Residents at The Cliffs communities in South Carolina are working hard to affect the lives of more than 10,000 children in schools around the Upstate by providing healthy food, school supplies, mentorship, help with family emergencies and more.
Cliffs Residents Outreach (CRO) is a 501(c)(3) charity established in 2007 by a dozen residents from The Cliffs Valley and The Cliffs at Glassy with the mission to provide local children with opportunities for lifelong success.
The organization has grown to include CRO programs in all six South Carolina Cliffs communities with hundreds of volunteers, raising more than $6 million since its inception.
A passion for helping
Volunteers are passionate about their work, and they put in an incalculable number of hours each year. In 2021, CRO donated more than $600,000 incurring less than 4% in operating expenses. Of the hundreds of CRO volunteers, many also serve as mentors and tutors to local students.
That mentorship goes beyond school. Many mentors host outings like movies, mini-golf, ball games, park visits during the week, on weekends and during summer breaks. The goal is for mentors to “grow up” with their mentees, according to Justin Petersen, assistant principle at RC Edwards Middle School in Pickens County. It’s about making sure these children feel seen, understood and supported.
“When this kid is 26 years old, he will say that the biggest influence on me at school was not my teachers. It was this guy who met with me once a week and just talked to me,” Petersen said.
The Cliffs, along with their ownership group South Street Partners, offer invaluable support to CRO, according to Barb Adams, President of the CRO Board of Directors. The Cliffs is the presenting partner. South Street Partners is one of several titanium-level business partners.
When CRO was founded, residents collected school supplies, jackets, shoes or anything else a student might need. Soon after, they reached out to school officials to better target what students needed, and CRO integrated those needs into the program.
Members were told students needed access to Wi-Fi and devices to help them learn, so CRO communities purchased iPads, Chromebooks, smart tables, and software licenses to get them connected. In addition, the communities play Santa with Christmas gifts for children and their families in need.
The proof is in how students in schools in Greenville, Pickens, Spartanburg and Oconee counties have excelled despite many of the headwinds hitting education.
“Our district is grateful for the time, support and partnership of the Cliffs Residents Outreach program and what they have contributed to our kids and schools,” said Dr. Danny Merck, superintendent of Pickens County Schools.
Through CRO’s help, Tigerville Elementary School earned the prestigious 2018 National Blue Ribbon award. Greenville County Schools Superintendent Dr. Burke Royster said the help CRO provided was integral to the school’s success. In the 2021 school year, Tigerville was ranked the No. 3 elementary school in South Carolina and Heritage Elementary School was awarded the overall highest academic growth, according to the SC Department of Education.
Royster said CRO has donated a wide variety of items to Greenville County Schools, including playground equipment, Google Chromebook laptops, charging carts, athletic equipment, emergency funding for families in crisis, field trip sponsorships and items for food pantries.
“Without a doubt, the entire Greenville County population owes a debt of gratitude to Cliffs Residents Outreach for their enthusiastic support of this community’s most precious resource – our children,” Dr. Royster said.
About CRO
- A 100% volunteer non-profit organization focused on literacy, nutrition and mentoring for children in the northern SC counties.
- Each year, CRO helps more than 10,000 kids succeed — from early childhood to high school graduation — by raising more than $700,000 per year and organizing more than 18,000 volunteer hours. Incalculable volunteer hours!
- CRO has raised and disbursed more than $6 million in the past 10 years, benefitting Upstate students.
- www.crocommunities.com
