45 Years & Counting
It has often been said that families have chosen to live in Spartanburg County due to the services and care offered at the Charles Lea Center. That is a testament to the outpouring of community support the CLC has enjoyed since it opened in 1971. But long before then the Spartanburg community was known for caring for people with disabilities. That compassion is evident today as the CLC continues to receive tremendous support.
Originally the CLC housed the Speech and Hearing Clinic and the School for the Handicapped. Throughout the years those services evolved into the array of supports offered today. While adults, along with children, now receive services, this quote from the dedication of the CLC is as fitting today as it was when written.
"The culmination of the dreams and efforts of hundreds of volunteers, both living and dead, the Center is a landmark in the diagnosis, treatment and training of handicapped children. It is certainly the most complete center for such a program in the Southeast and perhaps the nation."
Spartanburg Herald-Journal, October 24, 1971
Dedication of the Charles Lea Center
We are proud of the fact that we are able to touch the lives of more than 1,500 individuals in Spartanburg County. And we’re even prouder when get to watch them succeed and reach their goals.