We just observed Veterans Day across the United States, but for the Charlotte-based team at Veterans Bridge Home, the work continues every day—and it's the best kind of work they could ask for.
Bailey has overcome more in 11 years than most people face in a lifetime. Born prematurely at 28 weeks, Bailey spent the first two years of her life in the neonatal intensive care unit. Her left arm was amputated when she was 26 days old. She lives with autism and is non-verbal.
Now in her first year of middle school, Bailey and her mom, a U.S. Navy Veteran, have persevered to overcome some serious challenges. Needless to say, a family vacation wasn't in the cards for this family.
If you've ever taken a Level Up workshop at Bold Missy, struck a warrior pose in the Triple C barrel room, or crushed in trivia at 26 Acres, you know that when it comes to the Charlotte craft beer scene, community is everything.
When Janiah's doctor recommended physical therapy utilizing horses, her father thought it would be a fun activity that might also help loosen up her hips. Cerebral palsy made it tough for Janiah to walk by herself, and her dad, Todd, carried her most of the time, even though she was six.
"Someone is going to do something for the babies."
That's how Sonja Chisholm reassured a mom in her Gracious Hands transitional housing program who was worried that her kids would have a Christmas with no presents under the tree.
Amanda Ruiz knows there's no "perfect time" to start going after your dreams. All she wanted was a college degree, but life kept throwing obstacles in her path. Her father suffered permanent brain damage after being assaulted, and her mother was diagnosed with a brain tumor that same year. Meanwhile, Amanda was dealing with her own health issues on top of it all.
The dictionary defines a gem as "a precious or semiprecious stone cut and polished for ornament." Another definition is "a highly prized or well-beloved person." Kendra Scott and her jewelry company value both of these definitions equally.
Nikkia Barkley has been working since she was 15. Even when she was working in restaurants and retail stores, she had a vision of doing something different. When she got accepted to the University of Miami, she planned on studying computer engineering.
She decided to decline her admission offer when she learned she was expecting. She didn't want to take her son away from his father, and she was the caretaker for her mom, who was often sick.
To understand why Jeff Gordon Children's Foundation has been racing to end childhood cancer for 20 years, look at Merritt. She just turned two years old, but her smile will brighten even the darkest day. She's fighting Rhabdomyosarcoma, a cancer of soft tissues, and recently underwent surgery at Levine Children's Hospital here in Charlotte. But that doesn't stop her from laughing and making silly faces every chance she gets.
Picture a preschooler. Big grin, backpack twice their size, eyes wide open to the exciting world. When you're three and four years old, the future is limitless.
The wide-eyed preschoolers from the first graduating class of The Learning Collaborative are now in their mid-30s. Many of them have preschoolers of their own. That's how long TLC has been offering a high-quality early childhood education to underserved families in Charlotte.