Early in their first semester at Wofford College, Sydney Heslop ’28, Maura Jackson ’28, Carlee Mason ’28 and Grant Owen ’28 walked into the Robert Hett Chapman III Center for Philanthropy unsure of what to expect. They had been given the assignment by Dr. Alysa Handelsman of getting to know Spartanburg and some of its leaders, and the Spartanburg County Foundation seemed like a good place to start.
“When we walked in, Troy Hanna, the president and CEO of the Spartanburg County Foundation, just happened to be walking out of a meeting. We talked for 20 minutes,” says Owen, a native of Setauket, New York, who plans to major in finance at Wofford.
The time with Hanna made an impression on the Wofford students, but it also made an impression on Hanna, who, along with others from the SCF, surprised the student a few weeks later with a “Just Because” ambush philanthropy grant. The students were given the grant with the expectation that they identify and donate the money to a local nonprofit.
“My ‘Imagining Spartanburg’ liberal arts seminar students have loved volunteering all semester with the 15 elementary school students at Prince Hall Apartments. They form part of an after-school program, Determined Minds, that USC Upstate and Wofford lead in collaboration with Spartanburg Housing,” says Handelsman, assistant professor of sociology and anthropology. Because of this relationship, the students decided to give the grant to Housing360, Spartanburg Housing’s nonprofit affiliate organization. The funds will purchase healthy snacks and other supplies for the Determined Minds afterschool program.
The grant motivated the class to do even more. Handelsman’s students raised funds to hold a holiday party for the Determined Minds students and their families that included crafts, activities, pizza and a visit from Santa. Each student also left with a bag of gifts and surprises based on wish-lists they created.
Wofford students divided up responsibilities to ensure the party’s success. Owen, who helped start a food pantry at his home church in New York, was in charge of fundraising.
“The grant inspired others to give so we could make a greater impact,” he says.
Heslop, a native of Summerville, S.C., who plans to major in business economics and government, managed crafts.
“I spent my Thanksgiving break on Pinterest,” says Heslop, who has a long history of supporting community initiatives in Summerville. “I knew we had a tight budget, so I worked to find inexpensive but fun options. … I have learned so much already in this course. A fact that stood out to me is that only 4% of people born into poverty are able to escape it in their adult life. When Dr. Handelsman asked us to guess the statistic, I guessed upwards of 60%. This course has been eye-opening.”
Mason, who grew up in Spartanburg, says the class has shown her a side of the community she’s never experienced.
“I am learning more about my hometown than I have in the past,” she says. “My curiosity and desire to study and do more have increased because of my deeper understanding.”
Hanna and his colleagues at SCF are impressed. “We are appreciative of the Wofford students’ decision and their thought process and due diligence in awarding this grant,” he says. “Housing360 participated in the Spartanburg County Foundation’s Nonprofit Capacity Building Boot Camp this year to learn about building Housing360 to support Spartanburg Housing. We’re excited that the students in Dr. Handelsman’s class continue to make an impact on the students in Determined Minds through Housing360.”
Handelsman’s students also have spent time at Carver Middle School, Mary H. Wright Elementary and Cleveland Academy of Leadership. They have worked at The Bridge, Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church and the Bethlehem Center. They have attended City Council and Northside and Una-Saxon-Arcadia neighborhood association meetings. Students also received Cradle-To-Career training from the Spartanburg Academic Movement, attended the THRIVE Conference on Childhood Resilience and volunteered with the 50+ program at Dr. T.K. Gregg and CC Woodson Community Center. They shadowed those involved in affordable housing development, and they worked at the Urban Farm … oh, and they attended class.
Callie Henline ’23, service coordinator for Spartanburg Housing’s Family Self-Sufficiency Program, understands exactly why the “Imagining Spartanburg” class and community engagement opportunities are important. She was part of Handelsman’s Community Sustainability Seminar. The Imagining Spartanburg course is a stepping-stone for students who will eventually register for a more intensive community-engagement experience.
“I’m from North Carolina, and I chose to stay in Spartanburg after graduation and join this community because of the experience I had in one of Dr. Handelsman’s community sustainability classes,” she says. As a student, Henline directed Chef’s Club at Mary H. Wright Elementary School. “I’m so grateful that I had the opportunity to learn beyond Wofford’s campus in the greater Spartanburg community. I loved collaborating with so many different community partners as a student, and that’s something I still enjoy in my work with Spartanburg Housing.”