Building independent living skills for success with Trent Hill Center
Trent Hill Center’s partnership with Power:Ed reflects a shared commitment to expanding opportunities for young people transitioning out of foster care and/or experiencing homelessness. Through two grants totaling $138,000, Power:Ed has helped strengthen Trent Hill Center’s Independent Living Program—providing safe housing, individualized case management, and hands-on life skills education in areas like financial literacy, employment readiness, and education planning.
Opened in 2021 in Hartsville, SC, the Independent Living Program addresses a critical need found in communities across the state: young adults are aging out of foster care facing housing instability, disrupted education, and limited support systems as they navigate adulthood. With Power:Ed’s investment in the Independent Living Program, Trent Hill Center has been able to expand residential capacity, enhance program staffing, and provide even more high-quality support to young adults with lived experience who are working toward independence.
The outcomes of the program have been life changing. A young woman determined to change her story, reached out to Trent Hill Center after bouncing around from place to place after aging out of foster care. Before entering the program, she had enrolled in college four separate times but was never able to complete a full semester. Without stable housing or consistent support, staying focused on her education felt impossible.
After moving into the Independent Living Program, she found the stability and encouragement she needed. With a safe place to live, guidance from staff, and a structured environment, she was able to fully commit to her goals. For the first time, she completed a semester, and then another.
Today, she is on the verge of graduating from nursing school, a milestone that once felt out of reach. Her journey is a powerful example of how stability, support, and opportunity can transform potential into achievement.
“This program gave me the support I needed to keep going. Now I’m about to graduate nursing school, something I never thought was possible.”
This is just one testimony of how participants are maintaining stable housing, securing employment, continuing their education, and building the skills needed to live independently.Just as importantly, these young adults are gaining confidence and a sense of stability—the foundations for long-term success. Together, Trent Hill Center and Power:Ed are turning uncertainty and vulnerability into a pathway toward self-sufficiency and opportunity.