It’s a busy summer for Project Hope Foundation, with several projects underway that will allow it to provide more life-changing services for children, youth and adults on the autism spectrum.
The organization’s new Clemson Clinic, located in Central, is expected to open in August, replacing the location currently operating at First Baptist Church of Pendleton.
“This new location will expand our ability to serve clients in that area,” said Susan Sachs, who co-founded Project Hope Foundation in 1997 with Lisa Lane, soon after their young sons were diagnosed with autism. “We’ll be able to serve almost three times the number of clients we are serving now.”
Big changes are also coming to Project Hope’s Greenwood location, with plans for new construction on the Greenwood Genetic Center Partnership Campus. In the meantime, the 30-member team will provide services at a temporary facility.
Like all of Project Hope’s nine campuses, these new locations will offer applied behavior analysis, considered the best practice treatment for children with autism. As the largest provider of ABA services in South Carolina, Project Hope provides therapy to over 300 children annually.
In addition to ABA therapy, several locations offer speech and occupational therapy. Project Hope’s school program, Hope Academy, provides K-12 education at the Landrum campus with satellite classes at the Spartanburg and Woodruff sites. Project Hope’s Woodruff campus is home to the adult services program and the Printed by Hope T-shirt printing business.
“Autistic adults print all of the shirts. Customers get great T-shirts and our clients learn valuable job skills and earn paychecks,” Sachs said. “We’re always looking at ways to diversify and add jobs to expand employment opportunities for adults with autism.”
Those shirts will be on display and for sale during the fourth annual Ride for Autism to benefit Project Hope, hosted by Harley-Davidson of Greenville on Aug. 17. With three stops along the way, riders can learn more about what Project Hope does while interacting with clients and their families.
Thanks to a Healthy Greenville Grant from the Greenville Health Authority, Project Hope is expanding its recreational services for adults with autism. The grant, “Increasing Access to Lifelong Healthy Choices,” seeks to raise awareness of healthy lifestyles and will culminate in a community walk in early fall. With funds from Women Giving for Spartanburg, Project Hope recently purchased equipment for an adult leisure area at the Spartanburg campus.
“One of the big issues for people with autism is not being aware of ways to be active. Having this equipment available makes it easy to get moving quickly so it can be a choice,” Sachs said. “Physical activity is good for the body, soul and mind, in addition to providing opportunities for peer interaction.”
Over the years, the Community Foundation of Greenville has given Project Hope $202,390 from the Margaret Linder Southern Endowment Fund, including a 2023 grant of $35,000 for a 14-passenger bus to transport autistic children and youth to education and therapy programs. A 2023 CFG Capacity Building Grant of $9,500 funded iPads for therapists providing ABA therapy.
For more information, visit projecthopesc.org.
