ORANGEBURG, S.C. — The Tiffany Grant Foundation was founded by Latisha Walker in honor of her sister Tiffany who died of the flu in 2019.
It was initially launched to provide nursing scholarships in honor of her late sister Tiffany being a nurse, but Walker quickly realized she had a passion for helping local youth.
“I knew some of the things that our youth were struggling with and I wanted to be able to step in and extend an olive branch and help our children stay out of children," said Walker.
She says this was brought to her attention while working as the Director of Juvenile Services for the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety, so she launched a summer youth empowerment program.
Last summer, 12 Orangeburg County students became certified in child, infant, and adult CPR.
“It was probably a month or two after the program, one of our participants ended up saving her younger brother’s life with utilizing the skills learned at that summer program," she said.
In early March, the organization is planning a grand opening for its first brick and mortar location. The facility will offer a community pantry and computer lab where people in need can receive food and children could have a place to access the internet.
“We may not have a movie theater or things of that nature, but we can expose the children to things outside of Orangeburg and let them know that there is life outside of Orangeburg and they, too, can also make their community better," said Walker.
To connect with the Tiffany Grant Foundation, visit their website.