H 5654

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026
Bill 5654
Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter
(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)
House: Hewitt
Attorney: Hilton
Drafting Assistant: Newboult
Date: May 04, 2026
DOC. ID.: /LEGISLATIVE
COUNCIL/PH/DRAFTS/LC-0283PH-EB26/LC-0283PH-EB26.DOCX
A house RESOLUTION
To recognize and honor Gracie
Hicks, of Murrells Inlet, for her outstanding service, leadership, and impact to
communities throughout the palmetto state.
Whereas, Gracie Hicks, of Murrells Inlet, is a twenty-five-year-old second-year
law student at Charleston School of Law, who has dedicated many years to
tirelessly serving her community. Prior to attending law school, Gracie
graduated magna cum laude from Wofford College in 2023 with a Bachelor of
Science degree. While there, she received the Henry Freeman Service award for
co-founding Wofford's Law, Justice and Innocence Initiative, which raises
awareness of wrongful convictions. Recognizing that South Carolina is one of
only thirteen states without an innocence initiative, she remains committed to
advocating for equity within the judicial system; and
Whereas, at thirteen, Gracie suffered a serious injury that required an
emergency stay in the children's hospital at the Medical University of South
Carolina. Arriving with little more than hope for her recovery, her family was
deeply impacted by a simple act of kindness when a family friend provided a
care package of basic hygiene items. This experience inspired Gracie to address
the often-overlooked issue of hygiene insecurity. Upon learning that
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits do not cover
essential hygiene products, she founded the nonprofit Helping Hands Heal
Families (HHHF) to help bridge that gap; and
Whereas, for the past decade, Gracie has been a tireless advocate for
those in need, mobilizing community members and securing support from national
sponsors such as Walmart, Good360, and Bath & Body Works. Through her
leadership, HHHF has served all forty-six counties in South Carolina. Among its
most meaningful efforts is a four-year partnership with Camp Cole's Camp
Impact, which supports children in foster care and those experiencing
homelessness, often providing life-changing first experiences for the children
it serves; and
Whereas, Gracie expanded her organization's reach through the "Feel
Clean, Learn Better" campaign, which discreetly provides hygiene supplies to
students in Title I schools. This initiative helps reduce absenteeism, improves
self-esteem, and restores dignity, reflecting her belief that no child should
be expected to succeed academically without access to basic hygiene. In
addition, she provides support to senior wards of the State, domestic violence
shelters, food banks, and other charitable organizations; and
Whereas, Gracie further demonstrated her commitment to service during
Russia's invasion of Ukraine by partnering with Wofford College to send care
packages through the Global Empowerment Mission. Through this effort, she
witnessed individuals from differing backgrounds unite in support of displaced
families, reinforcing her belief in the power of service to transform adversity
into hope; and
Whereas, in addition to her philanthropic work, Gracie has pursued
personal challenges with determination, including a friendly yet competitive
seven-year stair climber rivalry with her father, achieving a personal record
of 500 flights. This experience led her to compete in the Empire State Building
Stair Run-Up in support of the Challenged Athletes Foundation; and
Whereas, Gracie also competes in the Miss South Carolina Scholarship
Organization, where she was named first runner-up for the Jada Samuel Quality
of Life Scholarship in recognition of her community service. Having earned
several local titles, including Miss Murrells Inlet, she will represent the
Lowcountry this June, using her platform to raise awareness of hygiene
insecurity and wrongful convictions; and
Whereas, the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives
are grateful for Gracie Hicks's outstanding service through Helping Hands Heal
Families and her many other community initiatives, and they look forward to
following her continued impact in the years ahead. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of
Representatives:
That the members of the South Carolina House
of Representatives, by this resolution, recognize and honor Gracie Hicks,
of Murrells Inlet, for her outstanding service, leadership, and impact to
communities throughout the Palmetto State.
Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to
Gracie Hicks.
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This web page was last updated on May 05, 2026 at 02:29 PM