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     Funding was always a problem, but the Orphanage used their farm to supplement their income and the citizens of Charleston, especially the churches, which provided invaluable support. Rev. Jenkins, like Booker T. Washington, was a proponent of the self-help concept. Because of this belief, he implemented a structured program designed to emphasize discipline, while also teaching skills that would benefit both the Orphanage and the youngsters personally once they left the institute. Baking, butchering, farming, music, printing and housekeeping were some of the skills taught along with regular academic subjects.

     Religious worship was and continues to be an integral part of daily life at the Orphanage. The legacy of the Orphanage to each of its residents is its insistance on a daily routine that becomes the foundation of the life he or she will one day lead.

     The "Bell of Hope" was installed in 1937 to get the attention of the residents who were scattered in living quarters all across the vast property.