FOUR RETREATS ACROSS SC IN 2026!

This year, join our SC BLOOM friends at three different in person locations and online! Click each link to sign up!

HHC Retreat on January 25 in Columbia SC
- Free half-day retreat for high school and college students will include health and wellness workshops and training focused on political engagement and advocacy, specifically for book banning and censorship against LGBTQ+ books. Applications are due by 5pm on Friday, January 16, 2026.
Uplift Outreach Retreat on Feb 6-7 in Spartanburg, SC
- Free two-day, daytime youth retreat ending with the Upstate Queer Youth Prom! This retreat and prom is focused on connection, sexual health, yoga, and celebration. For ages 13-19 only. Registration closes January 30th.
We Are Family Retreat on April 10-12 in Charleston, SC
- Free, three day retreat focused on creative resistance, self defense, and care. Participants will be fed and provided opportunities for skill building and bonding with other participants. For ages 16-24.
Virtual Retreat on June 30 - July 3 on ZOOM
- Community members of all ages can attend the virtual retreat!! First 20 confirmed participants will receive gift cards for food, care packages sent via mail.

SC BLOOM: Are you ready to bloom with us?

Three leading SC LGBTQ+ organizations — Harriet Hancock Center, Uplift Outreach, and We Are Family — joined forces to expand wellness services and hybrid programming for rural and BIPOC LGBTQ+ youth across the state through SC BLOOM (Building Leadership, Outreach, and Opportunities for Mobilization).

LGBTQ+ youth in the state face significant health disparities due to systemic discrimination and limited access to affirming care. Every LGBTQ+ young person deserves access to health and wellness resources, especially those most impacted by barriers to healthcare and higher rates of HIV. Through SC BLOOM, we’re working to close those gaps by scaling programs that center care, connection, and community across South Carolina.

SC BLOOM offers a powerful combination of four core program elements designed to support the health, connection, and leadership of LGBTQ+ youth across South Carolina: 1) a virtual Social Support Group for ages 16–24 to build friendships and access sexual health tools; 2) Summer Retreats—both in-person and virtual—for wellness, skill-building, and joy; 3) integrated Wellness Education focused on affirming care and HIV prevention; and 4) individualized Linkages to Care that connect youth to essential resources, case management, and community-based health services.

SC BLOOM Flyer!

Join SC BLOOM virtual group!

PROGRAM COMPONENTS:

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Our new virtual social support group will serve as a space of care, refuge, and friendship for LGBTQ+ young people 16-24. Make friends and get access to sexual health education and other tools to shape your own life! Groups run for 1.5 hours.
Join us virtually biweekly, Thursdays @ 6pm!
Next Group Dates:
- January 22nd, 6-7:30pm
- February 5th, 6-7:30pm
- February 19th, 6-7:30pm
- March 5th, 6-7:30pm
- March 19th, 6-7:30pm
Complete the intake form by clicking here!!
In summer 2025 we hosted two FREE wellness and leadership retreats for LGBTQ+ young people ages 16–24 across South Carolina— one virtual and one in-person— designed to build community, nurture well-being, and grow leadership.
This year, join our SC BLOOM friends at three different in person locations and online! Click each link to sign up.
LGBTQ+ youth in the state face significant health disparities, often stemming from discrimination and limited access to affirming care. To address this, each partner organization will embed comprehensive sexual health and wellness education— including HIV prevention— into their ongoing programs and community events, ensuring that vital information and resources reach the young people who need them most.
Too often, LGBTQ+ community members face isolation from essential care and health services. To address this, all youth participating in our group programs will receive personalized case management and direct linkages to affirming care. We’ll also provide ongoing support and follow-up to ensure each young person can access the services they need—including, but not limited to, MHAP’s free short-term therapy, local affirming healthcare providers, and community-based health organizations, with a focus on HIV-related care.

YEAR ONE: 2025 SC BLOOM RECAP

In July-August 2025, WAF, along with our partners at the Harriet Hancock Center and Uplift Outreach, hosted our SC BLOOM Wellness & Leadership Retreat. We brought 20 LGBTQ+ young people from throughout the state to Columbia, SC for a transformative four-day experience!