Giving A Hand Up
Collaborating to transform lives across the Tri-State Region of GA, SC, and NC
About the Tri-State Center
Impacting Community, Transforming Lives, Is Our Mission
Our mission is to equip and assist groups of participating South Atlantic Conference volunteers to develop and execute strategic, effective, collaborative approaches to sustainable, transformative community development initiatives and outcomes.
The Tri-State Center Approach to Community Empowerment
A man may need a fish to feed his family today, and it might be prudent to give him a fish because of his situation in the here and now. However, spending time with him to discover his underlying need may result in realizing that he actually wants to catch his own fish to provide for his family.
Respecting his ambition and dignity may cause a shift from expecting to give him a hand-out to giving him a hand up. Now the mission becomes teaching him to fish if necessary, and maybe even helping him to obtain his own fishing rod. This holistic approach to helping him will empower and enable him to feed himself and his family every day thereafter. This way, we help him to preserve his independence and his sense of dignity.
