It's no secret, most of us would like to stay in our own home as we age. Yet, sometimes our loved ones just need a little extra help to remain comfortable at home. That's where Always Best Care can help....we are dedicated to exceeding expectations....always.
They say that your golden years are the best years of your life. For most older Americans, that's how it should be - a time to relax, reflect, and live life in a familiar place. After all, senior citizens in the U.S. have worked tirelessly to build a better economy, serve their communities, and raise families.
However, as seniors grow older, completing daily tasks like showering and enjoying activities such as visiting the historic Historic Leitner House gets harder without someone by their side. Unfortunately, many older Americans aren't able to rely on their adult children for help. The reality in today's world is that family members do not have the skills or time to dedicate to caring for their parents. That's where Always Best Care Senior Services comes in.
Our in-home care services are for people who prefer to stay at home as they grow older but need ongoing care that family or friends cannot provide. More and more older adults prefer to live far away from long-term, institutionalized facilities and closer to the place where they feel most comfortable - their home. Home care in Irmo, SC is a safe, effective way to give your loved ones the care they need when they need it the most.
Home Care Services
Service AreasSince 1996, Always Best Care has provided non-medical in-home care for seniors to help them maintain a healthy lifestyle as they get older. We are proud to have helped more than 25,000 seniors maintain higher levels of dignity and respect. We focus on providing seniors with the highest level of in-home care available so that they may live happily and independently.
Unlike some senior care companies, we genuinely want to be included in our clients' lives. We believe that personalized care is always the better option over a "one size fits all" approach. To make sure our senior clients receive the best care possible, we pair them with compassionate caregivers who understand their unique needs. That way, they may provide care accordingly without compromising their wellbeing.
The Always Best Care difference lies in life's little moments - where compassionate care and trustworthy experience come together to help seniors live a fruitful, healthy life. Whether you are an aging adult that can't quite keep up with life's daily tasks or the child of a senior who needs regular in-home services, Always Best Care is here to help.
“Lisa helped my family understand the best options for my parents and the resources available.”
“Always Best Care has been a lifesaver for our family. We have worked with them”
“Thank you for the care you gave to my dad. He did not have any”
“Always Best Care provided excellent care when I was discharged from Atrium after surgery- the”
“Lisa and her team at Always Best Care have been a great partner and resource”
“Amazing staff and services. Much appreciated.”
“I am a past client of this provider Always Best Care was just absolutely wonderful. I”
“I love working for this company.”
“I used this nursing service for my cousin Pat who had cancer. I can not”
“I love being able to work with this company, the owners are great people and”
“Services were geared according to need. We were looking at rehab and they were willing”
“I am a past client of this provider Services were geared according to need. We were”
“I am a past client of this provider I used this nursing service for my cousin”
“Chuck and his personnel are truly the best. They helped us with mom and always”
“Lisa helped my family understand the best options for my parents and the resources available. She has great contacts and helped guide us thru the process. We received wonderful service. Thanks!”
“Always Best Care has been a lifesaver for our family. We have worked with them twice, both in emergency situations and they have treated us as if we were their only clients. Within an hour of our first call, we had paperwork completed and a caregiver on the way – and that was a holiday weekend. When the second emergency occurred, we knew exactly who to contact. We truly appreciate everything that Lisa, Melissa and the entire team have done for our family.”
“Thank you for the care you gave to my dad. He did not have any family living close to him. My sister and I were relived to know he was well taken care of. The caregivers truly care about your loved ones.”
“Always Best Care provided excellent care when I was discharged from Atrium after surgery- the office staff and caregivers were professional and caring- would definitely recommend if you need care at home-”
“Lisa and her team at Always Best Care have been a great partner and resource in providing services to our patients!”
“Amazing staff and services. Much appreciated.”
“I am a past client of this provider Always Best Care was just absolutely wonderful. I needed to qualify people who could deal with my sister with brain cancer. My sister would throw people in and out of her house; it was crazy. She died on December 5th. Always Best Care sent incredible people. I don't know where they came from, but they had one girl who was the only person my sister never attempted to throw out of the house. I'd never hear one bad word about this woman who was actually pulling double shifts at the end because my sister liked her so much. For some reason, this woman understood my sister and brain cancer. Brain cancer is hard to deal with because people could be pretty mean and abusive and they don't know what they're doing really. My sister was also going blind at the same time. It was not easy. I just wanted to say what wonderful care we received from Always Best Care. It was amazing. They were just coming and being there. My sister was crazy, and she didn't want anybody overnight, until she finally let me have someone come in overnight. On that night, she died. She got to die in her home, which is what I'm trying to do because that too was the most important thing of all. Always Best Care was able to staff at short notice and send really good people. I was impressed, and I would highly recommend them. They would help my sister get to the bathroom. She weighed 70 pounds when she died, but she was still able to walk. She had cancers on both her femurs, and her blood pressure was 80/47. They just helped with everything, like fixing her small meals, fixing coffee, and talking to her if she wanted to talk or not talking to her if she didn't want to talk. They were just very great with their help. My sister had brain cancer and she was belligerent. Always Best Care would find people within their staff. Also, it didn't take them long, I didn't have to wait. We had letters from others saying they don't have staff right now. With Always Best Care, I did it over the phone with a woman who was a Godsend. I think the caregiver was sent almost the first day and was there every day except on the weekend when they sent someone else. That person seemed to work out OK, too, which amazed me. For some reason, these people knew how to appease someone who is really crazy. It was the cancer; it was in my sister's head. You have to be tough-skinned and just realize that this is the disease talking to you and not a person. They were able to do that, and I feel very blessed.”
“I love working for this company.”
“I used this nursing service for my cousin Pat who had cancer. I can not express the level of care and compassion that was shown for her. The nurses felt like family! Especially Alicia. You treated my cousin as if she was your family and I can't thank you enough for that. You not only took care of her but us also. I would recommend this service 100%! We only used them for 1 month as my cousin passed quickly. I d not have a single negative remark. Thank you Chuck! Your nurses are amazing.”
“I love being able to work with this company, the owners are great people and support me daily! We have many calls to work on performance and continue to grow and learn!”
“Services were geared according to need. We were looking at rehab and they were willing to see what was needed. Very flexible and focused needs of patient All caregivers were on time We had a great experience”
“I am a past client of this provider Services were geared according to need. We were looking at rehab and they were willing to see what was needed. Very flexible and focused needs of patient All caregivers were on time We had a great experience”
“I am a past client of this provider I used this nursing service for my cousin Pat who had cancer. I can not express the level of care and compassion that was shown for her. The nurses felt like family! Especially Alicia. You treated my cousin as if she was your family and I can't thank you enough for that. You not only took care of her but us also. I would recommend this service 100%! We only used them for 1 month as my cousin passed quickly. I d not have a single negative remark. Thank you Chuck! Your nurses are amazing. Donna O.”
“Chuck and his personnel are truly the best. They helped us with mom and always focused on the care and not a much of processes and forms. I would highly recommend them to all.”
Home is where the heart is. While that saying can sound a tad cliche, it is especially true for many seniors living in America. When given a choice, older adults most often prefer to grow older at home. An AARP study found that three out of four adults over the age of 50 want to stay in their homes and communities as they age.
When you begin to think about why, it makes sense. Home offers a sense of security, comfort, and familiarity.
The truth is, as we age, we begin to rely on others for help. When a family is too busy or lives too far away to fulfill this role, in-home senior care is often the best solution. Home care services allow seniors to enjoy personal independence while also receiving trustworthy assistance from a trained caregiver.
At Always Best Care, we offer a comprehensive range of home care services to help seniors stay healthy while they get the help they need to remain independent. As your senior loved one gets older, giving them the gift of senior care is one of the best ways to show your love, even if you live far away.
To give our senior clients the best care possible, we offer a full spectrum of in-home care services:
If your senior loved one has specific care needs, our personal care services are a great choice to consider. Personal care includes the standard caregiving duties associated with companion care and includes help with tasks such as dressing and grooming. Personal care can also help individuals with chronic conditions like diabetes.
Common personal care services include assistance with:
Sometimes, seniors need helpful reminders to maintain a high quality of life at home. If you or your senior has trouble with everyday tasks like cooking, our home helper services will be very beneficial.
Common home helper care services include assistance with:
Using this kind of care is a fantastic way to make life easier for you or your senior loved one. At Always Best Care, our talented caregivers often fill the role of a companion for seniors. That way, older adults can enjoy their favorite local activities, such as visiting Irmo Town Park with friends while also receiving the care they need daily or weekly.
Common companionship services include:
According to AARP, more than 53 million adults living in the U.S. provide care to someone over 50 years old. Unfortunately, these caregivers experience stress, exhaustion, and even depression. Our respite care services help family caregivers address urgent obligations, spend time with their children, and enjoy nearby activities. Perhaps more importantly, respite care gives family members time to recharge and regroup. Taking personal time to de-stress reduces the risk of caregiver burnout. So, if you've always wanted to eat at the local The Bistro or visit Irmo Town Park, don't feel bad. Doing so is great for both you and your loved one.
At the end of the day, our goal is to become a valuable part of your senior's daily routine. That way, we may help give them the highest quality of life possible. We know that staying at home is important for your loved one, and we are here to help make sure that is possible.
If you have been on the fence about non-medical home care, there has never been a better time than now to give your senior the care, assistance, and companionship they deserve.
Always Best Care in-home services are for older adults who prefer to stay at home but need ongoing care that friends and family cannot provide. In-home care is a safe, effective way for seniors to age gracefully in a familiar place and live independent, non-institutionalized lives. The benefits of non-medical home care are numerous. Here are just a few reasons to consider senior care services from Always Best Care:
According to AARP, 9 out of 10 seniors prefer to age in place within the comfort of their own home. With in-home care, seniors have a way to stay at home, receive the care they need, and maintain a sense of independence, improving overall wellness.
If you or a member of your family have assumed the role of caregiver for your senior loved one, you know how stressful the job can be. Between caregiver burnout and constant worry, being a family caregiver is hard. In-home care relieves your burden and gives you peace of mind knowing that your older family member is in expert hands.
Unlike nursing homes, where the staff and residents rotate frequently, seniors can foster new friendships and build bonds with their caregiver. Seniors who socialize on a regular basis are often happier, which fosters positivity and leads to increased wellbeing.
No two seniors need the same kind of in-home care assistance. That is why each of our Care Plans is tailored to meet our client's individual needs. We offer plans that cover everything from light housekeeping to more involved duties like transportation to doctor's appointments. Our Care Coordinators will work closely with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure your senior's needs are exceeded.
Always Best Care offers a full array of care options for patients at all levels of health. With our trusted elderly care services, your loved one will receive the level of care necessary for them to enjoy the highest possible quality of life.
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While it's true that some seniors have complicated medical needs that prevent them from staying at home, aging in place is often the best arrangement for seniors and their families. With a trusted caregiver, seniors have the opportunity to live with a sense of dignity and do so as they see fit - something that is unavailable to many older people today.
In-home care makes it possible for millions of seniors to age in place every year. Rather than moving to a strange nursing home, seniors have the chance to stay at home where they feel the happiest and most comfortable.
How much does a senior's home truly mean to them?
A study published by the American Society on Aging found that more than half of seniors say their home's emotional value means more than how much their home is worth in monetary value. It stands to reason, then, that a senior's home is where they want to grow old.
With the help of elderly care in Irmo, SC, seniors don't have to age in a sterilized care facility. Instead, they can age gracefully in the place they want to be most: their home. In contrast, seniors who move to a long-term care facility must adapt to new environments, new people, and new systems that the facility implements. At this stage in life, this kind of drastic change can be more harmful than helpful.
Institutional care facilities like nursing homes often put large groups of people together to live in one location. On any given day, dozens of staff members and caregivers run in and out of these facilities. Being around so many new people in a relatively small living environment can be dangerous for a seniors' health and wellbeing. When you consider that thousands of seniors passed away in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic, opting for in-home care is often a safer, healthier choice for seniors.
Aging in place has been shown to improve seniors' quality of life, which helps boost physical health and also helps insulate them from viral and bacterial risks found in elderly living facilities.
For many seniors, the ability to live independently with assistance from a caregiver is a priceless option. With in-home care, seniors experience a higher level of independence and freedom - much more so than in other settings like a nursing home. When a senior has the chance to age in place, they get to live life on their own terms, inside the house that they helped make into a home. More independence means more control over their personal lives, too, which leads to increased levels of fulfillment, happiness, and personal gratification. Over time, these positive feelings can manifest into a healthier, longer life.
More independence, a healthier life, and increased comfort are only a few benefits of aging in place. You have to take into consideration the role of cost and convenience. Simply put, it's usually easier and more affordable to help seniors age in place than it is to move them into an institutional care facility. According to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, seniors who age in the comfort of their homes can save thousands of dollars per month.
In-home care services from Always Best Care, for instance, are often less expensive than long-term solutions, which can cost upwards of six figures per year. To make matters worse, many residential care facilities are reluctant to accept long-term care insurance and other types of payment assistance.
With Always Best Care's home care services, seniors and their families have a greater level of control over their care plans. In-home care gives seniors the chance to form a bond with a trusted caregiver and also receive unmatched care that is catered to their needs. In long-term care facilities, seniors and their loved ones have much less control over their care plan and have less of a say in who provides their care.
In-home care is a valuable resource that empowers seniors to age in place on their own terms. However, a big concern for many families and their loved ones is how much in-home care costs. If you're worried that in-home care is too expensive, you may be pleasantly surprised to learn that it is one of the most affordable senior care arrangements available.
Typically, hiring an Always Best Care in-home caregiver for a few hours a week is more affordable than sending your loved one to a long-term care facility. This is true even for seniors with more complex care needs.
At Always Best Care, we will work closely with you and your family to develop a Care Plan that not only meets your care needs, but your budget requirements, too. Once we discover the level of care that you or your senior need, we develop an in-home care plan that you can afford.
In addition to our flexible care options, families should also consider the following resources to help offset potential home care costs:
When you or your senior loved one needs assistance managing daily tasks at home, finding a qualified caregiver can be challenging. It takes a special kind of person to provide reliable care for your senior loved one. However, a caregiver's role involves more than meal preparation and medication reminders. Many seniors rely on their caregivers for companionship, too.
Our companion care services give seniors the chance to socialize in a safe environment and engage in activities at home. These important efforts boost morale and provide much-needed relief from repetitive daily routines. A one-on-one, engaging conversation can sharpen seniors' minds and give them something in which to be excited.
At Always Best Care, we only hire care providers that we would trust to care for our own loved ones. Our senior caregivers in Irmo, SC understand how important it is to listen and communicate with their seniors. A seemingly small interaction, like a short hug goodbye, can make a major difference in a senior's day. Instead of battling against feelings of isolation, seniors begin to look forward to seeing their caregiver each week.
Understanding the nuances of senior care is just one of the reasons why our care providers are so great at their job.
Unlike some senior care companies, our caregivers must undergo extensive training before they work for Always Best Care. In addition, our caregivers receive ongoing training throughout the year. This training ensures that their standard of care matches up to the high standards we've come to expect. During this training, they will brush up on their communication skills, safety awareness, and symptom spotting. That way, your loved one receives the highest level of non-medical home care from day one.
While it's true that many seniors prefer to age at home, sometimes in-home care isn't the best fit. For those seniors and their families, choosing an assisted living facility makes more sense. Unfortunately, finding the optimal care facility is easier said than done in today's day and age. That's when Always Best Care's assisted living referral services begin to make a lot of sense.
Assisted living is a form of housing intended for seniors who require varying degrees of medical and personal attention. Accommodations may include single rooms, apartments, or shared living arrangements. Assisted living communities are typically designed to resemble a home-like environment and are physically constructed to encourage the independence of residents.
At assisted living communities, seniors receive help with daily activities such as bathing, dressing, and eating. They may also benefit from coordination of services with outside healthcare providers, and monitoring of resident activities to ensure their health, safety, and well-being. Caregivers who work at assisted living communities can also provide medication administration and personal care services for older adults.
Other services offered within assisted living communities can include some or all of the following:
At Always Best Care, our representatives can match your senior's emotional, physical, and financial needs with viable assisted living communities nearby. Results are based on comparative data, so you can select the best choice for you or your loved one.
Always Best Care works closely with local senior living communities to gain valuable knowledge that we then use to help seniors and their loved ones make informed decisions. This information can include basic care and rent, resident availability, and services provided. Because Always Best Care is compensated by these communities, we provide senior living referral services at no extra cost to you.
Some of the most popular assisted living communities to consider in our area include the following:
For many seniors, moving into a senior living community revolves around how and when they want to make a transition to more involved care. Some seniors are more proactive about transitioning to independent living. Others choose to remain home until their care needs or other requirements are satisfied. Remember - our staff is here to help. Contact our office today to learn more about assisted living communities and how we can find a facility that exceeds your expectations.
The first step in getting quality in-home care starts with a personal consultation with an experienced Always Best Care Care Coordinator. This initial consultation is crucial for our team to learn more about you or your elderly loved one to discover the level of care required. Topics of this consultation typically include:
A discussion of your needs and how our trained caregivers can offer assistance in the most effective way
A draft of your care plan, which includes highly detailed notes and a framework for the care that you or your senior will receive
Discuss payment options and help coordinate billing with your insurance provider
Our caregivers are trained to spot changes that clients exhibit, like mental and physical decline. As your trusted senior care company, we will constantly assess and update your Care Plan to meet any new emotional, intellectual, physical, and emotional needs.
If you have never considered in-home care before, we understand that you and your family may have concerns about your Care Plan and its Care Coordinator. To help give you peace of mind, know that every team member and caregiver must undergo comprehensive training before being assigned to a Care Plan.
At the end of the day, we only hire the best of the best at Always Best Care. Whether you need home care in Irmo, SC 24-hours a day or only need a respite for a couple of hours, we are here to serve you.
When you're ready, we encourage you to contact your local Always Best Care representative to set up a Care Consultation. Our Care Coordinators would be happy to meet with you in person to get to know you better, discuss your needs, and help put together a personalized Care Plan specific to your needs.
Irmo’s new skate park hasn’t been open long, but it’s already getting attention.Tucked away in the Friarsgate neighborhood inside Rawls Creek Park, it hosted the Boardr series, a national, all-ages skateboarding contest, on March 28-29. The event drew hundreds to the park to watch talented skateboarders show off their skills, said Marie Ryan, a volunteer on the committee that worked to get the skate park built.“There were 71 contestants there from 20 states, from Texas to Maine,” Ryan said.T...
Irmo’s new skate park hasn’t been open long, but it’s already getting attention.
Tucked away in the Friarsgate neighborhood inside Rawls Creek Park, it hosted the Boardr series, a national, all-ages skateboarding contest, on March 28-29. The event drew hundreds to the park to watch talented skateboarders show off their skills, said Marie Ryan, a volunteer on the committee that worked to get the skate park built.
“There were 71 contestants there from 20 states, from Texas to Maine,” Ryan said.
The activity on the 8,500-square-foot skating area is vindication for Ryan and others who organized and pushed for years to get the skating amenity added to the park.
She estimates that anywhere from 50 to 100 people use the park daily, just based on how many people she sees during her frequent visits.
On a recent Friday afternoon, a half-dozen elementary school-aged skateboarding students in matching blue helmets were riding around the park’s concrete bowl learning tricks from Joshua Robinson, who teaches skateboarding for the after-school program at Universal Outreach Church.
“For summer camp, I bring them out here every morning,” Robinson said. “This will be the first summer we can skate in this park.”
Previously, Robinson’s class had to travel around to other skating venues in the area, or just learn the basics on a ramp set up in the church’s parking lot. Having the skate park here, a 10-minute walk from the church, will make the program much more convenient for the kids.
“Way before the park was open, the town wasn’t even totally sold on it,” said Alonzo Johnson, the pastor at Universal Outreach. “We started hosting on the campus here, and the community excitement drew 150 kids out there, and that demonstrated to the town that there was an interest in this sort of thing.”
“I think it’s mentally beneficial for kids because it gives them something to do, and it’s a low barrier to entry,” Robinson said. “Kids like to do it because it’s something you can do on your own terms. There’s not a lot of rules. ... I got into it because there wasn’t anyone telling me what I had to do or how to organize my time.”
Near where Robinson’s students are learning to ollie, three men from North Carolina are performing their own tricks. They previously came to Irmo for the Boardr event, but were so impressed with the park’s layout they made the trip back to skate some more.
“It’s nice that it has trees,” said Tony Gregerson. “You’d be surprised how many skate parks don’t have trees and shade. It can get brutal in the summer.”
His friends Nathan Lemker and Brian Stephenson agreed Irmo’s was one of the top skate parks they have seen in their years riding.
“I would say it’s in the top three or four,” said Stephenson, who estimates he’s skated at a baker’s dozen of parks across the Carolinas. Because of its more even-sided obstacles, Irmo’s course is “more open to both regular and goofy (i.e., right-footed or left-footed) skating,” the North Carolinian said.
Irmo Mayor Bill Danielson said Boardr is planned to be an annual event in Irmo, with the skating competition slated to return to Rawls Creek next March. The mayor said it was one of the most successful initial events the town has done.
“The guy who runs all of it said we probably have one of the top five in the country because of the way it’s designed and how many competitors can use it,” Danielson said. “There were people there from 5 to 60 in age. Everybody came in that weekend, stayed in our hotels and ate at our restaurants. It’s an excellent facility.”
He credited Ryan with leading the push for the park. David Toole, owner of Bluetile Skateboards in Five Points, said he’d wanted a good skate park to open for years when Ryan and others spoke to him about the efforts in Irmo.
“They had a timeline of six months, and I thought, ‘y’all are crazy,’” he said. “It’ll be five to 10 years.”
But in just a couple years, Irmo was able to get the park completed by dedicated skate park designers 5th Pocket for a cost of $380,000. It had a soft open last fall, but the Boardr event was considered the park’s grand opening.
“She’s the GOAT of the whole thing,” Toole said, using the initials for “Greatest of All Time.” “She has a knack for staying on the ball.”
The Southern California-born Ryan has six children between the ages of 11 and 26 who are avid skateboarders. Thanks to them, she was part of a community push to add a skate park to the town.
“I’m a stay-at-home mom, so I was able to just kind of stay with this project,” she said. “There was a small committee involved in it since the beginning, then we really started having discussions with local business owners, and really just got everybody to be behind.”
That effort eventually won over the support of Irmo’s top decision-makers.
“Mayor Danielson really helped, [Town Administrator] Courtney Dennis, everybody came together with hospitality tax dollars,” Ryan said. “We raised the money for the design, donated skateboards. The community just saw the need for it.”
Toole donated a hundred skateboards from Bluetile to participants at the Boardr event, Danielson said, “so it was a huge event from that standpoint.”
“The people who are able to advocate for these parks tend to be older, more affluent skateboarders, and they don’t want what the kids want,” Toole said. “Irmo is very entry level. Pretty much anyone can go and have fun. Someone who is very skilled might get bored, but you can skate in it and find joy.”
”I live right next to [Owens Field Skate Park], and I’ll drive to Irmo five times over to skate there,” Toole said.
Even when the Irmo Skate Park isn’t hosting huge events, the community still gets a lot of use out of the facility.
”I never drive by there when there isn’t somebody up there riding,” the mayor said. “It’s always in use.”
“It’s a skate park everybody can use,” Ryan said. “It goes from beginner to advanced.”
IRMO — Mathias Sandwich Shop is a small restaurant on the edge of the Town of Irmo that Brent Chitwood and many other locals visit often. Chitwood describes it as a perfect place to grab a meal, chat with fellow customers and gather with the Irmo community. So it makes sense that it would also be the place Chitwood would begin a grassroots effort to start an artist guild.Chitwood said the project started when he connected with Kimberly Winn, who o...
IRMO — Mathias Sandwich Shop is a small restaurant on the edge of the Town of Irmo that Brent Chitwood and many other locals visit often. Chitwood describes it as a perfect place to grab a meal, chat with fellow customers and gather with the Irmo community. So it makes sense that it would also be the place Chitwood would begin a grassroots effort to start an artist guild.
Chitwood said the project started when he connected with Kimberly Winn, who owns Artistic Aspirations, and discussed her vision for more public art in the small town straddling Richland and Lexington counties. Chitwood brought up Winn's goal to other customers in the sandwich shop, and soon, the newly formed Greater Irmo Artist Guild got started.
The group decided to put its first project right where conversations began, the sandwich shop, and settled on a design they knew everyone would be excited about — a mural of the former Irmo High School yellow jacket.
Winn and local artist Sean Madden volunteered to paint the mural. Chitwood and Irmo Town Council Member Gabriel D. Penfield agreed to power wash and prime the wall to save money.
Chitwood said the group raised all the money needed to complete the project by talking to friends, locals and community charities like the Irmo Arbor Day Committee for support.
The positive response from the mural was immediate, with reactions on the local Facebook group that Penfield said were only rivaled by a picture of a dog in the driver's seat of a car.
Now, Chitwood said he and other community members want to turn the mural's success into a new wave of art, led by the Greater Irmo Artist Guild.
Winn, who the group chose as the guild's president, said she hopes the Mathias mural is the start of a movement.
"This is what happens when you break the seal. Now that we've done the one domino, maybe the domino will fall in a place where we need to go," Winn said. "We have a list of different places that we'd really love to see the art go on ... and now we just need to make the proposals and have the ideas and then put them together."
Chitwood said all the work done so far was made possible by people coming together to do something good for the town.
"We're just local people from Irmo," Chitwood said. "We wanted to look better and be better, that's all — nothing fancy, nothing sophisticated about it. It's just community minded people."
Winn said the guild already has plans for other murals, like one honoring the local fire department and celebrating the cherry blossom festival. She said the group doesn't want to limit the type of art or artists, and hopes to showcase various work in the community.
"Our whole idea is to spread it out," Winn said. "There may be somebody that's more talented to bring in a sculpture or something like that, or different types of art around town. So it doesn't have to just be me and Sean and I. It just has to be something that makes sense for ... whatever the concept is."
Winn said she hopes the recent mural and future projects will bring beauty to Irmo, invoke feelings of nostalgia and pride in locals, and attract more attention to the town.
"When I go downtown (Columbia) and see the different murals that they do down in Five Points, I'm like, 'okay, when did this happen? And I want to go back again,'" Winn said.
During a small unveiling ceremony for the Mathias project, Penfield said he believes the mural is just the beginning for a group dedicating to making Irmo better.
"It creates something of interest," Penfield said. "It's unique, it's personality, it's culture all rolled into one thing. And there's more to come."
Those interested in joining the guild or learning more about the group's project can email Chitwood at [email protected].
IRMO — What started as a play date at Irmo's Moore Park for Stephenie Helland and her children has turned into much more.Helland and her kids, Columbia residents, ended up being able to attend Mayor Bill Danielson of Irmo first Storytime in the Park said on a recent morning.“My kids really loved it, they seemed li...
IRMO — What started as a play date at Irmo's Moore Park for Stephenie Helland and her children has turned into much more.
Helland and her kids, Columbia residents, ended up being able to attend Mayor Bill Danielson of Irmo first Storytime in the Park said on a recent morning.
“My kids really loved it, they seemed like they really had fun and enjoyed hearing the stories and doing the coloring and getting the giveaways from the library,” Helland said. “So, I think it was really a success with the kids.”
Helland said, if given the chance, she would bring her kids back to hear from Mayor Danielson again.
Storytime in the Parks is the “brainchild” of Lexington Mayor Hazel Livingston.
Once a month the mayors of Irmo, Lexington and Chapin take a Tuesday morning to go out to their local parks and read to the children in the community.
Danielson said anything they can do for the kids is a good thing, and letting them know “their local leaders are accessible is a good thing (for) the community.”
And it’s a chance to draw more children to local parks, he added.
“The most exciting thing is about the interaction with the kids,” he said. “Reading the book is one thing, but a lot of times I will adlib as I’m reading … (the kids) love the interaction.”
His next Storytime in the Parks will be on July 8 at Moore Park.
“Those are the brightest days that I have, when you get to talk to the kids and have a conversation with them and read to them and see the light on their faces. It’s important,” Danielson said.
Lexington's Livingston thinks this is a way to have the community not only connect with each other, but for people from other communities to come and explore their neighboring green spaces.
“The parents can go to the different communities, if they like, and have lunch in those communities and just engage and see other parks too,” Livingston said.
Livingston held her first Storytime in the Parks May 20. She said she had about 20 children show up — and this was before school was out for the summer.
She brought cookies and water. For the next event, she plans to offer face painting.
Since launching, Lexington County Library has reached out to join “to encourage the summer reading program and to sign up for library cards," Livingston said.
“I’m excited just about the engagement with the children,” she added, “to hear the children and to hear the excitement in their voices.”
Lexington’s next Storytime in the Parks will be June 17 at Virginia Hylton Park.
“I just hope we get to see more children this next time and have more fun with them,” Livingston said.
Chapin Mayor Albert Koon said the event series is a good opportunity to promote reading and literacy in Lexington County.
“It’s just another opportunity to get in front of young kids and promote reading, promote literacy and encourage them to read and read and read," Koon said.”
Koons's first Storytime in the Park got rained out, but his next one will take place June 14 at the Chapin Town Hall Park.
If you want to know more about when and where the upcoming Storytime in the Parks will be, visit https://www.lexsc.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=376
843-640-0129
