To The Editor:
Greetings. I’m Kenny Smith, President of The Dillon County Boys and Girls Youth Center, here in Dillon.
The Youth Center is a nonprofit, tax deductible 501(c)3 entity. The mission of Dillon County Boys and Girls Youth Center is to promote health, social, educational, cultural, character, and leadership development. It aims to help young people to improve their lives by building self-esteem and developing values and skills during critical periods of growth. We believe that all young people regardless of race and/or creed, need to know someone cares. We seeks to establish a better quality of life for our youth, to provide the tools and a safe place for our youth to obtain educational success.
The center aims to educate and conduct training on social problems such as dealing with peer pressure, bullying and character development. We also conduct educational workshops on HIV/AIDS awareness, sexual assault, substance abuse, and other forms of oppression. The Dillon County Boys and Girls Youth Center was established in July 2013. The Youth Center conducted a FAFSA Workshop for those high school seniors who did not already apply for or did not understand the process of filling out the Financial Aid Forms.
The Youth Center was instrumental in bringing a historical program and play to the Dillon Theater with students from Dillon District Four and other adults within the community. During that program, we recognized several World War II veterans of Dillon County and heard firsthand of the adventures of Rev. James “Jimmy” Jones, as guest speaker and one of the original Tuskegee’s Airman which delighted youth and adults, alike.
The Youth Center started a Ruby and Rose Read Aloud Literacy Program for the 4K students at Stuart Height and East Elementary School in District Four in 2015. We go into the school setting and read the aged appropriate books to the students and after reading and discussing the book, we give the book to the students to take home with them to start their own library to read at home. This school year alone, we have read and given over 975 books to the 4K Students of District Four and since the start of the program in 2015 we had read and given over 2,850 books to students. Next school year 2017-2018, The Youth Center will read and distribute books to all of the Dillon District Four and the Latta School Districts.
The Dillon County Boys and Girls Youth Center conducts a Female Empowerment Session for Young Ladies annually where they talk about and discuss female’s issues with other mature older females. The Youth Center also conducts a Young Male Empowerment Session annually where we talk about male issues with other older male figures in the community. The Youth Center conduct an annual “Let’s Talk” Event for Youth and Parents to get together to talk about love, sex and relationships and delaying pregnancies in a relaxed settings.
The Youth Center conducts a game night for youth in a safe and controlled environment where the information about STD, STI, HIV and AIDS are given in a game-like format.
The Dillon County Boys and Girls Youth Center conducts a Summer Enrichment Program in conjunction with the Summer Feeding Program whereby youth can get structured instruction on age appropriate topics of discussion. The youth receive breakfast and lunch during the summer months while parents are working or needed to do some errands or just need some personal time.
Recently, the Youth Center was awarded a two-year grant with CareSouth, McLeod and Dillon School District Four from the South Carolina Campaign to Prevent Teenage Pregnancies sponsored by DHEC.
The Youth Center is doing all of these events and more without the aid of a brick-and-mortar building to call our own.
Most or all of our events are done at Manning Baptist Church’s Fellowship Hall or a local banquet hall.
The Youth Center does not have any paid employees on staff. All of our services are done out of a volunteered interest in our youth in Dillon County.
Over a year ago, The Youth Center asked the councils (both city and county) for an investment in our youth to help fund the programs for a five year $25,000.00 period with $5,000.00 distributed annually for five years.
After re-visiting the request, the county council considered granting the $5,000.00 request, but The Youth Center must make yearly requests, which we see no problems with that. The City Council, on the other hand, was not, better yet, “Mayor Davis was not comfortable personally doing this without seeing a plan and stated he didn’t really knew what The Youth Center was doing.”
The Youth Center is only asking for $25,000.00 over a five-year period to be invested into the youth of Dillon and the surrounding areas.
If a “plan” is required to invest into the betterment of our youth, and I see nothing wrong with that, but make that “plan” a requirement for ALL of the entities that benefits or receives any funding from the City Council, not just those that some council members don’t have any interest in.
Correct me if I’m incorrect, but isn’t the council the “elected spokespersons” for those who elected them and isn’t council supposed to represent in the best interest of the citizens?
If we are going to play the game, if we are going to play on that same ball field, at least make the playing fields, level for ALL entities.
I was under the impression that motions from the floor of the council was seconded or dies on the floor, by the council, not by just one member of the council.
I applaud Councilman Johnny Eller for putting the motion on the floor to support the youth in Dillon and surrounding areas with an investment of $5,000.00, just as the county council did. However, I don’t understand other members who do not have the nerve to voice their opinion, for or against, something that would benefit youth in their districts.
To those I say, you serve at the pleasure of the people who elected you and only those that elected you. You serve them a dis-service by sitting there “never” saying anything for the betterment of our youth in Dillon County. This is NOT looking after the best interest of your constituents who ELECTED you.
Some council members are standing up for the progress of Dillon County and then there are some that are standing in the way of progress for Dillon County. The “old way” of thinking in Dillon has outlived its usefulness. There is less that separates us than that which bring us together. $25,000.00 in a five year period is a drop in the bucket to invest in our youth who want to better themselves, compared to, if things doesn’t change, on a collision course of being ONE MILLION DOLLARS ($1,000,000.00) in the red in operating the golf course and the wellness center, within a FIVE YEAR PERIOD. A lot of people love to play golf, and I have played there myself. A lot of people like fitness training and wellness, and there is nothing wrong with that.
These are among the things we call “Quality of Life.” The same quality of life and our location that entices companies and industries to locate here. The Youth Center is trying to equip our youth with life-sustaining skills that would give them a level playing field opportunity when they reach employment age. Not every youth can afford nor do some want to attend a four year school. Some might just want a two-year trade and can walk into those jobs that locate or re-locate in the Dillon County area. However, if we continue to operate under the good old boy network, Dillon County is going to miss out on one of the most important, fast -moving, economical boosts that the Pee Dee has ever seen. Whether the city council approves the Boys and Girl Youth Center’s request of $5,000.00 a year or not, is up to the Council. However, Dillon County has a much larger problem than that, and not even the coming of the Inland Port, with all of its millions to be made annually, can cover-up the great divide that exists here in Dillon County between the haves and the have-nots. Dillon has the makings of being The People’s Choice County, but we must include everyone in the county to do so.
Let us not be like the Priest and Levite in the Parable of The Good Samaritan who pondered what would happen to them if they stop to help, but let us be like the Good Samaritan, who didn’t worry about what would happen to him, but worried what would happen to them, if he didn’t stop to help those in need.
The Dillon County Boys and Girls Youth Center will continue to provide services to the Youth in Dillon and the surrounding areas, with or without the aid or investment from the City Council. If HE brought us to it, HE is ABLE and has the MEANS to bring us through it.
Kenny Smith
411 East Harrison Street
Dillon, SC