Charles Lea Center

10/28/2025

🌟 Staff Spotlight: Gloria Porter 🌟
Person-Centered Planner | Nearly 10 Years of Service | Creative, Compassionate & Family-Focused

Meet Gloria Porter, a dedicated Person-Centered Planner who will celebrate 10 incredible years with the Charles Lea Center (CLC) in March 2026! 💚
Gloria’s passion for helping others shines through in everything she does.

“I love being able to make a positive impact by helping individuals achieve their goals, dreams, and desires. Building meaningful relationships and seeing personal growth in the people I serve is what keeps me inspired.”

A Person-Centered Planner (P*P) is a unique role created by the CLC. Gloria serves as the connecting point for our Day, Employment, and Supportive Housing Services, developing collaborative support plans, facilitating meetings, and helping individuals transition smoothly into programs. Her work ensures every person has a voice and a clear path toward success. 🌟

“I’ve always had a love and desire to help others,” Gloria says. “I love being a voice for those who can’t speak for themselves.”
Gloria holds an Associate’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology with a minor in Criminal Justice. She enjoys organizing and decorating. Her home changes themes every season! She also loves spending quality time with her family and making new memories together.
At home, Gloria stays busy with her 11-year-old creative daughter, her two bonus daughters a 20-year-old studying Aerospace Engineering at USC Columbia and an 18-year-old Nursing major at USC Upstate and her 6-year-old sassy toy poodle. Her perfect evening includes online shopping, true crime shows, and favorite snacks! 🛋️🛍️🐩
Reflecting on her time at CLC, Gloria says,
“It’s been an honor to be part of such an amazing organization. I have a wonderful supervisor, team & support system. I love the individuals and families I serve and look forward to all the amazing things ahead!”

Thank you, Gloria, for your nearly decade-long dedication, compassion, and creativity - you make a lasting difference every single day! 💚

10/27/2025

🎤✨ We’ve Got Talent, and lots of it! 🎶💃🕺

Our annual Talent Show was a showstopper full of music, dancing, and big smiles! The amazing men and women who performed worked so hard to bring their acts to life — and wow, did they shine! 🌟

A huge shoutout to our dedicated staff who made every detail perfect and to The Bridge Church of the Carolinas for your incredible assistance and sharing your beautiful space with us. 💚

It was a day to remember full of laughter, applause, and pure joy!

10/25/2025

So happy to see all the progress! Thank you Spartan Waste!

🚧 We're ready to roll with Harper General Contractors and our friends at the Charles Lea Center ... on site at their new Lake Blalock Nature Preserve 💚

Rent a dumpster today with us online for your next project: https://spartan-waste.com/roll-offs/

10/24/2025

🎉 Today, we’re celebrating us! 🎉

On this date in 1971, the Charles Lea Center officially opened its doors with a community-wide celebration that marked the beginning of a legacy built on care, innovation, and inspiration.

At that time, the CLC served as a comprehensive hub for evaluation, education, treatment, and rehabilitation for children and adults with disabilities. With 89 staff members, an operating budget of $543,000, and services reaching over 1,700 people, it was a remarkable start!

During the dedication ceremony, South Carolina Governor John West shared words that still inspire us today:

“Hopefully the time is here when we need not tell a child that his turn for opportunity must await until there is a place for him… I hope that we can remove the words despair and frustration and replace them with words of hope and promise.”

Since that day, the Charles Lea Center has continued to grow by expanding both the depth and reach of our services to three states and more than 3000 people served.. We are proud of how far we’ve come and deeply grateful for the people, past and present, who have made it all possible. 💚 💚 💚

10/21/2025

🌟 Staff Spotlight: Sheriel Peeler 🌟
Awareness Prevention & Reporting Coordinator | Celebrating 29 Years of Service | Faith & Family First 🙏💙🎉

Today we are celebrating 29 amazing years of dedication from Sheriel Peeler at the Charles Lea Center! 🌟

Sheriel shares that the best part of her work is supporting both the people we serve and her fellow employees. Her unwavering belief in the CLC mission of helping all people reach their full potential has guided her nearly three decades of service. 💫

As an Awareness Prevention & Reporting (APR) Coordinator, Sheriel plays a vital role in supporting and advocating for both the individuals we serve and our staff, ensuring they are safe, empowered, and cared for.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration, but says it’s her faith and family that ground and inspire her each day. 🙌❤️ Sheriel lives her values inside and outside of work, making a lasting difference in the lives of so many.

We are beyond grateful for Sheriel’s faith-filled leadership, compassionate heart, and 29 years of extraordinary service to the Charles Lea Center. Thank you, Sheriel, for inspiring us all! 🎉👏

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10/17/2025

☀️ What a beautiful morning to get outside and get moving! 💚

Our WeCare Health & Wellness Clinic staff and individuals who receive services at the Charles Lea Center enjoyed a fun walk along the Mary Black Rail Trail, soaking up the sunshine, fresh air, and terrific company. 🏃‍♀️🚶‍♂️
There’s nothing like a little exercise and laughter to make a good day GREAT! 🌿✨

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10/15/2025

💚 Happy National Case Management Week! 💚

This week, we celebrate the incredible Case Managers at the Charles Lea Center who are compassionate professionals that dedicate their time, hearts, and expertise to guiding journeys and changing lives. 🌟
Our Case Managers go above and beyond to help individuals navigate challenges, coordinate care, and connect with the right resources to support their medical, social, and financial needs. Their commitment ensures every person has the opportunity to thrive.
Thank you for everything you do! Your impact reaches far beyond what words can express! 💚👏 💚

10/14/2025

🌟 Staff Spotlight: Tia Perry 🌟
Overnight Monitor | Music, Legos & Reading Enthusiast | Family-First Mom of 4 💙👨‍👩‍👧‍👦

Meet Tia Perry, who has been with the Charles Lea Center for a year and a half as an Overnight Monitor in Wilmington, NC. While her work often happens behind the scenes, Tia shines as one of our true unsung heroes, keeping individuals safe and cared for through the night and enabling them to live more independently. 🌙✨

💬 “I wanted to work with CLC because I believe in the mission and loved seeing the resources the company brings to assist all of our individuals. And the shift I work truly works with my family’s schedule.”

In her role, Tia:
🌙 Monitors the safety of six individuals overnight
💊 Oversees medical devices and administers morning medications
🌅 Assists with morning routines to ensure a smooth start to each day

Tia brings a wealth of caregiving experience to her work. Before joining CLC, she served as a CNA in facilities, in-home care, and Hospice, and supported individuals through both The Arc and Skills of Central PA. She’s worked in adult day programs, overnight group homes, and also cross-trained in Medical Assisting while holding an Associate’s Degree. Her career path even includes time at UPMC Urgent Care. 🩺

At home, Tia is a proud wife and mom of four children (ages 16, 13, 12, and 5). Family is her top priority, and her overnight role allows her to balance meaningful work with being fully present for her loved ones. 💕 When she’s not working or spending time with family, she enjoys music, building with Legos, and reading. 🎶🧩📖

We are so thankful for Tia’s dedication and the heart she pours into both her family and her work at CLC. Though her role takes place when most of us are asleep, her impact is felt every single day. 🌟👏

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10/14/2025

🍂 Nothing says fall like a trip to Strawberry Hill! 🍓✨

We recently enjoyed a beautiful day outdoors, soaking up the sunshine, exploring and making the most of the season. There’s nothing better than fresh air, friendly faces, and a community that welcomes everyone with open arms.

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10/13/2025

🍎🥕 Cooking Up Confidence 🥦🍳

At the Charles Lea Center, we believe healthy habits start in the kitchen! Through our Cooking Up Confidence program and educational nutrition classes, individuals we support are learning how to make smart food choices from preparing balanced meals to finding tasty salt and sugar substitutions.

These classes, led by Suzanne O’Brien from our WeCare Health & Wellness Clinic, help empower participants to cook with confidence and make healthy eating a part of everyday life. In Cooking up Confidence participants recently made a delicious salad from ingredients that were in a recent FoodShare Spartanburg box as well as homemade salad dressing and energy bites. Yummy! 💚

10/13/2025

👻🦇 Scary season is in full swing at the Charles Lea Center! Our crafty crew has been busy making bats and spreading Halloween cheer. We think these creations are spook-tacular! 💚🎨💚

10/13/2025

💚 Huge thanks to all the amazing Lip Sync performers for bringing the fun and energy! Your support keeps the Charles Lea Center Nature Preserve at Lake Blalock vision moving forward and we’re so excited to see it coming to life! Thank you!🌿✨