CARING & SHARING of SOUTH WALTON

Our History

Caring & Sharing of South Walton has been serving Walton County for close to 30 years!

Below is a detailed history about how we became one of Walton Counties most utilized resources and how we continue to ensure we are able to provide necessary support to local residents experiencing crisis. While our programs have changed over the years, our mission of supporting our neighbors in need has remained the same.

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Soon after the South Walton Ministerial Association (SWMA) was formed, Dr. Bod Edgar suggested that a Neighbors-in-Need program be started to coordinate the efforts of the various churches in helping those in need in the community as well as transients. Pat Wilson was placed in charge of this “hip-pocket” operation, using his home telephone number for contacts. The revenue for the Neighbors-in-Need program came through pledges from the churches who were members of SWMA and from an annual golf tournament conducted by Sandestin Resort. In 1995, their income was a little under $10,000.

Meanwhile, local realtor, Ed Moreau, had a vision for a community-based and community-supported agency called Caring & Sharing of South Walton County. He shared his vision and formed a board of directors to implement his plans. The original board consisted of Rev. Bob Hendricks, Pat Potter, Ed Moreau, and Lenah Schrader, with Bob serving as president.

The organization was incorporated in July 1994. Ed donated the building. Money was borrowed to purchase the land and erect the structure. Businesses in the community and volunteers from various churches donated labor and materials, supervised by Ed.

In October 1996, with the building nearing completion, Barbara Rodgers-Hendricks was hired to coordinate the remaining construction, organize the operation, and pack Thanksgiving and Christmas baskets. At the same time, SWMA agreed to transfer their pledge monies to Caring & Sharing of South Walton, with this agency subsuming the Neighbors-in-Need program. As part of the agreement between Caring & Sharing of South Walton and SWMA, three ministers would sit on the board of directors.

At the time of transfer, the board of directors was composed of Rev. Bob Hendricks, Pat Potter, Ed Moreau, Lenah Schrader, Harold Lucas, Rev. Carl Bright, Sherry Nelson, and Pat Wilson. Pat, who was then the director of Fishers of Men retreat grounds, was serving as a ministerial member. When Barbara was hired, Bob resigned from the board and Pat Potter became president. She served for a year, and then Carl was elected to the position.

For a few weeks, Barbara also operated from her home telephone, as Pat Wilson had done. She met clients at The Community Church and at the Caring & Sharing building. Early November, she and a crew of volunteers moved into the new building although the floor was not down, nor was the plumbing installed. There were a couple of space heaters, and A&G Plumbing allowed us to come over and use their restrooms.

Christmas toys were provided that year for the children of families in need. Thanksgiving and Christmas food baskets were packed in the Community Center, as they were for several years following.

After Christmas, the doors were closed again to allow the construction workers to come in and finish the project. We opened our doors permanently in April 1997.

Caring and Sharing of South Walton has grown markedly since we first began operations in October 1996. To give you an idea of the growth we have seen, in 2002, we assisted 585 families during crisis situations. One hundred and thirty Thanksgiving baskets were packed and one hundred eighty one Christmas baskets. Christmas toys and gifts were provided for three hundred and twenty children.

Today, we see close to 500 families each month. Our Thanksgiving program will reach 500 families this November and we expect to provide gifts to over 500 local children through our Angel Tree Program.

In 2020 we expanded our service area to reach all of Walton County and also expanded our Financial Assistance Policies helping with past due rent, past due utilities, and a number of other things. We have added counseling and case management services on site and have worked really hard to create a strong referral network within our community.

We began operations with one coordinator and a few volunteers. We now have a total of eight employees and over 150 regular volunteers.

Charing & Sharing of South Walton is supported by our Thrift Store Revenue, area churches, foundations, business, and individual donors. The work we do in Walton County is only possible through the support of our community!