Since 1998, when the Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton was founded in the cafeteria of M.C. Riley Elementary School, it has been making a difference in the lives of children in the lowcountry. Just as Bluffton has grown, the Boys and Girls Club has also grown over the years and is now located just down the street from LCC on H.E. McCracken Circle, and it is expanding even further with the addition of a Literacy Center.

“When we heard that federal prisons were being built based on statistics of whether children were reading by the third grade, we thought that was mind-boggling,” says Boys & Girls Club of Bluffton Director Molly Hornbeak. “So one of the programs we decided we needed to tap into was the literacy program. We started our Literacy Center Reading Program about six years ago.

The results of the program have been staggering: “Any child who has been in our program for a year are today reading on their grade level or two levels above,” says Hornbeak.

When the Boys & Girls Club’s expansion is completed, the new Literacy Center will allow for even more children to participate in the reading program.

“We were impressed with what the Boys & Girls Club was doing to combat illiteracy,” says LCC Executive Pastor Jason Best. “The literacy program has made a real, demonstrable difference in these boys’ and girls’ lives. Unfortunately, they do not have enough space for all the kids that need to be in the program. So, we wanted to figure out ways we could come alongside them and support their efforts.”

On February 27th, Pastor Jason surprised Hornbeak with a check for $10,000 to help with the expansion of the Boys & Girls Club for its Literacy Center. “We are so privileged to partner with the Boys and Girls Club and the good work they are doing every day, pouring into the lives of children and making a difference for the rest of their lives,” says Best. “They do incredible work, and we are privileged to be a part of it.”

“I would like to thank LowCountry Community Church for making us their choice,” says Hornbeak. “The donation is an absolute blessing. When you’ve got God on your side, you can do tremendous stuff, amazing things. And we are saving lives, and this will help us to do that.”

Your gifts to LCC made the donation to the Boys & Girls Club possible. On February 24th, Giving Sunday, together you gave nearly $100,000. Your generosity will make a difference in the lives of countless children in our community.