Meg’s House

    Apr 26, 2022 | Staying on Top

    The mission of Meg’s House is to provide housing and supportive services that reduce the impact of domestic violence and chronic homelessness in the communities we serve.

    Meg’s House has been incorporated by the state of South Carolina as a not-for-profit organization since 1990. The organization’s 24/7 toll free hotline utilizes trained advocates to respond to calls. The organization’s service area is Greenwood, Edgefield, and McCormick counties.

    The organizational structure includes a Board of Directors, an Executive Director, a Director of Finance, Director of Housing, and staff that are certified as victim service providers.

    Domestic violence (DV) is a leading cause of homelessness for women and children, and the need for safe and affordable housing is one of the most pressing concerns for survivors of violence and abuse. For instance, 80% of women with children experiencing homelessness have also experienced domestic violence (Aratani, Y., 2010).  Additionally, 57% of all women experiencing homelessness report domestic violence as the immediate cause of their homelessness (National Center for Homelessness & Health Care for the Homeless Clinicians’ Network (2019).

    Meg’s House responds to the emotional and physical needs of those experiencing domestic violence by providing shelter, transitional housing options, food, legal advocacy, and counseling services. Meg’s House responds to primary and secondary victims of crime and those experiencing homelessness to stabilize their lives by providing assistance to gain long-term permanent housing and employment skills training. Meg’s House partners with other local non-profits to assists those experiencing domestic violence and homelessness to regain control of their lives through supportive services and referrals.

    Domestic Violence Facts:

    • SC currently ranks 6th in the nation for women killed by an intimate partner (Violence Policy Center, 2021).
    • SC is among the top 10 states for rate of female homicides.
    • During the year 2019, 57 females in South Carolina were killed in SC by an intimate partner.
    • 92 percent of female victims (49 out of 53) were murdered by someone they knew.
    • In addition, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) found that 56% of battered women arrived to work late 5 times a month and 74% are harassed at work by their abusers.
    • The economic impact of domestic violence in SC is over 358 million (Jamie Kimble Foundation for Courage, 2020).

    Our organizational activities include programs that are based upon national best practices and include:

    • Residential Services
    • Legal Advocacy
    • Individual Counseling
    • 24-Hour Crisis Call System
    • Support Groups
    • Homeless Services
    • Prevention Programs

    Programs at the organization seek to address and help remedy the issue of domestic violence and its detrimental impact on families seeking affordable housing and to live free from a dangerous domestic violence situation. Domestic violence is about power and control and is clearly a problem in our service area. The abuser wants to dominate the victim/survivor and wants all the power in the relationship and uses violence in order to establish and maintain authority and power. Perpetrators of domestic violence are usually not sick or deranged, but have learned abusive, manipulative techniques and behaviors that allow them to dominate and control others to obtain the responses they desire. This type of power and control is often a reason that victims feel powerless in the justice system and often are hesitant to cooperate with the prosecution. Therefore, our legal advocacy program is designed to help victims navigate the judicial system and feel supported.

    What makes Meg’s House special and conducive to positive outcomes for program participants is that we follow our humanistic core values (trust, respect, compassion, inclusion, honesty, transparency, accountability, and flexibility) in the decision-making process. Every decision is based upon our core values which are in the best interest of the program participant.

    Upcoming Events:

    “Nine at Nite” Golf Fundraiser

    • Date: September 9, 2022
    • Registration: 6:30pm to 6:45pm
    • Time: 7:00pm-9:30pm
    • Location: The Links at Stoney Point 709 Swing About, Greenwood, SC 29649
    • For more information about our Nine at Nite Golf Fundraiser, contact:

    “Feet 2 The Street” Homeless Awareness 5k Run/Walk

    • Date: Saturday November 19, 2022
    • Start Time: 9:00am
    • End Time: 11:00am
    • Location: Greenwood SC
    • For more information about our Feet 2 The Street Awareness 5K Run/ Walk, contact:

    Organization website: www.megshouse.org