Community service activation rooted in literacy, cultural connection, and legacy created lasting resources for local children and families
WASHINGTON, April 13, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated, the premier African American family organization, brought its 2026 Biennial National Youth Trip to the Lowcountry to immerse families in the region’s history and cultural legacy while making a meaningful impact through a community service activation in North Charleston.
Held under the theme Journey to History: Lineage and Legacy in the Lowcountry, the trip gave Jack and Jill families from across the country the opportunity to engage with the stories, traditions, and historical significance of the region in ways that felt immediate, meaningful, and deeply personal.
As part of that experience, Jack and Jill families partnered with Jenkins Youth & Family Village and Murray Hill Recreation Association for a literacy-centered day of service supporting children and families in the North Charleston community. Together, families helped build permanent community libraries, distributed more than 400 books and literacy resources, and donated to the Jenkins Freedom School Summer Program to help students maintain and strengthen their literacy skills throughout the summer.
“This year’s theme calls us to listen more closely, to see more deeply, and to help our children understand that history is not simply something to be memorized — it is something to be encountered,” said Darlene McGhee Whittington, 28th National President of Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated.
“With books and literacy resources being donated to the community, it became a really meaningful and fun literacy day for everyone,” said Ja’nister Herring, Interim Executive Director of Jenkins Youth & Family Village.
The service activation also received local media coverage from Live 5 News and Let’s Talk Podcast
An additional highlight of the trip’s literacy focus was an interactive storytelling and creative writing session led by South Carolina author Antwan Eady, whose award-winning picture book Nigel and the Moon has been widely acclaimed. The session encouraged imagination, storytelling, and literary expression among Jack and Jill youth
Throughout the weekend, Jack and Jill families encountered the richness of the Lowcountry through learning, reflection, fellowship, and service. By pairing cultural engagement with hands-on service, the 2026 Biennial National Youth Trip reflected the organization’s enduring commitment to leadership development, literacy, and community impact.
Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated, is honored to have partnered with Jenkins Youth & Family Village and Murray Hill Recreation Association on an activation that reflected the power of literacy, the importance of representation, and the lasting value of community-centered service. This event was supported by the Jack and Jill of America Foundation and Target Corporation.
About Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated
Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated, was founded in 1938 to nurture future African American leaders by stimulating the growth and development of children through educational, cultural, civic, recreational, health, and social programs inspired by mothers. Through its chapters organized across seven regions of the United States, Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated, continues to invest in children and families through programming that strengthens leadership, service, and community.
Media Contact
Michelle Thigpen
Communications Manager
Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated
mthigpen@jackandjillinc.org
Elizabeth Chisolm
Executive Director
Jack and Jill of America, Incorporated
echisolm@jackandjillinc.org
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SOURCE Jack and Jill of America, Inc.
