Hilton Head Island nonprofit finds permanent home

HILTON HEAD, SC. (WTOC) - Pockets Full of Sunshine, a nonprofit organization on Hilton Head Island dedicated to helping adults with disabilities, has finally found a permanent home.

Sunday marked the opening of their new location, located at 64 Arrow Road.

“Pockets Full of Sunshine is a nonprofit in the Lowcountry. We serve adults with disabilities and our mission is to provide inclusive, social, and vocational opportunities for them. We started Pockets 10 years ago when we really realized how few opportunities there were for adults with disabilities once they graduated from high school - and that’s not just here, that’s a problem all over our nation really. This is the first location that’s ours. We started out in some office space that was not being used, and someone was kind enough to let us come in and use it. And then we moved into a room in a church and then we moved into a warehouse that was also not being used and was donated to us. All of those kind uses of space allowed us to save and purchase a building of our own, so this is a dream come true,” said co-founder, Laurin Rivers.

“The project from the time we started demos to the finishing touches was about four and half, five months. The purpose behind Pockets Full of Sunshine, it’s just truly full circle, it’s special to be a part of it and to work with this team to get to this point,” said Vice President of CMCS Construction, Joe Sanders.

“We couldn’t do it without the community. We’ve truly been supported and everyone has opened their doors to the rays. It really feels like, especially in the last few years, that the rays are such an important part of the community which has always been our goal. This isn’t just a place where they go, it’s a place where everyone else wants to be,” said Rivers.

“Super thankful for everyone that stepped up and contributed, all of our trade partners and subcontractors. Just really blessed to work with the people we work with,” said Sanders.

“We have some incredible adults, we have some incredible volunteers and supporters in the community who make it all work. We’ve always done really cool things, now we have a place of our own to continue doing really cool things for our adults and to do even more and to bring even more of them in. We’d love for anyone to come in and see what’s it’s all about and join us in whatever way you can. You will definitely leave happier and with a fuller heart than when you came,” said Rivers.