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<p><strong>From staff reports</strong></p>
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<p>The Extra Mile Club of the Lowcountry (EMC) has received a $10,000 grant from the Truist Foundation to expand the organization’s Educational Equity Program.</p>
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<p>“Over 100 youth ages 6 to 12 living in Northern Beaufort County will benefit from the Truist Foundation grant,” EMC Executive Director Gaynelle J. Dantzler said in a release. “The EMC realizes educational equity starts with addressing the psychological toll of social isolation and understands social interaction is essential for child development, especially for at-risk youth.”</p>
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<p>The EMC’s Educational Equity Program is a re-imagined approach that will build on the organization’s pre-pandemic, evidence-based exercise program to meet additional social needs caused by the pandemic.</p>
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<p>“At Truist our purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities,” Truist’s South Carolina regional president Mike Brenan said on behalf of the Truist Foundation. “Our partnership with EMC demonstrates our aligned commitment to support youth here in Beaufort County.”</p>
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<p>The EMC wants to help build, along with community partners, a true community-based education approach that places equity at the center so all students, especially those most impacted by the pandemic and long-standing systemic neglect have the support and opportunities they need to achieve their full potential.</p>
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<p>The EMC’s mission since its inception in 2008 has always been to support the underserved children of northern Beaufort County who live in communities with little or no after school or recreational resources available to them. This support has been delivered in the form of a youth football program, conditioning activities, homework help, mentoring, access to personal development programs, community service projects, and visits to college campuses.</p>
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<p>Established in 2020, the Truist Foundation makes strategic investments in nonprofit organizations to help ensure the communities it serves have more opportunities for a better quality of life.</p>
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