.com

The folks at SOS Care have had such a successful year that a groundbreaking for Phase 2 of Oak Tree Farm in Conway, planned for July 22 at 8:30 a.m., will also signal the beginning of Phase 3, according to Kathi Grace, director of marketing and events.

The 66-acre site, at 600 Medlen Parkway, already has what they are calling a transition house that has been home to five men for a little more than a year now. Phases 2 and 3 will add apartments for 48 more residents, men and women, and a health and wellness center that will provide 10 rooms including a sensory room, exercise room, computer lab, kitchen, medical room, classrooms, game room, offices and more. The health and fitness center is expected to be the hub of the community.

The new apartment buildings will have four apartments with one bedroom for residents who choose to live alone; 16 with two bedrooms and four with three bedrooms.

Grace said they have identified 24 of the next 48 residents and spent the past months preparing them to live alone for the first time.

Grace said they are working to meet all of the roommates’ requests they have received so far.

While this project will meet a great need, the need will continue to be overwhelming with 300 people with autism and intellectual disabilities on a waiting list, according to Grace. They’d like to see six apartment buildings in their final build-out on the 10 acres in Conway.

Grace and her cohorts couldn’t be more excited when they think about the past year.

SOS Care finished first in this year’s Palmetto Giving Day. It is always one of the top events for donations for the agency with a goal of $100,000.

But this year, the group received $321,000 within 48 hours, making it the most profitable nonprofit organization included in Palmetto Giving Day.