PROJECT BRIEF

Client Name:

• Lily Pad: A Soft Place to Land
  

Services:

• Media Strategy
• Earned Media
• Messaging
• Story Development

The Opportunity

Keylight Communications began working with Lily Pad: A Soft Place to Land in 2023, supporting the organization’s growth through strategic communications, media relations, and storytelling. What began as a pro bono partnership quickly evolved into an ongoing collaboration, as Lily Pad expanded its reach and deepened its impact across South Carolina.

When children enter foster care in South Carolina, many wait in stark, functional spaces - conference rooms, cubicles, or offices designed for operations rather than comfort - during one of the most difficult moments of their lives. These environments can intensify an already traumatic experience, leaving children and families without a sense of safety or care at a critical first point of contact.

Lily Pad was founded to change that reality, transforming child welfare offices into safe, welcoming, trauma-informed environments that support children, victims of trauma, and others experiencing crisis. To date, the organization has created more than 40 of these spaces, bringing comfort and dignity to individuals navigating urgent and often overwhelming situations.

In 2025, as Lily Pad launched rooms in Horry County, the organization had a key opportunity: raise awareness, inspire community support, and position itself as a leader in trauma-informed care. At the same time, growing media attention on foster care challenges created a timely opening for solution-oriented storytelling that could both inform and mobilize the community.

OUR APPROACH

Keylight Communications implemented a proactive and responsive media strategy designed to meet the moment. Rather than relying on a single announcement, the team engaged directly with reporters covering foster care, public systems, and community issues - offering a narrative that paired a difficult reality with a tangible, human-centered solution.

Keylight developed tailored media materials, including photography, fact sheets, and spokesperson guidance, ensuring each story captured both the need and the impact of Lily Pad’s work. Visual storytelling played a key role in illustrating the transformation from stark, functional environments to calming, supportive spaces.

By aligning outreach with existing media momentum, Lily Pad was positioned as a credible, solutions-driven voice within a broader statewide conversation - one that emphasized dignity, empathy, and practical change.

THE RESULTS

The campaign secured coverage across key regional outlets, including:

MyHorryNews, SC Daily Gazette, Here Myrtle Beach, The Post and Courier, and WPDE-TV (ABC News 15).

These placements reached local residents, policymakers, donors, and volunteers - while maintaining consistent messaging around dignity, comfort, and trauma-informed support.

Following coverage, Lily Pad experienced:

• Increased donor engagement
• New interest from volunteers, and community partners
• Outreach from local leaders to support future expansion
  

THE IMPACT

The campaign elevated awareness of an often-overlooked experience and positioned Lily Pad as a leader in trauma-informed environments, child welfare, and victim support.

Beyond media coverage, the work helped shift the narrative, bringing visibility to a critical gap in care while demonstrating that thoughtful, community-driven solutions are already making a difference. Increased awareness translated into tangible momentum, strengthening partnerships and accelerating opportunities for growth.

By pairing empathy-driven storytelling with strategic media engagement, Keylight transformed a complex issue into a catalyst for awareness, advocacy, and meaningful action.