On July 17, the Greenville Drive is competing against Frederick Keys for Community Night, and we’re marking the evening by celebrating several community partners who do meaningful work across the Upstate. You’ll find them at tables along the concourse throughout the game, so be sure to stop by, say hello, and learn how you can get involved. First pitch is at 6:45 PM, with a fireworks show after the final out. Here’s who you’ll meet.
United Ministries
United Ministries is a direct-services organization that serves individuals and families experiencing scarcity, providing for basic needs and offering supportive services that help neighbors reach self-sufficiency. Their vision is a Greenville community working together so everyone has access to the resources and opportunities to thrive, and they carry it out through three service areas: housing stability, economic mobility, and homeless services.
There are a few ways to get involved. You can attend one of the community events they host throughout the year, volunteer as an individual, a group, or on a recurring basis, and give through an in-kind donation of needed goods or a monetary gift. One to put on your calendar is their Pickle for a Purpose Pickleball Fundraiser on October 1, 2026, at Pickle Par. Learn more at united-ministries.org.
Gateway
Gateway is a Greenville community where adults living with serious mental illness rebuild their lives through friendship, meaningful work, and belonging. For more than 40 years, members have worked side by side with staff to run every part of the Clubhouse, and from there they return to employment, education, housing, and community life. Gateway is internationally accredited and recognized as an evidence-based program, and it’s one of only a handful of training sites in the world teaching this model to colleagues across the globe. At its heart, though, it’s simple: a place where people who’ve often been told what they can’t do discover everything they can.
There are lots of ways to be part of Gateway’s story. Come see it for yourself, because nothing tells the story better than meeting the members, and they love giving tours. Employers can partner with them to hire members through their supported employment program, donations are gladly accepted, and you’re invited to their annual fundraiser, Beautiful Music for Beautiful Minds, on September 10. One thing they always want people to know: recovery from mental illness is real, and it happens in community. There’s never a cost to members, and if you or someone you love is in crisis, help is always available by calling or texting 988. Schedule a tour, give, or learn more at gateway-sc.org.
Piedmont Women’s Center
Piedmont Women’s Center has provided pregnancy and women’s care at no cost to clients in need since 1991, with a mission to educate, equip, and empower the Upstate of South Carolina to choose life and change lives. Their free services include medical-grade pregnancy testing, pregnancy consultations, limited OB ultrasounds, STI assessment and education, well-woman exams, child loss support, parenting classes, and material resources across three Upstate locations. Alongside those tangible resources, they point the women they serve to Jesus Christ as the source of hope.
They’re always looking for helping hands and generous hearts, and there are many ways to connect: through prayer, resource coaching, registered nursing, and special events, or by staying in touch through their monthly newsletter and prayer text community. Giving is easy through their website. Head to the “Volunteer” section to join the PWC team, and learn more at piedmontwomenscenter.org.
Faith and Support Ministry
Faith and Support Ministry is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose purpose is to bring comfort, support, and encouragement to patients diagnosed with breast cancer. They do it through a Cancer Care Bag, given free of charge, for patients to use during treatment. Each bag includes a mastectomy pillow, a port pillow for chemotherapy patients with a port, a tank top with Velcro shoulders and an interior drain-tube pocket, and small care items like lotion, hand sanitizer, and lip balm, along with printed materials, tips, and words of encouragement.
The ministry is funded entirely by donations and grants, with no overhead or salary costs, and you can give through their website. There are also opportunities to help prepare the products for the Care Bags, made by a group of volunteers who meet once a month, and you don’t need to know how to sew to pitch in. The bags ship free of charge throughout the United States and can be ordered online. Learn more or get involved at faithandsupport.org.
Greenville Area Parkinson Society (GAPS)
The Greenville Area Parkinson Society (GAPS) is the only organization serving people living with Parkinson’s disease in the Upstate of South Carolina. It gives individuals and families affected by Parkinson’s a place to connect with a supportive community, find resources, and take part in educational and wellness programs, all free to those living with the disease, their care partners and caregivers, and their family members. Their commitment is to the quality of life of everyone Parkinson’s touches, through support, advocacy, and practical tools for managing the physical, emotional, and social sides of the disease.
GAPS currently meets the needs of an estimated 4,500 people living with Parkinson’s here, offering 32 programs each month, and last year more than 2,500 attendees benefited from them at no cost. You can help by volunteering, taking part in one of their two annual fundraisers, or giving. GAPS is a local nonprofit funded by Upstate corporations and individuals, and 100% of donations stay local. Learn more at gapsonline.org.
One more partner to watch for
Keep an eye on the big screen during the game, too. Jumpstart won’t be on the concourse, but they’ll be featured in a video shown throughout the night. Jumpstart is a Christ-centered prison discipleship and reentry program that has walked with incarcerated men and women across South Carolina since 2008, offering a continuum of care that continues after release through housing, employment, and mentoring. Learn more at jumpstartsc.org.
Get to know them
Whether you meet them at the ballpark or you’re reading this long after the final out, every one of these organizations would welcome your time, your support, or simply a conversation. Follow the links, learn their stories, and get to know the organizations doing the most important work in the Upstate.
