About Us

Want to Improve Life and Literacy in Sumter County? Become Part of Count Me In Managed by the Heart of Sumter (a homegrown nonprofit link 4) Count Me In is focused on expanding opportunities for children and youth in our county. We all know children who feel noticed and cared for grow up to be caring members of society link 5. Data shows children who feel noticed and cared for grow up to be caring members of society. Law enforcement can predict what youth will get in trouble.

Reaching out to local business, we enroll employees and employers through simple payroll deduction. Regular pledges…weekly, monthly or otherwise….of any amount, are banked and recorded. All donations are deposited and carefully awarded to people and programs serving our County’s children: with camp scholarships, art classes, tutoring, skills training, school vacation sewing camp and more.

Essentially, the county’s interest in children is limited to funding the public schools and an age limited recreation program. Currently, no public swimming pools are operational. The Boys and Girls Club is long gone. Many churches do have youth programs, typically only for their member families.

No one is satisfied with the very low reading levels of Sumter County graduating classes. That’s why Read to Grow link 5 is a big focus. With a workforce of more than 10,000 women and men, imagine what we could do for Sumter County kids, if every employee gave just $3 a paycheck?! The more money we collect, the more children and programs we can fund.

Count Me In’s first contributors link 2 came through the Sumter County Board of Realtors, which considers community service an essential part of a Realtor’s profession. Truly, we all want to live in a safe, healthy county, where all neighborhood streets are free from criminal mischief.

With each donation pledged, we are farther on our way. Heart of Sumter promises full financial transparency, with our books reviewed by one of our donors, Donnie Roland of Chambliss, Sheppard, Roland & Associates, LLP.

Can our Charming Enrollment Guide link 3 come to your workplace with an invitation to join Count Me In? Please pray and weigh the value of joining COUNT ME IN. Sumter County takes care of its own.