SC STRONG offers hope, new direction for those seeking help

Sitting in a stately remodeled former officer’s house on the old Navy Base in North Charleston, dressed in a sharp business suit, Jeff Ballard is articulate, focused, and crystal clear about his current mission in life. “We teach people,” he said, while describing the South Carolina STRONG program that he leads on the site. “We teach them how to live their lives. We give them meaning and a reason to carry on.”

Both mentally and physically, Ballard is arguably a far cry from what he presented to this same facility some five years ago, when he entered on a judge’s order as an ex-offender who would otherwise have been on his way to prison.

“I had never been to prison,” he said. “But I was certain this had to be better than that.”

Today, he has successfully matriculated from SC STRONG, having met all of the program’s requirements, and now serves as the executive director.

“My probation is now long over,” added Ballard, who still resides on the SC STRONG campus and spends much of his time counseling those taking part in the program. “So I am no longer court-ordered to be here. I’ve stayed around for a few reasons, but mostly because I wanted to help give back to a place that was key to my recovery. And I believe in what we do here. It’s easy for me to get behind it and feel good about it. That’s part of me continuing on that right path.”

Ballard was the seventeenth resident to become part of the Charleston area SC STRONG initiative, which is modeled after the successful “Delancey Street” program based in San Francisco, California. Like its five other Delancey Street counterparts across the country, SC STRONG seeks to help ex-criminals, substance abusers, the homeless, and others who have hit rock bottom, embark on new beginnings through intensive intervention in a structured setting. All of the residents are men. Each commits to spending two years living and working on the site, which includes three large homes and expansive grounds. They work for the benefit of the program and earn their keep by participating in a number of SC STRONG-run businesses, which include moving services, catering, furniture restoration, light construction, and landscaping.

“We are a self-sufficient program,” said Ballard. “…We have businesses that we run that pay for all the bills, and there are a lot of expenses. So the residents come in and they are active participants in their recovery…No one has a hand out saying ‘please help me.’ They understand this coming in.”

The number one requirement? You have to want to be here.

“We’re looking for people that are really trying to change their life,” added Ballard, a top student who is close to earning his Associates Degree from Trident Technical College. “This isn’t a homeless shelter. It’s not a flop house for people who can just come and stay for a little while until they feel better. We’re looking for people that are willing to take two years and get their lives together.”

There are two ways to gain entry to the program. About 70 percent arrive via the aforementioned alternative sentencing route, said Ballard. Another 30 percent simply walk-in and ask.

“In most cases, they would be homeless, because if they had options, they would be using them,” said Ballard. “There is a bench in the foyer of this house. We sit them on the bench and say ‘let’s get an interview process started.’ There is a criteria for those we accept to determine if SC STRONG is a good fit…In certain cases, we may direct them to other places that may be able to help…We don’t accept everyone.”

Among the criteria for admission - residents have to be sober and non-violent. The facility’s homes can take up to 55 people, Ballard added. Right now they have 35. Since SC STRONG was founded here nine years ago, some 450 men have been served through the program. Participants commit to a daily schedule that includes attending regular resident meetings designed to encourage and support one another, conducting work around the complex and grounds, and taking care of basic house functions like cooking, cleaning, and laundry. In addition, those in need of educational help take classes twice weekly from other residents who have already earned their General Education Degrees. Those newest to the program initially enter what is called the “maintenance” phase of the program and are required to stay on the property for the first several months.

“It takes someone who is really willing to put the work in, to do what you need to do,” added Ballard. “The outcome is you’re gonna leave with a job, with money in your pocket, and a place to go. You’re gonna have all of that stuff figured out before you leave. And if that’s not the goal, then this might not be the place for you.”

When asked if SC STRONG has had any interest from residents of the so-called “Tent City” in downtown Charleston, a homeless conglomerate near the Meeting Street exit that is in the process of being dismantled by the City of Charleston, Ballard said “no.”

“I can only give my opinion, but I feel like a large portion of people who feel comfortable living in places like that aren't really looking for much more than that,” he added. “If someone doesn’t want help, there’s not a lot you can do for them.”

Thankfully, SC STRONG resident Thomas McArdle did want help when he entered the program a little over a year ago, instead of going to jail. Today, as he continues to work through the program, he helps get new residents acclimated and offers words of wisdom for those in need of counsel.

“We have this concept here where it’s ‘each one teach one,’” he said. “And it really goes a long way for residents here to be able to show somebody else something. It really means something.”

Most of the work on the three homes on the SC STRONG campus was completed by the residents. Before the program moved in, all three structures were boarded up and vacant. McArdle proudly showed off the re-purposed properties on a recent tour, including the beautifully restored “Quarters C,” a former Admiral’s residence and the site of a recent campaign stop by Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton.

“This is our pride and joy right here,” said McArdle, while pointing out the extensive remodeling done on the early 1900s-era home.

For McArdle, the pride he feels in leaving his mark on the physical structures here is just a small part of a much bigger reward. In addition to being one of the members who oversees the house and its residents, he also visits jails every day to screen potential new clients for the program.

“I was in jail once too,” he said. “Now I go to jails and walk through them like I have a key in my pocket. It’s pretty amazing. Hundreds of people write to us every month and unfortunately we can’t help everybody. So it’s a really strategic process trying to pick who we are going to allow in here…I definitely try to be a good role model for those people who come in behind me. It’s very rewarding. The experiences that I’ve had here have been tremendous.” Daniel Island resident Meghan Bornstein is also a mighty proponent for SC STRONG. As a member of the SC STRONG Advisory Board, Bornstein has seen firsthand the difference the program makes in the lives of participants, particularly when residents are able to get out into the community and work for one of the SC STRONG businesses.

“I’ve always been somebody to root for the underdog,” said Bornstein, who recently worked with Bishop England High School students to create a flyer for the program’s moving services. “And when they’re on a job or hosting an event, they have something to prove to people…They have pride in giving back. I just think there is something special when you watch these men on projects…There’s something so thrilling about being around them and seeing the change in them. You can just see it in their eyes, and it’s absolutely awesome.”

Ballard may once have been considered an underdog himself. But not anymore.

“I had to figure out why I was living my life that way,” he said, of the dark days that preceded his arrival at SC STRONG. “I just needed to get some understanding of myself…And I had a strong desire to change that. Thank goodness this place allowed me to go through all of the phases that I needed to go through, while keeping me safe…People do see people doing better here and want to stay and get their lives together. I’m very proud of that.”

For additional information on SC STRONG, visit www.scstrong.org.

Need a helping hand?

Consider the following businesses offered by SC STRONG:

• Moving — Residential and office

• Light Construction — Carpentry, form to finish, plumbing, drywall, masonry, painting, glazier work, signage, welding and a host of other trades.

• Landscaping Services — Irrigation, grading, plant and flower layout and design, lawn and garden maintenance.

• Furniture Restoration — Restore antiques, ranging from oilcloth covered library desks to hand-made Lowcountry drop leaf tables.

• Catering — Large (e.g., weddings) and small events. Catering truck also available.

• Christmas Tree Sales — During holiday season.

Contact South Carolina STRONG: 2510 N. Hobson Avenue North Charleston, South Carolina 29405 p. 843-554-5179 • f. 843-554-5182 sc.strong@hotmail.com