Success Story - Stanly Adult Care Center, Inc.

Sandy Carelock, a 35-year occupational therapist, founded Stanly Adult Care Center, Inc.—the first adult day health service in Stanly County—with guidance from the Stanly Community College Small Business Center (SCC SBC). Inspired by the lack of local options and a vision to allow older adults to age in place, she stepped away from her clinical career to build the nonprofit from the ground up. With no board, policies, or startup plan in place, Sandy relied on SCC SBC’s counseling, training, and strategic guidance to navigate incorporation, compliance, and fundraising while renovating a donated facility into a fully operational center.

The journey was not without challenges. Sandy had to create infrastructure from scratch, establish governance, and meet rigorous certification requirements—all while raising funds beyond the $1 million state grant to complete renovations. With support from SCC SBC and local partners, she coordinated construction, launched a capital campaign, developed policies, and prepared for staffing and operations. More than 24 hours of one-on-one counseling and over 90 hours of training helped her strengthen board development, strategic planning, and fundraising capacity, while community businesses and organizations contributed resources and expertise to make the project possible.

Now, Stanly Adult Care Center stands ready to serve 80+ individuals weekly across five counties, providing critical adult day health and respite services. The center has already created four full-time jobs with more hires to come, and it is poised to become a cornerstone of care, community support, and workforce development. Sandy credits the SCC SBC as an essential partner whose guidance provided not only technical expertise but also encouragement and confidence. “Their support has empowered us to move forward with confidence, knowing we are not alone in this work.”