Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center

What Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center does

The Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center (BLEC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community support center headquartered at 1218 Batchelor Street in West Columbia, South Carolina, with a secondary site at the Brookland Baptist Church Northeast Campus in Columbia. Established in 2008 when the Brookland Center for Community Economic Change acquired a former school building, BLEC operates from a facility located in an economic development zone eligible for special economic incentives. The organization serves approximately 25,000 individuals annually across Lexington and Richland counties in the Midlands of South Carolina, with 125 families served per month and a workforce of 6 paid staff supported by more than 250 active volunteers.

BLEC delivers a broad portfolio of interconnected community programs spanning youth services (21st Century COLA Afterschool and Summer Camp), senior engagement (AARP Digital Skills Ready@50+, Farmers' Market vouchers, nutrition classes), food security (Community Food Table, WeCo-Cayce Food Policy Coalition, Fresh Produce distribution), mental health (Mental Health First Aid Training Initiative, SHIELD Program), family support (Siemer Institute Two-Generation "Helping Families," WE CARE 2 Clothing Bank), adolescent health (Personal Responsibility Education Program), and pedestrian safety education (Project SAFE). Service delivery is primarily in-person at the centers and through off-site partnerships with schools, churches, healthcare providers, and community organizations.

The organization's business model is a donation- and grant-funded nonprofit; all programs and services are provided at no cost to community members, with no pricing structure. Revenue streams consist of grants, donations, and major gifts from individual, corporate (e.g., Lowe's, Piggly Wiggly), foundation (e.g., Lexington County Community Foundation), and government sources (e.g., South Carolina Department of Public Safety for Project SAFE). The go-to-market motion is community-led, relying on word-of-mouth referrals, volunteer networks, church and school partnerships, and modest digital marketing through a bilingual WordPress website and Facebook/Twitter channels. A small Special Event Rentals venue offering represents the only ancillary commercial revenue activity.

Name

Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center

Legal name

Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center

Website

https://brooklandlakeview.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

Keywords

• Community empowerment programs
• Social services nonprofit
• Food assistance programs
• Youth development services
• Family support services

Headquarters

HQ city

West Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: The organization relies entirely on outside funding through grants, donations, and major gifts from various donors to operate and expand its community programs and services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center (BLEC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community support center that delivers free health, education, and economic empowerment programs to residents of Lexington and Richland counties in South Carolina. It runs 13 distinct community programs including after-school and summer camp youth enrichment, food distribution, mental health first aid training, senior digital literacy, workforce development, clothing assistance, pedestrian safety education, and family case management services.

Product overview

Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center (BLEC) operates as a unified community support organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of social service programs. The center provides community development education, youth enrichment (21st Century COLA Afterschool/Summer Camp), senior services (AARP Digital Skills, Senior Food Boxes, Farmers Market vouchers), food security programs (Community Food Table, Food Policy Coalition, Farmers Market), health initiatives (Mental Health First Aid Training, SHIELD Program), family support services (Siemer Institute/Helping Families, WE CARE 2 Clothing Bank), safety education (Project SAFE), and adolescent health education (PREP). These programs are delivered as interconnected services under one organizational umbrella, with some programs providing cross-referrals and integrated support (e.g., food and clothing assistance combined with case management). The organization also offers venue rental services for community events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 21st Century COLA Afterschool and Summer Camp

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves 25,000 individuals and 125 families per month
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• South UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership offering reduced tuition rates (equivalent to 80% of current tuition costs) to qualified BLEC employees and their direct family members accepted into any South University program. Financial aid advisors help students explore all available options including institutional scholarships, grants, and military benefits.
• Foodshare SCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the WeCo-Cayce Food Policy Coalition, supporting community-based food systems and increasing access to fresh produce.
• City of CaycecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner in the WeCo-Cayce Food Policy Coalition addressing food insecurity in the West Columbia-Cayce area.
• Harvest Hope Food BankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Brookland Community Food Bank to provide food distribution services throughout the Midlands of South Carolina.
• Lexington County Public LibraryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports development of community gardens at various library branches for community education and outreach initiatives.
• Piggly WigglyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal grocery retailer partner in food distribution and farmers market programs.
• SC Food Policy Council / Growing Local SCminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStatewide networking and educational opportunities through membership, formalizing a cross-sector local food system network.
• Alianza LatinaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHispanic/Latine networking and outreach organization focusing on connecting organizations and individuals to resources and advocating for equitable provision of services.
• Brookland Baptist ChurchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of the Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center at its Northeast Campus location; provides administrative support and volunteer resources.
• Stewart StandoutsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner supporting BLEC programs.
• Lexington County Community FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal foundation providing funding and support for community programs.
• Lowe'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate partner providing support for community programs.
• South Carolina Department of Public SafetycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding agency for the Project SAFE (Streets Are For Everyone) initiative providing pedestrian safety education in Lexington and Richland counties.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Feeding America: National umbrella organization for 200+ regional food banks including Harvest Hope (a BLEC partner). Operates broadly in food insecurity and hunger relief, providing the network framework within which BLEC's food distribution partners operate.

Direct peers

• United Way of the Midlands: Regional United Way affiliate serving the same Columbia/Midlands SC geography with community-based health, education, and financial stability programs for low-to-moderate income residents. Directly comparable multi-program nonprofit model in identical service area.
• Family Promise of the Midlands: Family Promise affiliate serving homeless and housing-insecure families in the Midlands with case management and stabilization services. Directly comparable to BLEC's two-generation Helping Families approach and family case management programs.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of the Midlands: Midlands affiliate of Boys & Girls Clubs of America delivering youth development, afterschool, and summer programming in Lexington/Richland counties. Directly comparable youth-focused programming and community center footprint.
• Harvest Hope Food Bank: Regional food bank partner of BLEC providing food distribution services throughout the Midlands of South Carolina. Operates overlapping food security and hunger-relief programs for low-income families in the same geographic footprint.
• Salvation Army of the Midlands: Midlands branch of the Salvation Army providing multi-service community support including food assistance, housing support, youth programs, and senior services. Overlapping wraparound service model targeting low-income populations in the same SC region.
• Foodshare South Carolina: South Carolina food policy and food access nonprofit and BLEC partner in the WeCo-Cayce Food Policy Coalition. Directly comparable food security and community-based food systems programming serving the same Midlands populations.
• YMCA of Columbia: Columbia-area YMCA delivering youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility programming including afterschool, summer camp, and senior wellness. Directly comparable community center model serving the same Midlands population.
• Habitat for Humanity of the Midlands: Midlands Habitat affiliate providing affordable housing, home repair, and family stability programs for low-to-moderate income residents in Lexington and Richland counties. Overlaps with BLEC's Siemer Institute housing support and community development mission.

Regional players

• Lowcountry Food Bank: Regional food bank serving coastal South Carolina with hunger-relief and food distribution programs. Comparable food security mission to BLEC but operating in a different South Carolina region (coastal vs Midlands).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BrooklandCenter
• Facebookfacebook.com/brooklandlakeview1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brookland-lakeview-empowerment-center

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Brookland-Lakeview Empowerment Center