A senate RESOLUTION

 

TO recognize and CONGRATULATE THE LINKS, INCORPORATED, ORANGEBURG CHAPTER UPON ITS SIXTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF VOLUNTEER EFFORTS AND DEDICATION TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF ORANGEBURG.

 

Whereas, the South Carolina Senate is pleased to learn that the Orangeburg Chapter of The Links, Incorporated, celebrated its sixtieth anniversary on December 13, 2025; and

 

Whereas, founded in 1946, The Links, Incorporated, is one of the nation's oldest and largest volunteer service organizations, now comprised of more than seventeen thousand professional women across three hundred chapters. The organization is dedicated to strengthening African American communities through friendship and service; and

 

Whereas, chartered on December 4, 1964, with fifteen charter members during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, the Orangeburg Chapter, supported by the Columbia Chapter, brought The Links' initiatives to the community in the face of segregation and social change; and

 

Whereas, the earliest work of the Orangeburg Chapter included welcoming newcomers to the city, supporting families, and engaging in civic leadership, and for six decades, it has been recognized at the Southern Area and National levels for outstanding, award-winning service across the five program facets of The Links, Incorporated; and

 

Whereas, Orangeburg's historic youth initiatives include the national, award-winning Project L.E.A.D.; the Tri-County Youth Summit; the Adopt-A-School: Linking to Success partnership at Brookdale Middle School; and the chapter's newest mentoring and STEM program, The D.R.E.A.M. Circle; and

 

Whereas, the Orangeburg chapter responded to national trends by offering services that addressed major social and health disparities through Healthy People 2010 forums, chronic disease education, and the notable Links Day at the State Capitol, advocating for policies benefiting African American communities; and

 

Whereas, committed to supporting the arts in Orangeburg, The Links Chapter has provided cultural enrichment for youth for more than thirty years by sponsoring annual theater attendance at South Carolina State University in order to expand access to the arts for families across the community; and

 

Whereas, the chapter's global outreach has included Soles for Souls for Haiti Relief and Maama Kits for Africa, essential care packages providing new mothers and babies with basic supplies for safe childbirth and hygiene. The kits contain items, such as blankets, clothes, soap, mosquito nets, sterile gloves, razor blades, and cord ties, all of which aid in significantly reducing infection risks and maternal/infant mortality, especially in rural areas where healthcare is limited. The chapter also partners with Claflin University and South Carolina State University students to provide the community international cultural experiences; and

 

Whereas, the chapter's hallmark initiatives include Links in Pink, called Turning Orangeburg Pink for breast cancer awareness; family wellness expos; obesity prevention programs; and health education for women and youth; and

 

Whereas, throughout its sixty-year history, the chapter has achieved several milestones, including hosting the 25th Southern Area Conference in Hilton Head in 1979 and celebrating distinguished leaders such as Link Helen Wilkinson Sheffield, named Southern Area Woman of the Year in 1969. Now, therefore,

 

Be it resolved by the Senate:

 

That the members of the South Carolina Senate, by this resolution, recognize and congratulate The Links, Incorporated, Orangeburg Chapter upon its sixtieth anniversary of volunteer efforts and dedication to the African American community of Orangeburg.

 

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Katrina Bryant, president of the Orangeburg Chapter of The Links, Incorporated.

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