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- Christmas cards designed by PEP members are on sale. Choose from six different designs and pay between $5-$15 for a 24-pack of cards that includes 25 envelopes. Personalized messages are also available for a small additional cost. Download an order form at www.pephhi.org/christmas_cards.
- Buy a copy of local band Target’s Christmas CD, featuring PEP members singing on two songs; $3 per CD will be donated to PEP.
For more information, visit www.pephhi.org or call 843-681-8413.
Not every child is born with the same abilities. Not every child grows into adulthood with the same skills.
Since 1995, though, one organization has dedicated itself to ensuring that those now adult children have the same opportunities as everyone else.
PEP, or Programs for Exceptional People, is a nonprofit that provides skills training for employment, local resources and independent living for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Tucked away on Mathews Drive on the north end of the island, PEP serves just under 50 members in the southern Beaufort County area. Their members are over 21; many have autism, Down’s Syndrome or cerebral palsy.
“Adults with developmental disabilities are an underserved population,” director Harold Watson. “They deserve the opportunity to be involved in the community, to receive employment training and opportunities for employment, to learn independent living skills and to have socialization opportunities provided."
Watson, who recently came on board at PEP, brings over 20 years of working in nonprofit management and with individuals with developmental disabilities. The South Carolina native has worked as executive director with Mothers Against Drunk Driving South Carolina, Alzheimer’s Association in South Carolina and Florida and Full Spectrum Farms in North Carolina.
“I'm looking forward to helping the citizens, organizations and business leaders of southern Beaufort County become more familiar with all of the great things that PEP does," he said. "I'm looking forward to helping PEP grow in our services and programs offered.”
Some of those things he hopes to add or expand include art and vocational programs. Watson says that he would love to develop a pottery program and find additional employment opportunities both in PEP’s workshop and out in the community.
