On November 10, approximately 108 Prisma Health employees invested more than 700 volunteer hours on Habitat for Humanity build sites statewide – in Greenville, Laurens, Pickens, Oconee, Richland, Lexington and Sumter counties. Prisma Health Partnership Day began last year with 133 volunteers working for a total of 850 hours which set the record for the largest single day, multi-site project in South Carolina’s Habitat for Humanity history.
In Pickens County, nine employees from Prisma Health Baptist Easley Hospital volunteered at a Habitat home in Clemson to help clean and paint. Volunteer Nancy Kendall, Prisma Health Quality, Safety & Reliability Manager, said the relationship between PCHFH and Prisma demonstrates a perfect partnership because the priority of both organizations is to help the community – creating affordability and accessibility to healthcare and homeownership.
“What I love about the Habitat for Humanity philosophy is that they also partner with folks to not only get them out of poverty, but also give them life skills to be able to navigate,” she said. “For instance, they get to take classes in how to balance a checkbook, how to pay for mortgage, and things like that. We’re not giving them a fish, but teaching them how to fish and give back to society, as well.”
Jill Evans, Executive Director of PCHFH said she looks forward to Prisma Health Partnership Day as an annual event. She hopes other area businesses and service providers will follow Prisma’s lead to invest in the local community in this way.
“Prisma’s commitment to help serve our community beyond direct healthcare pairs the two things we need most – financial support and volunteer support,” Evans said. “This partnership makes it possible for yet another shelter-insecure Pickens County family to be empowered through homeownership.”
