WellCare Sponsors Race for St. Lawrence Place's Kids' Fun Run

COLUMBIA, S.C. and TAMPA, Fla., Feb. 15, 2017

St. Lawrence Place is a 30-home community that provides transitional housing, support services and life skills training to enable homeless families to achieve independent living.

Approximately 27 percent of South Carolina's homeless are families. Unlike many shelters that only serve women and children or single men, St. Lawrence Place allows families to stay together.

"Families struggling with homelessness are often unable to prioritize their children's health or obtain needed preventive care," said Kathy Warner, WellCare's state president in South Carolina. "Children experiencing homelessness are sick four times more often and are four times more likely to show delayed development than other children. WellCare is committed to finding solutions to help those we serve manage the everyday challenges that make it difficult to achieve and maintain optimal health."

This year, world-renowned basketball player/coach and WellCare of South Carolina spokesperson, Dawn Staley and her organization, INNERSOLE, will provide new athletic shoes for the children staying at St. Lawrence Place.

Since its inception in May 2013, INNERSOLE, whose goal is to provide new athletic shoes to children who are homeless or in need, has given shoes to more than 7,500 homeless and low-income children in South Carolina.