SOS Care

SOS Care

A mission of First Presbyterian Church

Our mission is to answer the call for help when individuals or families are facing the challenges of autism and intellectual disabilities.

In response to the CDC’s call for action and the results of surveys of persons with disabilities across the Myrtle Beach area, SOS Care sought to embed CDC healthy living objectives in the design of its Oak Tree Farm community center. Through the award of a generous grant from the Chapin Foundation, SOS is able to make health and fitness the focus of Oak Tree Farm’s community center, now named the Chapin Health & Wellness Center.

The 4000 s.f. Chapin Health and Wellness Center, at an estimated $1.16m, will include a multi-purpose room, fitness room, accessible pool, private exam/tele-medicine room, kitchen, classroom, conference room, and more. Additional contributors include The First Presbyterian Church, which will fund an exam/tele-medicine room. Little River Medical Center will provide free or low-cost health and mental health screenings, and medical and dental exams. The Grand Strand Miracle Leagues will provide community walking trails and fitness trailheads. SOS’s Holistic Health Program, supported by the SC Developmental Disabilities Council, will offer fitness classes and teach good nutrition in the community kitchen. SOS will expand existing programs for independent living, employment and social skills at the Center as well.

The Chapin Health and Wellness Center project at Oak Tree impacts the lives of persons with autism and intellectual disabilities, and fulfills SOS’s mission, by answering the call for help from:

• • individuals with disabilities, by providing opportunities for independence, good health, and the human dignity that should be afforded all adults in our communities.

• • parents and caregivers of individuals with disabilities, by providing their loved ones with opportunities for increased mental and physical health, and by providing them with more peace of mind as they experience aging and retirement,

• • disability rights, public health and community organizations, by modeling and leading best practices and evidence-based programs for adults with disabilities, housing, health and more.

• • SOS’s partners, including First Presbyterian Church, Little River Medical Center, Grand Strand Miracle Leagues, Horry County Community Development, the Myrtle Beach Housing Authority, the SC Dept. of Disabilities and Special Needs, SC Vocational Rehab, the SC Developmental Disabilities Council, and the Medical University of South Carolina, who share our sense of obligation and commitment to continuously expand and improve services, and achieve excellence, for individuals with disabilities, families, stakeholders and our community at large.