Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries gifted $2.6 million to name center designed to address childhood trauma, provide service to children and families
Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries is proud to announce a $2.6 million gift and the naming of a 25,000 square foot facility designed to provide services to children and families. The McCall Center is named for the late P.L. “Roy” McCall, whose generosity helped make the center a reality.
Connie Maxwell leadership, donors, alumni, and friends of the McCall family joined in a celebration ceremony for the gift on February 29. Danny Nicholson, president of Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries, announced the gift as the “mantlepiece” of the organization’s “Decade of Dreams” strategic plan, which is designed to fulfill its vision to be “a national leader for ministry and healing for vulnerable children and families.”
“This significant gift names, gives meaning and brings honor and legacy to the healing of children and families for generations to come,” Nicholson said. “The McCall Center will define our future dreams through restoration, resilience and flourishing.”
Established as a ministry of the South Carolina Baptist Convention in 1892, Connie Maxwell has positively impacted over 18,000 children and families throughout its long history. The organization provides residential care, crisis care, foster care and family care to children and families facing difficult circumstances. They aim to make the dreams of children possible again.
The McCall Center will include an auditorium for large-scale events, meeting rooms and a research library. The center will also include a board room, workstations and offices to facilitate better collaboration among staff and accommodations for children receiving therapy and interventions.
According to Nicholson, the center will allow Connie Maxwell to integrate innovative, trauma-informed care into its existing programs and create a space for experts in the fields of trauma and childcare to share their knowledge with staff and the community.
“The McCall family was an ever present, strong and enduring influence, and has a lasting legacy in the South Carolina Baptist history,” Nicholson said. “The fingerprints of the McCall family will forever rest upon the hearts and lives of children and families at the McCall Center.”
Nicholson spoke of visiting McCall several times upon his arrival to Connie Maxwell in 2017. He said McCall was excited about the organization’s vision for a “deeper ministry” for children and families, and singled out numerous occasions in which McCall publicly voiced his support for its mission.
McCall, who passed away in 2022, was an active participant in numerous local, county and state agricultural organizations and a proud supporter of both Clemson University and Coker College through various endowments, gifts and scholarship funds. He was a lifelong member of West Hartsville Baptist Church, serving as a deacon, intermediate department superintendent and choir member.
Mr. Courtney and Carolyn Stokes, close friends of McCall who took care of him at the end of his life, were also in attendance at the celebration ceremony. Carolyn spoke of McCall’s long family legacy of philanthropy and support for the Baptist Foundation and numerous ministries and organizations, including Connie Maxwell.
“He always told us Connie Maxwell is a place that he supports, just like his daddy did.”
The Connie Maxwell Decade of Dreams Strategic Plan includes the creation of the McCall Center, the expansion and reimagining of Maxwell Farms, an existing location that offers respite for children and families via numerous outdoor activities.
The plan also includes the creation of a Connie Maxwell campus in the Charleston area, which is the only South Carolina region in which the organization is not represented despite a rapidly increasing population of individuals in need. To learn more about how you can support these initiatives, contact Danny Nicholson at president@conniemaxwell.com.
ABOUT CONNIE MAXWELL:
Since 1892, Connie Maxwell Children’s Ministries has provided hope for South Carolina’s children and families in need. Established as a ministry of the South Carolina Baptist Convention, Connie Maxwell has positively impacted thousands of individuals throughout our long history. We are a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA). Connie Maxwell has locations in Greenwood, Mauldin, Florence, and a future site in Charleston, SC.
