The Williamsburg Enterprise Community Commission, Inc., (WECC) has been instrumental in improving the lives of residents in the Enterprise Community and Williamsburg County. As a grassroots organization, directed by a volunteer board and managed by a paid staff, we have accomplished much of our strategic plan. We must still do much, much more to completely implement the plan. We worked with a transitional housing program, a community and capacity building grant, developed community learning centers, partnered with educational institutions, local, state, and federal government and other entities to enhance the quality of life for economic development and job creation.

The Steering Committee held meetings in all census tracts, at least twice, to obtain information from the communities. The WECC receive this input for direction and goal setting. We also updated the community’s citizens on what has been accomplished under the benchmarks and strategic plan.

Numerous other meetings were held throughout the community. The WECC implemented a grant from the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, holding eight community relations and capacity building meetings in the community, and held a student forum at Greeleyville High School, and held two Board and staff retreats. The January retreat was designed to build individual capacity and community relations in the E/C. Additionally, s goals were set to improve housing, creating or join a credit union to provide another banking source for community citizens and to create Individual Development Accounts (IDA). A second retreat was held in August, which focused on training and sharing information that built capacity of staff, board members, community leaders, organizations, and persons in the community. Finally, this effort brought members of the board and community together to participate in facilitation training on race relations in October. This capacity building has resulted in a successful grant proposal done in partnership, continued funding of programs and a greater awareness of community needs and the WECC’s efforts to help meet those needs.

The WECC reached out to public schools, the technical college, faith based organizations and other entities inviting them to participate in the capacity building meetings. We were successful in forming new partnerships with the Williamsburg County faith based organizations, public school system, adult education and technical college which resulted in the Enterprise Community receiving a grant to create community computer technology training centers throughout the E/C. Four centers are now in operation. All of this was done to help educate our citizens and build capacity that will improve their quality of life.

JOBS: The WECC has continued to meet with and support the Williamsburg County Development Board in its efforts to bring new jobs. Due to the partnership and cooperation of local, state and federal governments trying to improve economic development, 1,400 new jobs were announced for the Enterprise Community and Williamsburg County during the year 2000. These jobs did not include 400 jobs that will be coming to the Enterprise Community and Williamsburg County because of the Federal Prison.

ClientLogic – A computer service technology company has built a plant, trained and hired more than 150 employees and by late spring of 2001 that number will increase to 400-500 employees. GSE has 25 employees and will eventually employ 150. Tip Top Tees, a tee shirt manufacturer, has 155 employees in place and expects to employ up to 400. Valley Forge Flag located in the EC and is planning to employ up to 200 in their flag making facility. Insurall, an insurance service company, is locating in the county and plans to hire 400 new employees with annual salaries averaging $28,000-$40,000. Many of these persons will come from the Enterprise Community and Williamsburg County.

The WECC submitted funding applications alone and in partnership with other organizations and entities.

The total amount of funds requested in the year 2000 was $1,972,644. Total funding approved for the WECC is $341,459. Some of this amount has not been received and other funding proposals are pending. Other loans and grant funds have come into the community because of the WECC endorsement, or the E/C actively participated in writing the request, includes a $3,629,190 21st Century Community Learning Center grant from the US Department of Education to the Williamsburg County School to provide a three year program on Community Learning. The Town of Kingstree received $300,000 for the South Carolina Department of Transportation to build a lighted bicycle/walking recreational trail, and $4,500,000 in loans and grants to Williamsburg County Water Department to provide potable water to more than 475 rural households.

The Enterprise Community awarded $50,000 to the Farmers Co-op in Greeleyville. $10,000 of which was for operations and $40,000 the EC received from USDA Rural Development to build a green house. The WECC also gave a $5,020 grant to Williamsburg County Sheriff Department Neighborhood Legal Assistance Program, Inc., $33,720 to Black River Health Care to continue with the prescriptions drug and health-screening program for senior citizens and $80,600 to DHEC to provide local health services.

During the year we have been very successful with our loans from the Revolving Loan Fund and the Intermediary Relenting Program. We have made loans totaling more than $400,000 and have approved loan packages for more than $390,000 from these funds.

In spite of being under an audit of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) and an operational audit for most of the year, the WECC has continued to make progress in implementing its benchmarks and strategic plan.

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