To assist at-risk middle and high school students in achieving their educational, career and life goals, Publix Super Markets Charities recently awarded a grant of $5,000 to Safe Children Coalition (SCC). These funds will directly support SCC’s Achievers program. The Achievers program empowers at-risk, minority, and students with other disadvantageous conditions to set and achieve goals in both their educational and personal lives. It encourages continuous growth in the areas of personal development, college preparation, community service and leadership, cultural enrichment, and career options. The program, which has served thousands of students in the community for over 30 years, is open to all middle and high school students in Sarasota County. It has been proven to increase student participation in school programs, decrease school absenteeism and dropout rates, and prevent delinquent behavior. Approximately 113 students participated in the Achievers program during the 2022-2023 school year. Career cluster programming this past year featured Achievers alumni as well as professionals from the community and surrounding areas currently serving in the fields of health/medical, engineering, journalism, mass communications, law enforcement and the legal field. Thanks in part to generous foundation and corporate support, the program also provides scholarship opportunities to successful participants as they transition from high school to college as well as college students who were engaged with the program as teens. Last month, Safe Children Coalition held the annual Achievers end-of-year celebration and scholarship awards, during which $31,800 in college scholarships were awarded to 12 “Class of 2023” high school graduates as well as 26 college students/Achievers alumni. In 1966, Publix Super Markets founder George W. Jenkins established a charitable foundation with the intention of caring for his community – and with a vision that the giving would continue long after he was gone. Today, Publix Super Markets Charities remains committed to serving the communities in which Publix operates. Publix Super Markets Charities supports organizations that focus on youth, education, reducing hunger, and alleviating homelessness. For more information about the Achievers program and how you can help, call program director Jone Williams at 941-487-6600. For more about Safe Children Coalition, visit sccfl.org.