A team of seven local professionals known as the “Statesboro Thrives Team Bulloch County” joined other teams from across the country in March for the Youth Empowerment Initiative 2018 in the Caribbean nation of Haiti. The initiative was sponsored by The Garden of Eden Foundation and supported by the YWCA of Haiti to provide resources for young girls in need in the impoverished city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Jeff Klare and Dr. Amy Kitching, of the recently-opened Statesboro Thrives Wellness Center, assembled the team after a request came from the organizer of the trip, Eden Marley, granddaughter of the late reggae legend Bob Marley.