© 2003, Rotary Club of Charleston

P.O. Box 21029
Charleston, SC 29413-1029

Club secretary:
Carroll Schweers
chasrot@comcast.net

Star Gospel Mission celebrates 100th year
Welfare mission helps the area's downtrodden

FEB. 17, 2004 - The Star Gospel Mission located on Meeting Street in Charleston is South Carolina's oldest Christian welfare mission according to David Garner, a long-term volunteer at the mission who spoke to Rotarians on February 17.

The Mission held its first services on April 21, 2004 in a former vaudeville theater located on the corner of King and Columbus Streets in Charleston. It has continued its services in Charleston ever since that date. The Mission believes that addressing such things as homelessness, poverty, hunger, transience, and mental health issues is a Christian duty.

The mission provides housing to up 21 men at a time for up to 60 days each. It strives to provide such men with a safe, clean and comfortable environment, where they receive spiritual guidance, as well as assistance with practical skills such as how to find employment, how to start a savings plan, how to get a GED, and how to address addictions. The Mission also provides two square meals a day to those staying in its dormitory.

The Mission is open to men of all faiths and races, but in order to stay at the Mission, individuals must be sober. Garner conceded that because so many of the men who stay at the Mission have drug and alcohol addictions, despite the Mission's efforts, the "success rate is not great." Many of these men simply fall back into their addictions after leaving the Mission's oversight.

As it celebrates its 100th year, the Mission is holding its first ever capital campaign. It seeks to raise $1 million to expand its dormitory, kitchen, bathrooms, and staff and to build a new chapel. The Mission's Directors are personally charged with raising $250,000 of the desired funds.

Garner said that the Mission has a "strong Rotary connection" because so many Rotarians, including Doug Donahue, are volunteers, and because the Mission also follows something akin to the Rotary motto of "service above self."

Garner hopes the Mission will help change lives for many years to come.

In other business…

Bill Trawick gave the invocation and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance, and Andy Anderson welcomed our guests and visiting Rotarians. Myron Harrington offered Health and Happiness. Anita Zucker gave us a Rotary moment from the 1949-1950 archives, and shared with us a video soliciting attendees for the March 2004 District Conference. Finally, Doug Donehue introduced our guest speaker, David H. Garner.

-- Amy Jenkins