Generations Unlimited resigns; county cites withheld reimbursements and funding shortfall

Barnwell County Council convened a special called meeting on March 2, 2026, to hear public input on the status and future of Generations Unlimited (GRU), a local nonprofit that provides food service and transportation. GRU leadership submitted a letter of resignation effective March 2, 2026, and council members accepted the resignation and entered it into the meeting record.

Chairman Freddie L. Houston Sr. told attendees that the organization’s closure stemmed from an extended funding shortfall and missing reimbursements from the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT). "No funds were ever misused or taken or stolen," Houston said, stressing that the problem was the inability to obtain reimbursements rather than alleged theft. Ms. Long, who represented GRU at the meeting, said staff had tried for years to comply with SCDOT paperwork requirements but still faced "a lot of uncertainty" about what the agency required.

County officials described a pattern of stop-start funding: SCDOT provided matching money at roughly $100,000 per year for GRU's transportation services, but the payments required timely submission of documentation and reimbursement claims. Council members said Barnwell County has provided emergency support to GRU totaling "over $1 million" in recent years, but sustained operations would require permanent staffing and ongoing operating funds that are not available.

Next steps outlined at the meeting include a final expense report to be prepared by the county Finance Committee and assistance from the county Buildings & Grounds department to move furniture and equipment from the GRU facility. Officials said limited services — specifically certain food service operations and some local transportation — would continue in the short term and that GRU will keep one van during the wind-down.