This document provides an overview of community resources in Richland County, South Carolina that promote health and physical activity. It outlines the major healthcare systems, educational institutions, faith-based organizations, community centers, parks and recreation areas, non-profit organizations, and state/national resources. Key organizations mentioned include Palmetto Health, Providence Health, Richland One School District, University of South Carolina, YMCA of Columbia, Boys and Girls Club of the Midlands, Richland County Recreation Commission, City of Columbia Parks and Recreation, and Eat Smart Move More Richland County. The document serves as a guide for community members to connect with local services and initiatives related to health and wellness.

1. Community
Resources
Richland, SC
*Please utilize the green hyperlinks to connect you to websites for
additional information

2. Healthcare Systems

3. • The region’s largest not-for-profit health care system,
with 5 freestanding hospitals in Richland County.
• Their Office of Community Health focuses on multiple
community outreach and health initiatives.
• Healthy Palmetto is one initiative that was established to
provide tools and education about healthy lifestyle choices,
such as nutrition and physical activity.
• Led the 2016 Community Health Needs Assessment and
generated associated action plans for Lexington, Richland,
and Sumter counties to respond to community priorities.
Palmetto Health Homepage
Palmetto Health

4. • Founded as Providence Hospitals in 1938 by the Sisters of
Charity of St. Augustine. There are 2 freestanding hospitals in
Richland County (Downtown and Northeast).
Providence Health Homepage
Providence Health
William Jennings Bryan Dorn VA Medical Center
VA Homepage

5. Educational
Institutions

6. Richland One School District
• Comprised of 28 elementary
schools, 9 middle schools, 8 high
schools, and 2 charter schools
• Fourteen schools received the 2018
National Healthy Schools Award by
improving nutrition and physical
activity programs
Richland One Homepage

7. University of South Carolina
• The Columbia campus was established in 1801 and is centered
downtown. It is one of eight college campuses in the USC
system.
• Home of the Fighting Gamecocks!
• Made up of schools and colleges devoted to specific areas of
study. Those involving healthcare and community health
include: The College of Nursing, Arnold School of Public
Health, and School of Medicine.

8. Listed below are a few USC programs that promote physical
activity at the community level:
• Arnold School of Public Health: Children's Physical Activity Research Group
(CPARG)- An interdisciplinary team whose mission is to “enhance the health of
young people by generating the knowledge needed to design and implement
effective public health policies.”
• Arnold School of Public Health: Prevention Research Center- Mission is to
“promote physical activity through community intervention, training,
dissemination, and applied research.”
• Active Gamecocks- State-wide program created
by the USC athletic department to encourage
elementary and middle school children to
increase physical activity levels. Students who
complete the program are rewarded with 2 free
tickets to a Gamecock athletic sporting event.

9. Other Universities & Colleges
• Midlands Technical College
• Allen University
• Benedict College
• Columbia College
Source and additional information:
https://www.sciway.net/edu/colleges/ric
hland.html

10. Faith Based Organizations
There are a number of religious denominations represented in Richland
County. Below are an approximation of how many churches/facilities exist
for each denomination:
• Multiple non-denominational (26+)
• Baptist (14+)
• Presbyterian (12+)
• Lutheran (11+)
• Methodist (9+)
• Episcopal (5+)
• Catholic (3+)
• Jewish (3+)
• African Methodist Episcopal (2+)
• Mormon (1)
• Seventh Day Adventist (1)
• Greek Orthodox (1)
• Mosque (1)
• Pentecostal (1)
• Unitarian (1)
Source and additional information:
http://www.sciway.net/org/religcolumbia.html

11. Community Centers
& Programs

12. • This organization provides a number of
health and wellness programs that target
the youth and their families.
• They also participate in a number of
community outreach initiatives and have
a current partnership with Palmetto
Health.
• There are a total of 4 centers in Richland
County, with one located in downtown
Columbia
YMCA Columbia Homepage
YMCA of Columbia

13. Boys and Girls Club of The Midlands
• Afterschool program, for children in K-12th grade, that provides daily
access to a safe environment where children are offered quality
programming in five core areas, including sport, fitness and
recreation.
• Operate a total of 42 Clubs, 8 summer camps and a teen center
serving youth and families from Allendale, Barnwell, Fairfield,
Lexington, Newberry and Richland Counties
• Mission: “To enable all young people,
especially those who need us most, to
reach their full potential as productive,
caring, responsible citizens
Club Homepage

14. Parks & Recreation

15. • Owns and operates over 40 facilities
around Richland County, including
recreation centers, community
centers and neighborhood parks.
Many of the facilities have walking
trails or tracks.
• For a list of available trails and tracks,
please click the following links:
http://richlandcountyrecreation.com/centers/w
alking-trails/
http://www.richlandcountysc.gov/Portals/0/Ric
hlandCountyTrails.pdf
Richland County Recreation
Commission
Recreation Commission
Homepage

16. • Park system consists of approximately
60 city parks and green spaces,
offering an abundance of opportunities
for outdoor physical activity.
• Additional information about specific
neighborhood parks, regional parks,
specialty parks and recreation centers:
https://www.columbiasc.net/parks-
recreation/facilities
City of Columbia Parks and
Recreation

17. • Sesquicentennial State Park is located in Richland County
and provides numerous opportunities for outdoor physical
activity, including 12 miles of hiking/biking trails.
State Park Homepage
South Carolina State Parks

18. • A nonprofit, statewide
organization whose mission is
to “conserve South Carolina’s
natural and cultural resources,
preserve historic landmarks,
and promote active outdoor
recreation on the Palmetto Trail
and other greenways.”
• Part of the Palmetto Trail runs
through Richland County, where
there are 2 passages for access.
Conservation Homepage
Palmetto Conservation

19. • Nonprofit organization that
represents the local
governments of Columbia, West
Columbia, Cayce, Lexington and
Richland County.
• Mission is “to connect people to
the rivers, making them
accessible, yet protected.”
• Their Three Rivers Greenway
project has already opened 12.5
miles of lighted and paved trails
along the local rivers. Additional
information:
River Alliance Homepage
The River Alliance

20. Law Enforcement

21. • Provides emergency and public safety planning, preparedness
programs and emergency response and recovery.
• Crime and public safety concern every member of the community,
and it is important that residents feel safe in their neighborhoods.
RCSD Homepage
Richland County Sheriff’s
Department

22. Miscellaneous
Nonprofit
Organizations

23. • Nonprofit organization whose mission is to help SC
communities reduce obesity by creating “healthy eating and
active living options where we live, learn, work, pray and
play.”
• Much of their work is centered on advocacy, community
action, youth engagement, and consumer awareness.
ESMM Homepage
Eat Smart, Move More-
Richland County

24. • Nonprofit organization that serves Calhoun, Fairfield,
Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg and Richland counties,
and provides programs and resources through community
impact partners.
• Mission: “To unite people and resources to improve the
quality of life in the Midlands.”
United Way of the Midlands
United Way Homepage

25. • Nonprofit educational institution that provides museum experiences,
afterschool programs and camps. Will partner with community
organizations.
• Mission: “To inspire children, youth and the adults who care about them to
experience the joy of learning as individuals, as families and as a community.”
Homepage
EdVenture

26. Community
Resources
State of South Carolina

27. • BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina Foundation- Mission is “to
promote and support healthier South Carolinians, particularly the
economically vulnerable, by supporting solutions to address gaps in
health care and serving as an agent of change to support innovation
and value-added public-private partnerships.”
• SC DHEC: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity-The
following PDF describes an Active Community Environments (ACE)
Special Project in Richland County that was sponsored by SC DHEC
and ESMM. The project involved constructing a bike boulevard that
improved access to physical activity in an underserved community.
• SC Department of Education
• SC Recreation and Parks Association
• SC Department of Transportation

28. Community
Resources
National/Federal

29. • CDC: Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity-
• REACH- National program administered by CDC to reduce racial and ethnic
health disparities. Targets culturally appropriate programs for African
Americans, American Indians, Hispanics/Latinos, Asian Americans, Alaska
Natives, and Pacific Islanders.
• National Physical Activity Plan Alliance- Nonprofit organization
and coalition of national organizations whose mission is to “maintain
and expand the impact of the National Physical Activity Plan, a
comprehensive strategic plan for increasing physical activity in all
segments of the U.S. population.”
• Alliance for a Healthier Generation- National organization founded
by the American Heart Association and the Clinton Foundation to
reduce the prevalence of childhood obesity. Partners with schools,
companies, community organizations, healthcare professionals and
families to transform the conditions and systems that lead to
healthier children.
• National Park Service: Rivers, Trails, and Conservation
Assistance Program- Partners with community groups, nonprofits,
tribes, and state and local governments to improve parks, establish
trails, access rivers, and protect special places