History 

Our Story

 HOUSE OF HOPE OF THE PEE DEE

Jean and Bill Fryar saw a shelter in Florence turn away as many as 20 homeless people in 1988 and felt deeply troubled by the lack of a safe haven for them. This became a moment that changed their lives forever. They ignited a mission that opened its doors to the  homeless of the Pee Dee in 1990.

MEN’S HOME

In 1991 the original men’s shelter was opened in Effingham, SC and was called the New Life Rescue Ministry. 2006 – the New Life Rescue Ministry changed its name to House of Hope of the Pee Dee and expanded our offerings to include a women and children’s home for long term recovery.  

COURTNEY MCGINNIS GRAHAM COMMUNITY SHELTER

The 2015 death of a local homeless advocate prompted her family to want to open an emergency shelter to honor her work, and they contacted the House of Hope to see about partnering with us. The Courtney McGinnis Graham Shelter opened in October of 2016. 

Because the Pee Dee lacked long-term transitional housing for women and children, in 2019 the staff began to dream about tiny houses to meet that need.

HOPE VILLAGE

On September 2020 ground was broken for 24 tiny houses, for dignified, long-term, transitional housing, initially for women and children. And in June of 2022 the first guests were welcomed into HOPE Village.

The House of Hope ministry has grown from two people to nearly 50 employees. Today we still have the same heart “for the least of these” that Bill and Jean Fryar did more than 30 years ago when they first established their ministry for the homeless in Florence, South Carolina.

THE ARC

In June of 2023 the Addictions Recovery Center (ARC) opened offering men 139 acres for recovery from addictions. This new addition is the first step in a 12 month program.

What Are We Doing Now?

 The Church Community Resource Center

The House of Hope has always strived to listen to God for His direction in our service to the homeless. For several years the House of Hope has had a vision for a “Community Resource Building” that would offer showers, laundry, lockers, food, vouchers, free Wi-Fi, and free PDRTA passes to any one that meets with our highly skilled and trained case management team. It would be a friendly place of refuge during storms, heat waves, and cold snaps, or just a regular day that a person facing homelessness wants to avoid the general public. Lastly it will be a place where our partner agencies could set up and minister to the other needs for our local homeless population.

The House of Hope is excited to imagine this new opportunity to serve the community through this day program. We know that in God’s timing this project will become a reality.

Please pray that all God’s people will be served.

To God,
The Glory.