Spartanburg's arts sector suffers $2M hit during pandemic, mental health service needs rise
Herald-JournalMay 27, 2021
May 27—Spartanburg's cultural sector represents many nonprofits that took a financial hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, losing
"Those are real COVID numbers," said
The center, which opened in 2007, houses an art museum, regional history museum, science center, artists guild, the
With nearly 200 events and 360,000 visitors a year, It supports more than 1,100 full-time jobs and generates nearly
But with a 25% drop in contributions and
"Fortunately, we are a sound organization," she said.
To maintain operations,
That forced the center to cut back on education programs and field trips at local schools, as well as cutting lab experiments.
The center has a hands-on science center with more than 23 exhibits, a live animal room and a museum room with a collection of fossils, bones, skulls, rocks and minerals. Summer camps for K4 through ninth-graders are continuing to be held.
"Teachers, administrators, after-school instructors need support in the sciences, but we need to be able to build back first," she said. "We can't really say we're 'Bringing Back the Burg' if some of the things that make
The center provides support for pregnant and parenting adolescents, GED and adult literacy classes, sliding-scale individual and family counseling services, crisis-relief and emergency food and utility assistance, free primary health care for uninsured, low-income residents, senior services, and child care and early education services.
She told county council members that 701 families and 2,500 people needed food — a "nearly sevenfold increase from prior years" — and that more than 20% of the families served had never used a food bank or pantry before.
Also, the center helped provide mental health services to 75 clients a week during the pandemic, up from 50 clients a month.
Since last March, expenses increased by
"Health is at the center of this pandemic," she told city council members on Monday. "We have to continue to do what we can to keep it a priority for the
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