Community Resource Hubs

The Berkeley Chamber of Commerce in South Carolina set out to open five community resource hubs to address disparities and barriers to economic mobility in its rural communities. By July 2026, five hubs are open, with a sixth on the way.

"Our chamber's goal was that every resident of Berkeley County has the opportunity to enjoy all the successes of our county," said chamber CEO Elaine Morgan. "We wanted to focus on helping residents get good jobs and better health care." 

The chamber partnered with a large coalition of businesses, government agencies and nonprofits to offer:

• Skills training, including CDL and industry pathways with Boeing and Nucor
• Google career and AI certificates, plus GED preparation
• Telehealth and health support services
• Access to mental health, substance abuse and social service programs
• Free Wi-Fi and access to computers and technology

Each hub will have the individual characteristics of that community. This will ensure visitors have access to the most relevant services. Morgan said there is also a strategy in place to make the hubs sustainable and self-sufficient within the next two years, working with them on how to raise money to offset maintenance and other expenses. “I think we’re setting them up for major success,” she said.

A major boost is coming as the local technical college reopens its Berkeley campus with programs built for rural residents. To connect residents to those opportunities, the chamber is tackling its biggest barrier, transportation. Working with the regional council of governments, it is developing a loop that links the hubs to one another and to the technical college. Rather than a traditional bus, residents will ride in new vans. Morgan is pursuing grants to cover the modest fare until riders land a job.

To measure success, the chamber is partnering with Trident United Way, which is making its charity tracker available to the hubs. Morgan said this will enable the hubs to track the services visitors are using, as well as different services they are requesting. They will use this data to adjust their strategy as they move forward.  

Morgan said the key to this initiative’s success was to build trust. Don’t assume you have all the answers. “We started with meetings out in the community to identify what they need. It wasn’t the business community stepping in and saying, ‘This is what I think you need,’ it was them telling us. Trust and apathy are huge barriers in rural communities.”