Empowering Union County: The BlackRock Foundation, SAM, Union Community Foundation Provide Rapid Resource Grants
Justin Williams, Scout Executive with Palmetto Council, addresses a group gathered in Union Council Tuesday for the Union Community Foundation Rapid Resource Grant awards, funded by BlackRock Foundation. Through an agreement with SAM, BlackRock Foundation is providing Rapid Resource grants to Union County organizations serving families and children.
Union, SC – Union Community Foundation has awarded four Rapid Resource Grants to organizations serving children and families in Union County, bolstering community support and educational initiatives.
The grants, funded by The BlackRock Foundation, were presented during a ceremony Tuesday. A total of $31,240 was awarded to four organizations, including Palmetto Council - Scouting America, Union 4-H, Upstate Workforce Futures Group, and Union County First Steps, supporting programs that provide valuable skills to Union County children and families.
The grants are part of a $1.5 million grant from The BlackRock Foundation announced in May 2024 to establish and advance a unified community plan for education and workforce development. The Cradle to Career initiative is being facilitated through Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM) as the fiscal agent for the grant. Partners for Rural Impact (PRI) is leading the plan's development in close collaboration with the United Way of the Piedmont, SAM, the Union County School District, and other key community stakeholders.
The Rapid Resource grants target essential services that address critical community needs, from child safety and nutrition to hands-on career exploration for youth. The following allocations were made to support a wide range of educational and developmental initiatives:
· Palmetto Council, Scouting America: $10,000 for hands-on career discovery through interactive activities that help youth pursue.
· Union 4-H: $5,000 for equipment to launch two new life skill interest clubs.
· Upstate Workforce Futures Group: $6,240 to expand the ACHIEVE (Academic Challenges Helping Individuals Expand Values and Education) Program administered by USC Upstate. The educational and employment program serves high school dropouts and is open to high school graduates who are unemployed, underemployed, or need basic skills improvement.
· Union County First Steps: $10,000 for parent workshops to support families of young children, those in high-poverty areas, those with autism, ADD, and other learning disabilities, families of multi-language learners and caregivers.
“In partnership with Spartanburg Academic Movement and The BlackRock Foundation, Union Community Foundation was able to provide these funds to help our local nonprofits extend their services and reach,” said Kathy Jo Lancaster, Director of Union Community Development. “The outcomes from these grants will show they’re needed and we’ll, as a community, be able to reach more children and families than we initially expected. We are so thankful for this partnership.”
This was the second round of grants the Foundation has awarded in Union. Previously, C4 Ministries was awarded $10,000 for its housing stability program and Children’s Advocacy Center was awarded a $5,000 grant in Summer 2024 to expand critical services in Union County focusing on services for abused children. A third round of grant awards will be announced in December.