Operations Specialist John Earl Thomas paid forward $500 to AMIkids WINGS Piedmont in Clinton.
AMIkids started in 1969 with leadership from Juvenile Court Judge Frank Orlando in Fort Lauderdale. Instead of sending juveniles into detention, Orlando and his partners exposed at-risk youth to mentorship through the Associated Marine Institutes (AMI) to help children across Florida.
In 2009, AMI became AMIkids to reflect its broadened mission and reach, and today the program has grown into a national nonprofit, helping more than 160,000 children across the United States.
AMIkids offers a wide range of programs and services across the nation designed to provide the extra support youth need to discover their true potential. The programs and services are organized into four main categories:
- Community-based Programs
- Residential Programs
- Program Enhancements
- and Service Coordination.
According to amikids.org, “Every young person has the potential for greatness, and we’re on a mission to unlock it.”
AMIkids offers programs and services in nearly 50 programs across nine states. With an 80% success rate, AMIkids helps young people to believe success is possible.
AMIkids WINGS Piedmont is a specialized residential program in Clinton, South Carolina, dedicated to empowering young women aged 13–18 in the juvenile justice system.
Youth reside on campus and staff implement trauma-informed programming to help residents develop skills for successfully transitioning to community settings or the home environment.
John Earl says, “They do a great job with these kids, and they’re working to expand, so every little bit (of donations) helps.”
To learn more, visit amikids.org.
The Pay It Forward program began in 2015. Every Laurens Electric Cooperative employee is entered into a random drawing to receive $500 to pay forward in any way they choose. Each month a new name is drawn, and the employee then has one month to apply the funds toward their own act of kindness.
This initiative is budget-neutral; the funds will come from Laurens Electric’s charity events, which employee volunteers make possible.
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