Local Initiatives Support Corp. Upstate South Carolina has partnered with the Bethlehem Center to launch its second Financial Opportunity Center program in South Carolina.
Individuals with low- to moderate-income can access employment and financial services at the new program housed at the Bethlehem Center at 397 Highland Ave. in Spartanburg. A grand opening for the Financial Opportunity Center was held on Oct. 20.
Services offered at the new Financial Opportunity Center include:
Employment and career counseling
One-on-one financial coaching and financial wellness education
Low-cost financial products that help build credit, savings and assets
Connections to income supports such as SNAP, utility assistance and affordable health insurance
“LISC has spent decades refining this integrated coaching approach because we know it works – families increase income, build credit, gain financial stability and achieve their goals,” said Dawn Deck, executive director of LISC Upstate SC.
Read more about Financial Opportunity Centers
The Bethlehem Center is a nonprofit community center that has served the Highland neighborhood and greater Spartanburg communities since 1930. Patrena Mims, executive director of the Bethlehem Center, said the Financial Opportunity Center’s framework aligns with the nonprofit’s vision of empowering individuals and strengthening families.
“This framework strengthens the Bethlehem Center as a community hub where collaboration drives measurable outcomes and lasting economic opportunity for generations to come,” Mims said.
LISC Upstate South Carolina has established Financial Opportunity Center sites with more than 132 partner organizations across the county. The national community development organization previously launched its first South Carolina program in Anderson in December 2025.
For more information on LISC Upstate SC, visit lisc.org/upstate-south-carolina.