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The Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce hosted its 77th Annual Meeting & Awards Celebration on March 13 at Tri-County Technical College-Easley Campus. Sponsored by Truliant Federal Credit Union, the event honored several businesses and individuals for their leadership and community service.
Among those awards, The Storehouse of Pickens County was honored as the 2054 Non-Profit of the Year, which recognizes an organization that has demonstrated a strong effort in successfully using its organizational mission and resources to improve the quality of life in Pickens County, along with working in close partnership with the business community to achieve the desired results.
The Storehouse was officially established in 2021 and carries a mission to “foster relationships that transform lives, offering the love of Jessu as the foundation for lasting hope”. The do this through “dedication and love to all the neighbors of Pickens, Greenville, and Anderson Counties. In times of crisis, they provide hope, kindness, and essential resources to help individuals and families build sustainable, brighter futures.”
The Storehouse has existed since 2005 when 5 Point Church created a food pantry when whuch was ignited when a man showed up to their church asking for food. There was no pantry established, and a member of the church gave this man the only cash they had with them: 5 dollars. The following week came, and another individual showed up asking for help because that man had told them the church had given him something. The visits requesting help became a weekly occurrence, therfore a food pantry was established to fulfill the need of Pickens County Residents.
Then in 2021, 5 Point Church acquired a 50,000 square foot building, with 20,000 square feet dedicated to The Storehouse. The organization provides their services without any financial requirements, because everyone can go through a time of crisis.
Now, they offer two drive throughs, one in Easley and another at the Powdersville First Baptist Church for residents who are farther and still need help. They offer a Market twice a week for residents and families. At the Market, they get to choose the products they will use while getting on a path to financial independence as they are paired with a financial advisor to help them create a plan. This service can be used as long as needed with no time limit. They also offer the market once a week for seniors who are 60 and over. The seniors get a box of food which is sponsored by the Department of Agriculture and no senior is ever turned down. In total, they serve over 34,000 people each year, making them the second largest food pantry in Upstate South Carolina.
Beyond the food pantry, they help individuals and families with financial literacy programs and counseling and are working to finish out Phase II within the next couple of years. Phase II will utilize the rest of the space to add more community resources for residents in need. They want to make it a one-stop for all community resources where someone can come for help by getting to know all the resources that can be available to them. They will aid in filling forms that are for local, state, or federal help. This will be done in partnership with other non-profits who will utilize a portion of the space to set up their office to offer services residents may be seeking.
This is all managed by one employee, Lesa Howard and aided by 5 Point Church and its many volunteers. It flourishes because of its volunteers and because of the many partnerships with individuals, families, and businesses. As it continues to grow, their mission remains the same and they remain true to dedicating and serving our neighbors in Pickens, Greenville and Anderson Counties to restore the “faith, hope, and love” of individuals and families. With that, please join the Greater Easley Chamber of Commerce in honoring The Storehouse of Pickens County as the 2025 Non-Profit of the Year.