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STATESouth CarolinaSummerville

Summerville Local Assistance Programs

This page lists local organizations in Summerville, South Carolina that provide free legal help, food and social services. Statewide programs are described on the South Carolina page.

South Carolina Legal Services (Charleston Office)Free civil legal assistance
Websitesclegal.org 
Phone843-720-7044
Address2803 Carner Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29405
HoursMonday through Friday, 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM, Wednesday to 7:00 PM

South Carolina Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income residents of South Carolina. The Charleston office is the closest South Carolina Legal Services office to Summerville and handles housing, family law, consumer issues, public benefits, and other civil matters. It does not handle criminal cases. Applications go through the statewide intake office at 1-888-346-5592.1

South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral ServiceReferrals to prescreened lawyers
Websitescbar.org 
Phone803-799-7100
AddressPO Box 608, Columbia, SC 29202
HoursMonday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM

The Lawyer Referral Service is a public service of the South Carolina Bar. It connects callers with a prescreened lawyer in their area, by type of law and location. The referral itself is free. Each participating lawyer charges no more than $50 for a 30-minute consultation, and fees after that run at the lawyer’s regular rate. The lawyers in this service do not take pro bono cases. An online referral service is available 24 hours a day.2

Food

Seacoast Church Summerville Food PantryFree food pantry
Websiteseacoast.org 
Phone843-875-6520
Address301 East 5th North Street, Summerville, SC 29483
Hours1st and 3rd Saturday of every month, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

The Seacoast Church Summerville Food Pantry serves everyone on a first come, first served basis while supplies last during food distribution events. Proof of income is not required. Bring a photo ID each time.3

Lowcountry Food BankFood bank for coastal South Carolina
Websitelowcountryfoodbank.org 
Phone843-747-8146
Address2864 Azalea Drive, North Charleston, SC 29405

The Lowcountry Food Bank serves ten coastal counties of South Carolina, including Dorchester County, and distributed more than 45 million pounds of food in 2024. Its pantry locator lists partner pantries and distribution events across the region.4

Social services

HELP of SummervilleEmergency aid with bills, food, and clothing
Websitehelpofsummerville.org 
Phone843-871-0182
Address316 West Carolina Avenue, Summerville, SC 29483

HELP of Summerville has provided emergency aid to families in crisis in the Lower Dorchester community since 1975. It makes fast payment of one-off expenses to help individuals and families get through difficult times, including help with rent and utility bills and vouchers for clothing and food. People who need assistance are directed to Resource Connection at 843-566-7040.5

Trident United Way Dorchester Center for Strong FamiliesFree financial stability services
Websitetuw.org 
Phone843-566-7040
Address133 East 1st North Street, Suite 3, Summerville, SC 29483
HoursMonday through Thursday, 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM

The Dorchester Center for Strong Families offers free services for community members seeking financial stability. It connects people to food and rental assistance, housing and utility support, employment resources, health and wellness services, and financial stability programs. Call to schedule an appointment.6

Sources & notes

Data and figures on this page come from the sources and notes below:

Footnotes

  1. South Carolina Legal Services, Services  and Locations . ↩

  2. South Carolina Bar, Get Legal Help  and Rules of the Lawyer Referral Service . ↩

  3. Seacoast Church, Food Pantries . Address and phone come from a Tri-County food pantry list, Tri County Food Pantries (PDF) , not from the church site. ↩

  4. Lowcountry Food Bank, Find food  and Press release: South Carolina food banks call on elected officials . ↩

  5. HELP of Summerville, Home page . Phone comes from What’s Up Summerville, Shelter and Housing Guide (PDF) . Address is St. Paul’s Summerville, on whose grounds HELP is based, listed in the Dorchester Alcohol and Drug Commission Community Resources (PDF) . ↩

  6. Trident United Way, Dorchester County Help Resources . ↩

  1. Charleston Local Assistance Programs, South Carolina.
  2. Columbia Local Assistance Programs, South Carolina.
  3. Greenville Local Assistance Programs, South Carolina.
  4. Mount Pleasant Local Assistance Programs, South Carolina.
  5. North Charleston Local Assistance Programs, South Carolina.

About this information

SingleMotherGuide.com is an independent state-by-state reference guide and is not affiliated with any government agency. Program amounts and income limits are compiled from official federal and state sources, which are cited on the page, and are reviewed periodically and updated as those sources change.

The information is provided for general guidance and is not legal or financial advice. The administering agency makes the final determination of eligibility and benefit amounts. To report an error, please contact us.

Data freshness

Figures on this page are compiled from the public sources cited above and may change; refer to the cited sources for the most current information.

Last updated
Updated by
Ada Hu
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