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Inaugural Community Impact Award Given to Orangeburg County Leader

Rev. Ellis White, Jr. was awarded the inaugural Carol Singletary Community Impact Award at the 23rd annual Summer Institute conference hosted by Fact Forward. Rev. White represents Edisto Fork United Methodist Church in Orangeburg County. The Carol Singletary Community Impact Award recognizes an individual or group who has demonstrated a commitment to mobilizing their community to improve the lives of young people in SC. To qualify for the award, nominees must be a resident(s) of South Carolina and must be recognized and known for exhibiting characteristics exemplified by Carol Singletary. Singletary has worked for nearly five decades in SC social services, specifically advocating for children and families.

Through his work and ministry, Rev. White has been a voice for young people who encounter racism and discrimination. Beyond working closely with the local NAACP branch, he also worked in the field of primary and secondary teen pregnancy prevention at the South Carolina Department of Social Services for nine years. Through his work as an organizer, he has been instrumental in encouraging voter registration, providing voter education, and assisting with transportation to polls in Orangeburg County.

Rev. White’s congregations have worked closely with Fact Forward for over 10 years. Edisto Fork United Methodist Church has been a supporter of Fact Forward through sponsoring fundraisers and committing to youth-friendly services. As a Strategic Partner, his congregation is committed to serving young people and their families through programming focused on healthy relationships, love, and sex.   

Due to his strong influence of and dedication to young people and their families in SC, Fact Forward is honored to begin the legacy of the Carol Singletary Community Impact Award with Rev. Ellis White, Jr.

For more information about the Carol Singletary Community Impact Award, visit https://www.factforward.org/education-and-training/conferences/summer-institute/carol-singletary-community-impact-award.