Fall is in the air in South Carolina. We have been busy since moving to the property in early October. We have a lot of work ahead of us—but we are excited to get Three Rivers Respite up and running and to see how God will move in this ministry.
In mid-October, we met with some friends who can help us with our site plan and wetlands delineations. The back five acres of the property will be the ideal location for Three Rivers Respite. The only issue is the wetlands that cross the property, preventing consistent access to the back. We intend to extend the driveway to the back of the property, which will have minimal impact to the wetlands. We will also finish a foot bridge that the previous owner had started. Here is a picture of where the bridge will cross the wetlands. You can see the posts already in place.
The bridge is symbolic of what we want camp to be. We believe Three Rivers Respite can be a bridge between the community and foster care, opening opportunities for the community to rally around children in foster care and bringing awareness to the needs of foster families and children in foster care. We want to help communicate how the community can support foster care and help provide stability in the lives of children in foster care.
The driveway extension will be a parallel project, and once complete, will allow us to begin site planning in the back of the property for the cabins and clubhouse. We intend to keep the back of the property as natural and wooded as possible, not removing any trees unnecessarily, and keeping the wooded feel of the property.
We have also been busy cleaning up the current trails and blazing some new ones throughout the property. To do so, we have had to clear lots of debris and downed trees leftover from Hurricane Dorian. This is an ongoing effort and keeping us busy!
Once we map out the driveway, we will begin the planning and permitting processes with the county to get approvals to build the Three Rivers Respite facilities, which can be a lengthy process. We are hoping we will be fully operational by mid-2021 at the latest.
As we continue with the planning, we will share our plans and costs of these efforts. We need your help! We will need to raise funds for the bridge, the driveway extension, and the TRR facilities.
At this time, we estimate needing about $5,000 to extend the driveway through the wetlands to the back of the property and about $3,000 for materials for the bridge. Please consider donating to help us complete these projects. Please continue to pray for our family, for children in foster care, for foster families, and for the future of Three Rivers Respite. We are so grateful for your prayers and support! We will keep you updated as we continue through this process. Thank you!
—Matt and Heather