Every first Friday of the month, HOPE Missions of the Upstate and supporting agencies such as Asher House, Foothills Community Health Care, Anderson Free Clinic, and Alston Wilkes Society collaborate with The LOT Project for a special community program we call First Friday! This is a time for the community to receive shoes, outerwear, breakfast, haircuts, and information on resources in the area.
September 2024 Distribution
September’s First Friday was a tremendous success, thanks to the collaboration between Alston Wilkes, Clean Start, Cuts for Confidence, DMH, DPH, FAVOR, Foothills Community Health Care, The LOT Project, Upstate Warrior Solution, and Welvista.
Guests enjoyed a hearty breakfast, stylish haircuts, and access to valuable service information from community partners. Additionally, participants had the opportunity to receive shoes, socks, belts, hoodies/coats, blankets, and fun extras!
October’s First Friday, we collaborated between Alston Wilkes, Clean Start, Cuts for Confidence, DMH, DPH, FAVOR, Foothills Community Health Care, The LOT Project, Healthy Start program (Prisma Health), and Welvista. We saw an increase in volunteers, which helped with the hospitality in the waiting area, as well as moving people smoothly through the process to obtain haircuts, clothing, and learn information on community service providers!
October 2024 Distribution
For November’s First Friday, we are seeking donations of hoodies, belts, cots, and men’s shoes in sizes 14 and 15.
We are deeply grateful for the generosity of our donors, whose contributions of clothing have been a blessing to so many. We also extend heartfelt thanks to our wonderful community partners, who continue to make a positive impact on the lives of those we serve.
Together, through God’s grace, we can meet the needs of our community and share His love with those in need.
First Friday: Reflecting for the future
Looking back, from January 2022 through October 2024, we have had the privilege of serving 823 unique individuals through our First Friday gatherings.
Of these, 51% attended just once, while one dedicated individual joined us for 23 of the 33 months. The majority of those we serve are low-income seniors, with seniors making up 45% of our overall guests and 82% of our regular attendees.
We invite you to not only join us for our next First Friday event on November 1st, 2024, at The LOT Project, but also to pray for those we serve—especially the seniors who attend regularly. Your prayers make a difference.
If you feel called to do more, please consider donating or getting involved in supporting this important outreach. Together, we can continue to serve and bless those in need.
If you are interested in volunteering to be apart of First Fridays, please contact The LOT Project