LAURINBURG —Partners in Ministry is outgrowing its current location.

Executive Director Melba McCallum spoke to the Rotarians on Tuesday about not just PIM, but what could be coming next to the location.

“I want to share with you the best-kept secret in Scotland County,” McCallum said. “And I want to share with you some of the things that we’re doing at Partners in Ministry. Most of our focus is on education and economic development … we’re aggressively working to address the concerns through four signature programs.”

The programs include strengthening youth through science technology engineering and math which is a year-round program for at-risk youth from third to eighth grades; youth empowered to succeed which is for at-risk youth ages 13 to 24, on the job training which provides training and job skills; and rehab outreach and recovery which helps provide urgent home repairs to low-income, elderly, disabled and veteran homeowners.

McCallum added there is a 95% success rate with the students either going to college, into the military or out into the job force.

One of the biggest projects coming to PIM is the new community education center, which will be 20,000 square feet building and will officially be named the State Employees Credit Union Community Education Center that has been three years in the making.

“We’re working with the kids and we really need the parents there as well to help us,” McCallum said. “But we cannot bring them together at the same time because of space. So we’ve basically outgrown this space … we’re halfway there with the funding that we need, but we still need additional funding. I don’t know how you can help but we’re praying that there’s a way.”

McCallum added she hopes for the groundbreaking to happen in September or at least sometime in the fall but there is no set date at this time.

“We need your help and so I’ll offer three ways,” said Patton McDowell, president of PMA Consulting, LLC. “Number one I hope you know more about Partners in Ministry now. Get involved, if nothing else then share the story there are some great volunteer opportunities. A lot of you have business experience and these kids would eat it up if you’d be willing to come to share your story. What Dr. Banks and Dr. McCallum are doing is exposing these kids to opportunities they never thought of. Maybe you have something your passionate about in your job or your life that you’d be willing to share.”

For more information on Partners in Ministry contact 910-277-3355 or visit the website www.pim-nc.org.

Reach Katelin Gandee at kgandee@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.