• When: 08/16/14
  • QIC: Termite & McLovin
  • The PAX: Sway, Cesspool, Serena, Mayhem, Snowbird, Grillz, Termite, McLovin


F3 and Palmetto Place Shelter

Conditions:  85 degrees with a strong wind of service to others

The Thang:

Palmetto Place Children’s Shelter provides a safe and nurturing environment for abused and neglected children and unaccompanied teens, offering them a broad range of services concentrating on personal healing and development. The shelter is open 24 hours each day of the year and provides medical and mental health care, crisis adjustment/transitional counseling, after-school tutoring and recreational and social activities in addition to food, clothing and shelter. 

As F3 has grown throughout Columbia and Lake Murray, many of the Pax began to ask: How can begin to live out in our communities the foundational principle of #IAmThird beyond our homes, our churches, and our workplaces?  How can we identify groups who could benefit from the collective strength of an army of ex-Sad Clowns ready to go a serve those in need fueled by the fire of living third? Several months ago, Termite brought the needs of Palmetto Place to the Pax.  Soon thereafter, Erin Hall, Executive Director of Palmetto Place, braved a Saturday morning #coffeeteria to share the mission and needs of Palmetto Place with the Pax.  Immediately, the Pax responded not with “if” they could help, but “how” and “when.”

Thanks to Sway and the leadership of F3 Columbia, a call went out to the Pax during the week of August 4; asking the Pax for donations to support our efforts.  The response was loud and clear with the Pax donating approximately $1,360.00 to purchase school supplies and food to serve to the children of PPS on August 16. On August 16, 8 Pax traveled Palmetto Place, and were eagerly greeted by the children there, who quickly offered to unload McLovin’s van with one child even asking “Are you here to play with us?”

After that, the Pax were quickly immersed into a home filled with children excited over their new backpacks and looking to shoot hoops with the Pax.  A good-ole summer time cookout ensued (burgers, dogs, watermelon, and Doritos – thanks Boris) with lots of 2ndF.  During this time, the Pax had the chance to spend time with the children, who ranged in ages from toddlers to teenagers; all great kids deserving of a chance to have the resources and support they need to achieve their full potential. The Pax then subtly, or not so subtly, began the apply the EH to the older teenage boys (“If we come back to workout with you, will you workout with us?”).  The response was a resounding “yes,” as three of the residents are playing football this fall, and jumped at the opportunity to #getbetter.  The tentative plan will be to begin workouts on August 29 with 1 to 2 Pax per workout needed to “plant, grow and serve small workout groups for young men for the invigoration of male community leadership.”  More details to come during the week of August 18.

Keep these children in your prayers, keep the staff of Palmetto Place in your prayers, keep our partnership with Palmetto Place in your prayers all the while remembering that “[as] each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.” 1 Peter 4:10-11.

Moleskin:

  • T-Claps to F3 Columbia and F3 Lake Murray for their financial support of this effort.  We have only just begun our partnership with PPS
  • T-Claps to Termite to (1) bringing this idea to the Pax, (2) cutting up a watermelon with a dull knife and (3) putting his basketball skills on display ultimately becoming a sacrificial posterized lamb during a pick-up game with a resident.
  • T-Claps to Grillz, Snowbird, Serena and Mayhem for manning the grill.  They only dropped two hot dogs on the ground, but otherwise did a heck on a job.
  • T-Claps to Cesspool for withstanding Sway’s anti-Clemson barbs and for bringing his 2.0’s, who both clearly have inherited Cesspool’s athletic genes.
  • T-Claps to Sway for being Sway, and for being quick to respond when one of the residents asked “What is F3?”  Try explaining F3 sometime to a teenager, who does not have a positive male role model in their lives.  This will stretch you brother.

0 thoughts on “F3 and Palmetto Place Shelter”

  1. It only took us 5 months to kickoff, but I think there’s a long long future here. We can never overestimate the amount of impact we are going to have if we continue to strive to build and provide for these kids.

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