The motivation to establish the Middle Tyger Community Center (MTCC) began in 1996 with a high school nurse. Concerned that too many young girls in high school were getting pregnant and dropping out of school, the nurse also observed that many of these young mothers went on to have additional babies at a young age, lived in poverty, and lacked family support, parenting and coping skills. At the time, there were no programs in the area designed to address the multiple needs of these young mothers. The nurse shared her observations with leaders in the school district and throughout the county. Together, community leaders and agencies came together to discuss the many needs of the area and developed a vision of an innovative and comprehensive family resource center that would address the complex needs of parenting adolescents and other disadvantaged families living in rural Spartanburg County. The opportunity to realize the vision of MTCC came in 1997 when the Mary Black Foundation awarded planning, pilot and implementation grants to Spartanburg County School District Five. Funds were used to conduct needs assessment, develop innovative programs, and to renovate a former elementary school building. Soon after, a full collaborative partnership was formed, staff was hired, participants were recruited, programs were launched, and in August 1998, MTCC was opened to the public. In the years since, MTCC has grown into a vibrant place for community members to gather, learn, offer support to one another, and celebrate individual, family, and community accomplishments. MTCC provides comprehensive services to the community including early childhood education, family counseling services, youth development programs, a food pantry, a free health clinic, and adult education programs including GED, ESOL and Literacy classes.
