WINNSBORO – For more than 20 years, a dream has been growing behind the Fairfield County Disabilities and Special Needs facility in Winnsboro, a dream that has now become a five-acre sanctuary for the people the agency serves and a lasting tribute to the woman who helped make it happen.
Recently, the Fairfield County DSN Board and staff officially dedicated the new park in honor of Executive Director Laura Collins, unveiling a plaque embedded in a large stone that simply reads: “Laura’s Park.”
For Collins, the honor was deeply personal.
“The biggest thing for me was that it was actually presented to the board by the staff,” Collins said. “The fact that it came from the staff … that meant everything to me.”
Collins has spent her career at Fairfield County DSN, where she is known for her compassion and unwavering commitment to improving the lives of residents and consumers served by the agency. Over the years, one of her greatest passions became creating a peaceful outdoor space where residents, staff and guests could walk, relax and find comfort in nature.
That vision first began taking shape in 2004 when DSN purchased a single lot behind its day program building. At the time, Collins said she knew the property could someday become something meaningful.
“We were able to acquire a piece of property behind our day program building,” Collins said. “It was just one lot. And I’m like, okay, we’ll do something with this.”
Two years later, an unexpected phone call moved the dream forward.
Local resident Carol Douglas Jr. donated two adjoining lots to the agency for a tax write-off. Collins said the gift became the spark that truly launched the park project.
“That’s when it was born,” she said. “When he gave us those two lots, I’m like, this is really nice.”
Still, there were obstacles. The donated parcels were separated from the original property by two smaller pieces of land — one a narrow strip owned privately and the other an abandoned former Boy Scout hut later used for Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
Collins began researching ownership of the abandoned property and eventually discovered the Rotary Club held the deed, although members reportedly did not even realize they owned it.
“I went to Rotary a couple times and talked with them, and finally they donated it to us,” Collins said.
The final missing piece came through a delinquent tax sale after the previous owner failed to reclaim the property.
“It was truly divine intervention,” Collins said. “It was meant to be.”
With all the parcels assembled, DSN had nearly five acres tucked behind its campus.
Collins immediately saw the potential.
The land featured natural terraces, wooded areas and a creek running along the back side of the property.
“I thought, well, how lovely this would be,” she said.
She worked with the architect who designed its administration building to create a phased master plan for the park.
Last year, DSN completed the first phase of construction: clearing and grading the property and installing concrete walking trails designed to accommodate individuals with mobility challenges.
“My thought was I wanted concrete trails because it felt like they would hold up, and it would allow people that had mobility issues to be able to navigate it,” Collins said. “Even our folks in wheelchairs can go down there and navigate the park.”
Future plans include picnic shelters, benches, picnic tables, raised-bed gardens, restrooms and even an amphitheater for outdoor events.
The project also received a major boost this past fall when an anonymous donor offered a $22,000 challenge grant — and ultimately donated the entire amount anyway.
But for Collins, the greatest reward has been seeing how the park already impacts the people DSN serves.
Many residents and consumers now walk the trails daily. Some use the space for exercise and wellness. Others simply enjoy the peace and quiet.
Collins recalled one of the DSN residents – a young woman who often visited the park when she became overwhelmed.
“She would just go and sit down there and enjoy the quiet, because that was good for her,” Collins said. “You just have to let them kind of de-escalate.”
Staff members also use the trails after work for exercise and stress relief.
“It’s for their health and their mental health, everything,” Collins said.
The park has also become a place where nature itself offers comfort and beauty. Collins described spotting large woodpeckers among the trees one morning while walking the grounds.
“I just feel like it’s a little sanctuary,” she said.
The park is not open to the general public; Collins said it was created specifically as a safe and peaceful retreat for the individuals served by Fairfield County DSN.
Now, with the park officially bearing her name, the sanctuary stands not only as a place of healing and recreation, but also as a reflection of Collins’ decades of service and care for the residents at DSM the community.
For the staff and board members who dedicated “Laura’s Park,” the tribute represents far more than walking trails and green space.
It represents the legacy of a woman who has spent her career making life better for others.
