How South Carolina community action agencies help, what to expect and find yours
Community action agencies in South Carolina are private nonprofit organizations that work on poverty at the local level. Each one is responsible for a county or a group of counties, and together they reach every part of the state. Their programs run from emergency help with rent, food, or a utility bill to Head Start classrooms, home weatherization, youth employment, and whatever else an agency's own community needs assessment tells it to take on.
No two agencies offer exactly the same lineup. The sections below explain how the network is set up, the kinds of help most agencies handle, what to expect when you apply, and how to find the agency responsible for your county, followed by verified contact details for every agency in the state.
The state office behind the agencies
Three of the programs these agencies are best known for — the Community Services Block Grant, LIHEAP, and the Weatherization Assistance Program — are funded through the South Carolina Office of Economic Opportunity, a unit of the state Department of Administration created by the Community Economic Opportunity Act of 1983.
OEO holds the state's federal allocation for each and designates an agency for every county to deliver them; program descriptions are posted at https://oeo.sc.gov/managedsites/prd/oeo/programs.html, and OEO itself takes no applications — those happen at the local agency. The rest of an agency's work is funded separately: Head Start grants come to the agencies directly from the federal government, and local programs draw on other grants and donations.
The agencies are private nonprofits, most founded in the mid-1960s during the original War on Poverty. Several still carry that era's language in their names, such as the Economic Opportunity commissions serving the Beaufort-Jasper, Chesterfield-Marlboro, and Waccamaw regions, and one, GLEAMNS, is simply the initials of the seven counties it serves. Their statewide association and training hub is the South Carolina Association of Community Action Partnerships, at https://www.scacap.org/.
Energy bill assistance and weatherization run through this network
South Carolina's LIHEAP pays toward heating costs in the cold months and cooling costs in the hot ones, and it can help restore power that has already been disconnected. It is not built to cover a whole bill or a whole season; when money is short, offices may prioritize shut-off emergencies, limit how often a household can be helped, or reduce the benefit, and funds can run out before the year does. Each agency announces when its applications open, and several now take energy applications or book appointments online. See the NHPB page on LIHEAP in South Carolina for more information, and there is more on help with electric bills.
Free weatherization — insulation, air sealing, and related repairs that lower bills permanently — moves through the same network, with priority for people 60 and older, household members with a disability, and homes with children. Renters can be served, and receiving certain benefits such as SSI counts as income eligibility. Details sit at https://oeo.sc.gov/managedsites/prd/oeo/weatherization.html, and the NHPB page on the weatherization assistance program has more.
One structural detail is worth knowing before you call: coverage maps differ by program. Weatherization is organized into multi-county territories handled by a subset of the agencies, so the crew that insulates homes in your county may answer to a different agency than the office that takes your energy bill application — and in Cherokee and Spartanburg counties, the energy bill side itself currently sits with a neighboring agency. Income limits tied to federal poverty guidelines apply to both programs; the current cutoffs are posted by OEO, and any office can read them to you. The state's county-by-county list, linked later on this page, shows the right contact for each program.
Emergency help and the rest of the block grant
CSBG money is deliberately flexible: each agency writes its plan from an annual community needs assessment, so the lineup shifts from county to county and from year to year. Two threads still run through most of the state.
The first is the General Emergency Assistance Program, or GEAP — OEO's name for one-time crisis help with needs such as rent, mortgage, food, and medical costs, typically reached through a screening call and paired with case management rather than issued as a standalone payment. Renters can also see the page on rent assistance in South Carolina.
The second is work with children and teenagers. Most of the agencies operate Head Start or Early Head Start centers, and many run a Youth Leadership Program that gives teens paid work experience, training, and mentoring as funding allows.
Past that, offerings are local. Recent examples around the state have included the Safe Haven homeless shelter in the Walterboro area, the Operation Warmth and LADDER job-training efforts in the Upstate, and national volunteer programs such as Foster Grandparent and Senior Companion; the directory below notes where each has been offered, and availability always depends on current funding. Free VITA tax preparation also appears at some offices in season. For work and training help beyond this network, see the NHPB page on South Carolina job training programs.
What applying looks like
Plan on an appointment at most offices — walk-in hours exist but are limited, and energy assistance in particular books up fast. Most offices ask for a photo ID, Social Security cards for everyone in the household, proof of all household income from the past thirty days, and, for energy help, a recent utility bill; lists vary, so confirm what is needed when you book. If an application is denied, you can request a fair hearing from the agency itself and, if that fails, appeal in writing to the Office of Economic Opportunity in Columbia.
Matching your county to its agency
Two official pages settle it. OEO's county selector at https://oeo.sc.gov/managedsites/prd/oeo/help.html lists the agency for every county, along with satellite offices and the separate weatherization contact for each area. The statewide association keeps its own member list by county at https://scacap.org/community-action-agency.php.
Between main offices and satellites, the network reaches all 46 counties, so the address in the directory below is often not the closest one to you — check the OEO page for the office nearest your town. As a supplementary tool, dialing 2-1-1 can surface church and charity help outside this network.
Directory of South Carolina's community action agencies
South Carolina currently has fourteen designated community action agencies, listed here alphabetically.
Aiken/Barnwell Counties Community Action Agency (ABCCAA)
Physical: 291 Beaufort St. NE, Aiken, SC 29801
Mailing: P.O. Box 2066, Aiken, SC 29802
Phone: (803) 648-6836 | Website: https://www.abccaa.org/
Counties: Aiken, Barnwell, Lexington
Serving its area since 1966, the agency runs CSBG and LIHEAP services, hosts a Foster Grandparent volunteer program, and holds one of the state's larger weatherization territories. See the NHPB page on the Aiken and Barnwell community action agency for more information.
Beaufort/Jasper Economic Opportunity Commission (BJEOC)
60 Robert Smalls Pkwy. (P.O. Drawer 9), Beaufort, SC 29906
Phone: (843) 962-3888 | Website: https://thebjeoc.org/
Counties: Beaufort, Jasper
One of the network's original economic opportunity commissions, BJEOC pairs community services with a large Head Start and Early Head Start operation, with a Ridgeland office serving Jasper County. See the NHPB page on the Beaufort-Jasper Economic Opportunity Commission for more information.
Carolina Community Actions, Inc. (CCA)
138 S. Oakland Ave. (P.O. Box 933), Rock Hill, SC 29730
Phone: (803) 329-5195 | Website: https://www.carolinacommunityactions.org/
Counties: Chester, Fairfield, Lancaster, Union, York
Incorporated in 1965, CCA has offered case management, GEAP emergency help, and a Youth Leadership Program alongside LIHEAP, weatherization, and Head Start, with an office in each of its five counties. See the NHPB page on Carolina Community Actions for more information.
Chesterfield-Marlboro Economic Opportunity Council (CMEOC)
318-322 Front St. (P.O. Box 877), Cheraw, SC 29520
Phone: (843) 320-9760 | Website: https://www.cmeoc.org/
Counties: Chesterfield, Marlboro
Along with Head Start, LIHEAP, and CSBG services, CMEOC has offered housing rehabilitation, and its weatherization territory has extended to Darlington and Dillon counties. Energy applications can be started online through its site. See the NHPB page on the Chesterfield-Marlboro Economic Opportunity Council for more information.
Darlington County Community Action Agency (DCCAA)
325 W. Washington St., Hartsville, SC 29550
Phone: (843) 332-1135 | Website: https://darlingtoncountycaa.com/
Counties: Darlington
The network's only single-county agency runs Head Start, CSBG services, LIHEAP, and a Youth Leadership Program, with applications available online.
GLEAMNS Human Resources Commission
237 N. Hospital St. (P.O. Box 1326), Greenwood, SC 29646
Phone: (864) 223-8434 | Website: https://www.gleamnshrc.org/
Counties: Abbeville, Edgefield, Greenwood, Laurens, McCormick, Newberry, Saluda
The name is the initials of its seven counties. Beyond GEAP and rental emergency help, Head Start, and a large weatherization territory, GLEAMNS currently takes LIHEAP applications for Cherokee and Spartanburg counties through offices in Gaffney and Spartanburg, and it maintains the birthplace site of educator Dr. Benjamin E. Mays. See the NHPB page on the GLEAMNS Human Resources Commission for more information.
Lowcountry Community Action Agency (LCAA)
1605 Jefferies Hwy., Suite 101 (P.O. Box 1726), Walterboro, SC 29488
Phone: (843) 549-5576 | Website: https://www.lowcountrycaa.org/
Counties: Colleton, Hampton
Alongside CSBG, LIHEAP, Head Start, and weatherization, the agency has operated the Safe Haven homeless shelter and a telehealth partnership, with energy applications available online and a Hampton office serving that county. See the NHPB page on the Lowcountry Community Action Agency for more information.
Orangeburg-Calhoun-Allendale-Bamberg Community Action Agency (OCAB)
1822 Joe S. Jeffords Hwy. (P.O. Drawer 710), Orangeburg, SC 29115
Phone: (803) 536-1027 | Website: https://www.ocabcaa.org/
Counties: Allendale, Bamberg, Calhoun, Orangeburg
Head Start and child development remain central here, alongside LIHEAP through its energy department, CSBG employability services, and a Senior Companion volunteer program, with satellite offices in each county. See the NHPB page on the OCAB Community Action Agency for more information.
Palmetto Community Action Partnership
1069 King St. (P.O. Box 20968), Charleston, SC 29403
Phone: (843) 724-6760 | Website: https://www.palmettocap.org/
Counties: Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester
GEAP help here has covered rent, food, medication, and disaster needs once per year after a screening call, and the agency's weatherization crews have served Beaufort and Jasper counties along with its own three. Application scheduling runs through a toll-free line, (844) 769-6448. See the NHPB page on community action in the Charleston area for more information.
Pee Dee Community Action Partnership (PDCAP)
2685 S. Irby St. (P.O. Drawer 12670), Florence, SC 29505
Phone: (843) 678-3400 | Website: https://www.peedeecap.org/
Counties: Dillon, Florence, Marion
Housing counseling, financial counseling, and credit repair have run alongside the agency's CSBG and LIHEAP work, with additional offices in Dillon, Lake City, and Marion. See the NHPB page on the Pee Dee Community Action Partnership for more information.
Piedmont Community Actions, Inc. (PCA)
300 S. Daniel Morgan Ave. (P.O. Box 5374), Spartanburg, SC 29306
Phone: (864) 585-8183 | Website: https://www.pcasp.org/
Counties: Cherokee, Spartanburg
Incorporated in 1966, PCA centers on CSBG services and Head Start across its two counties. Note that LIHEAP applications for Cherokee and Spartanburg currently run through GLEAMNS's offices in Gaffney and Spartanburg rather than through PCA. See the NHPB page on Piedmont Community Action for more information.
Sunbelt Human Advancement Resources (SHARE)
254 S. Pleasantburg Dr. (P.O. Box 10204), Greenville, SC 29607
Phone: (864) 269-0700 | Website: https://www.sharesc.org/
Counties: Anderson, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens
SHARE's lineup has included Operation Warmth, LADDER job training, housing repair, eviction help, and a Youth Leadership Program, along with Head Start, LIHEAP, and homeless services across its four Upstate counties. See the NHPB page on SHARE community action programs for more information.
Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council (WEOC)
Physical: 1261 Hwy. 501 East, Suite B, Conway, SC 29526
Mailing: P.O. Box 1467, Conway, SC 29528
Phone: (843) 234-4100 | Website: https://www.weoc.org/
Counties: Georgetown, Horry, Williamsburg
CSBG offices operate across all three counties, including Loris, Myrtle Beach, Georgetown, Kingstree, and Hemingway locations, and the agency runs its own Head Start centers and weatherization crew. See the NHPB page on the Waccamaw Economic Opportunity Council for more information.
Wateree Community Actions, Inc. (WCAI)
201 Columbia Mall Blvd., Suite 91, Columbia, SC 29223
Phone: (803) 807-9811 | Website: https://www.wcai.org/
Counties: Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee, Richland, Sumter
GEAP emergency help, employment training, a Youth Leadership Program, and free VITA tax preparation have run alongside LIHEAP, weatherization, and Head Start, with an office in each county and online appointment scheduling. See the NHPB page on Wateree Community Actions for more information.
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