Winnsboro and Churches Enterprise Story.

     In my Hometown Of Winnsboro, South Carolina the first thing you are going to notice are the churches that adorn every corner of the city. You are almost guaranteed to see a church on every corner. This dense number of churches always made me think, and this enterprise story was a chance to further investigate how these Churches affect my town. My main focus were on 3 main elements, how the Churches effected the economy, the community, the crime rate, or even if they had an affect at all.

Dr. Stonebraker

     To analyze the economy I first interviewed a church member, who was also the assistant clerk, and a member of the financial committee at her church. I wanted to see what her church did to aid the local economy, but also what more it could do. Then, I wanted to interview someone who would know the economy of Winnsboro better than most people. This is how I found Walker Miller, whose family has owned a dry cleaning business for several decades. Owning a local business means he is required to informed about local economics, and how the church helps or does not help. Lastly, I talked with Winthrop's own Dr. Rober Stonebraker, to further understand the economics that comes along with a Church.
     I always thought of the church as more than just a financial institution, and instead a place of community values. Churches to me, always seemed like a positive place for anyone with problems to go, and a useful tool in constructing strong community ties. To find out how other people felt about the Churches' role in community presence, I collected the opinions of resident in a Vox Pop. It was interesting to me that some people's reaction for fast and positive, while a couple seemed to doubt the Churches' real influence within the community.
     I was absolutely floored by the lack of impact Churches had on the crime rate of Winnsboro. Winnsboro's crime rates as of 2010 far exceeded the US average. Winnsboro has some of the highest crime rates, not just in the area, but in all of South Carolina. In South Carolina alone, 66% of communities are considered safer than Winnsboro including Chester, Columbia, and Great Falls. Violent crimes, theft, and arson are all on the rise and far exceed that of the national average. Of the theft attempts in Winnsboro, the Church has actually been the victim. Several churches were broke into my people seeking copper or high dollar electronics.   The churches seem to be grossly negligent when it comes to being a positive influence on troubled people. The only crimes that have not seen a significant spike and is less or tied with the national average are rape and murder. The church needs more youth programs, aid for the unemployed,job training services, and a closer relationship with law enforcement to help trim these shocking crime numbers.
    The thing I found most interesting that i found about is these churches are not huge helps to the economy or crime rates, but it does provide community moral for those who are not criminals. I feel like the Churches' are ultimately not living up to its responsibilities of helping the neighborhood. There is no reason the Church should not be providing assistance to the community. I feel the church has severed it's ties with the community and we are seeing struggles in our economy, crime troubles, and community relationship.




   
   
   

 Enterprise Story Video 1.
Enterprise Story Video 2