A house RESOLUTION

TO COMMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CHAPTERS OF THE LINKS, INCORPORATED, FOR THEIR SERVICE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES AND TO DECLARE WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2023, AS "LINKS DAY AT THE CAPITOL."

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to salute the seven South Carolina chapters of The Links, Incorporated, for their many decades of exemplary work in their communities; and

Whereas, The Links, Incorporated, is an international nonprofit corporation established in 1946. Its membership consists of more than seventeen thousand professional women of color in two hundred ninety-nine chapters located in forty-one states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom. It is one of the nation's oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women committed to enriching, sustaining, and ensuring the cultural and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry; and

Whereas, the members of The Links, Incorporated, are influential decision makers and opinion leaders. They are business and civic leaders, role models, mentors, activists, and volunteers who work toward a common vision by engaging with like-minded organizations and individuals for partnership, and they contribute more than one million documented hours of community service annually, strengthening their communities and enhancing the nation. Further, The Links, Incorporated, was nominated for a Luxembourg Peace Prize by the Schengen Peace Foundation and was recognized by the late Congressman John Lewis as a distinguished organization of outstanding community service and influence; and

Whereas, the outstanding programming of The Links, Incorporated, has five facets, which include services to youth, the arts, national trends and services, international trends and services, and health and human services. The programs are implemented through strategies such as public information and education, economic development, and public policy campaigns; and

Whereas, the seven South Carolina chapters, with their charter dates, include Aiken (1989), Charleston (1951), Columbia (1952), Greenville (1953), Hilton Head (2017), Orangeburg (1946), and Spartanburg (1975); and

Whereas, these chapters participate in a diverse scope of service activities, including youth mentoring, financial education and estate planning for all ages, arts exposure in schools and the community, STEM, breast cancer awareness, and contributions to the global community of color; and

Whereas, grateful for their dedicated service, the House takes great pleasure in honoring the Palmetto State's seven fine chapters of The Links, Incorporated. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, commend the South Carolina chapters of The Links, Incorporated, for their service to their communities and declare Wednesday, February 8, 2023, as "Links Day at the Capitol."

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to the South Carolina chapters of The Links, Incorporated.

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