Our Vision is that “Every Child Wins”
VISION
Every Child Wins
MISSION
To provide Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester Counties youth with the tools they need to succeed in every area of their lives.
VALUES
Integrity
Accountability
Commitment to Success
Diversity
Consistency
Empowerment
Community
HISTORY
Lowcountry Youth Services (LYS), formerly known as Connections and You, Inc, was founded by Ricardo Perry in Hanahan, South Carolina, in October 2008. The organization aimed to create the Bennie Warren Home for Boys, a residence for young men who were either runaways or in the DSS or DJJ systems. The home would provide a positive and influential environment for these young men. However, due to various challenges in bringing them home to reality and the immediate need for a positive effect on the young men in the community, the organization pivoted and established the Distinguished Gentlemen's Club (DGC) in April 2010. DGC aimed to provide the same support to young men in the community rather than in one central location. Over time, the program grew, and in April 2013, it expanded to two chapters - DGC Hanahan and DGC North Charleston. In 2016, DGC Summerville was added as a chapter, and in 2017, the program merged into one. At the end of 2018, DGC officially rebranded as LYS, allowing for additional mentoring programs and community workshops to be offered.
Since its inception, LYS has served over 700 young men and women and their families through its number of mentoring programs.
LYS has been featured in many publications, such as The Post and Courier, The Hanahan Gazette, and The Summerville Journal Scene, and being highlighted on WCIV News and WCSC News on various occasions. LYS has also received grants from Senator Marlon Kimpson, Jaime Harrison, Dominion Energy, and many others. Many organizations and local governments have also recognized LYS via awards.
Every child can benefit from structured support, and every child can win if given the opportunity! If you're interested in getting involved in our mentoring programs, reach out at info@lowcountryyouth.org
Download the Information Packet
Leadership
Executive Committee
ReZsaun Lewis - Executive Director
Position: Executive Director
Year You Began Working with LYS: 2016
What attracted you to our cause? Our organization?
I have an interest in working with young men who have the tools to be successful but just need someone who cares enough to show them the way and not give up on them when they make mistakes. I believe in the power of mentorship.
What keeps you here?
Since coming to LYS in 2016, I’ve seen this organization from multiple angles, and I’ve seen the growth that we’ve experienced over the year. I’ve also seen the impact that we make on the lives of each and every family that we come into contact with. It makes me hopeful for the future if we just keep going!
What inspires you?
I’m inspired each time I see one of the young men who came through our organization achieve a personal, academic or professional goal, knowing that it may not have happened without us.
Something interesting about yourself?
I’m a veteran of the United States Army and I’ve also served my community as a teacher. I love music and God.
Advisory Committee
Tenesia Slempa
Tenesia Slempa Asst. Program Director for Queens Being
Being Now that I'm a mentor and assistant program director for Queen's Being, I have finally arrived home. I'm excited to be a mentor with LYS and to help grow and move this organization to great things. I hope to make a difference in the lives of the young women and men that go through this program. I know they will encourage and change me in ways I never knew were possible. Our youth have a voice, and their voice should be heard too. I wanted to be someone who would take the time to hear their voice. I wanted to be a part of LYS.
ILona King-Wilson
ILona King-Wilson Program Director for Girls on the Rise
I joined Lowcountry Youth Services because of its vision and efforts to help youth. The presence of this organization provides resources and supports the growth and development of children in underserved communities through mentorship. Providing mentoring is another way of educating, which is my passion. I look forward to learning and growing as a professional, building long-lasting relationships that help improve efforts, and working with like-minded individuals for such an important cause.
Danell Miller
Danell Miller Program Director for Young Men Rise
I am a former foster child's son who grew into a highly respected church reverend and missionary. He decided that he would be the one to break the generational curse that plagued his biological family. He poured himself into all the children in his community and me. With such an example, I was born to give back to those that have less or don't have at all. Mentorship is genuinely more than just influence and guidance. To me, mentoring is about filling in the gaps created by self-doubt, poor self-identity, and low self-value. The Young Men Rise Program will allow me to give others what my father gave me. I will be a light in a world filled with darkness.
McDendrick Dunn
McDendrick Dunn Program Director for Distinguished Gentlemen's Club
I have seen the boys who come through this program maintain a productive path in life. I've seen friendships forged that will likely never be broken. And I have seen boys who consistently come back year after year.
Monica Scott
Monica Scott Program Director for Queens' Being
LYS is like an extended family that models the saying, "It takes a village to raise a child" with all hands-on deck. The best part is seeing each child embrace the sense of belonging to a village and believing the vision themselves through their actions that "every child wins" through LYS.
Jerome Colden
Jerome Colden DGC Grade Level Coordinator Senior Co-Hort
"I joined LYS in 2016 with the objective of filling the void of being an empty nester after my son went off to the Naval Academy. I knew there was a serious need to reach out to some of the youth in our communities to provide some positivity and a sense of direction but I was not sure exactly how that was going to happen. When I heard about LYS and met with ReZsaun it became clear to me how that would happen. It has given me great pleasure pouring into our youth and watching them grow and mature into the young men they were meant to be. The relationships established with my fellow mentors is invaluable. I'm in for the long haul!"
Richard Gibson
Richard Gibson DGC Grade Level Coordinator Emerging Co-Hort
"Knowing that the Village is much Stronger than it was yesterday! There’s no greater feeling knowing that you are Loved and assured that someone got your back no matter what! I’m able to give and receive that security in this Village!"
Charvis Wood
Charvis Wood DGC Grade Level Coordinator Junior Co-Hort
"I joined because I wasn't a part of a mentoring program when I was younger and I saw an opportunity to help make a positive impact in this group of young men. It is also helping me become a better father to my boys."
Board Members
Jamie Bierdz
Jamie Bierdz Board Member | Chairwoman
"I stay to see the growth of the kids involved and the joy that the mentors/parents/volunteers bring to them. Their smiles and hearts are inspiring and motivate me to steer the program in a good direction. "
Danielle Hardee-Richardson
Danielle Hardee-Richardson Board Member | Vice-Chairwoman
"The opportunity to positively impact the lives of the youth in our community by guiding the vision of Lowcountry Youth Services-- most importantly by ensuring that this organization becomes a sustainable and lasting resource for any child who needs it."
Jennifer Swanton
Jennifer Swanton "The growth and positivity from the children/young adults keeps me involved in LYS. The young men, and soon to be young women, are able to expand their knowledge base and experiences in ways that are not available in other programs available. It is a unique program that truly touches on the needs of those involved."
Ben Pogue
ReZsaun Lewis
Executive Director