Written by Amy Andrews
Bright Blessings lives up to its name, as a bright spot in the lives of local homeless and impoverished children by helping them celebrate their birthdays. Bright Blessings has grown since its founding by Amy and John Cervantes in 2005 to now include programs like Bless-a- Baby, which provides baskets of newborn items for new homeless and impoverished mothers and babies.
As we all know, 2020 was a tough year - especially for our nonprofit community. Despite the hope that a new year brings, COVID-19 continues to make fundraising challenging. The pandemic’s impact on our economy has also resulted in a higher demand for nonprofit services, especially those related to housing, food, mental health, foster care, access to technology, education and domestic violence - forcing many nonprofits to reimagine the way they serve their constituents.
Written by Christine Edwards
Homelessness is not a new problem, but it does come with new challenges as a result of the pandemic.
The challenge of enforcing social distancing in shelters that are more crowded than ever.
The challenge of finding ways for volunteers to safely lend a hand without actually getting hands-on.
The challenge of facing a harsh reality that some neighbors who used to provide support for the homeless, are now in need of support of their own.
Written by Sarah Fligel
Life has dealt Jenny Van-Strahlen some blows. At five, she lost her Mom and spent her early childhood in a foster home and with extended family. In her mid-20s, her first marriage ended, and she found herself homeless. But today? She’s close to completing her bachelor’s degree in psychology and human services at Montreat College. In May, she’ll attend the University of Kentucky School of Social Work for a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling.
Written by Amy Andrews
The Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte is a well-known institution, beloved for its mission to provide a safe, caring and affordable home-away-from-home for families with children receiving care in local medical facilities.
It's one thing to dream. It's another thing entirely to have a team behind you as you reach for that dream. For a growing group of young people, Carolina Youth Coalition (CYC) is the team helping them become first-generation college graduates who are equipped to make a difference in the world.
Attolero is Latin for “sustain” or “support”, and that is exactly what Robert Bales and his small team of professionals at Attolero aim to do for Charlotte nonprofits. Founded in 2016 and serving nonprofits nation-wide, Attolero is excited to contribute right here in their hometown by partnering with SHARE Charlotte.
The Charlotte Business Journal and SHARE Charlotte teamed up again this year to host #BizGivesCLT! Annually, #BizGivesCLT recognizes Charlotte businesses who generously support Charlotte nonprofits in big, bold and creative ways in honor of #GivingTuesdayCLT which this year fell on December 1st!
Written by Michelle Boudin
Shay Hunt burst into tears when she got the call that Raise a Child of the Carolinas, the nonprofit she founded just a year ago, had won a $5,000 grant through SHARE Charlotte from the Amy and Brian France Foundation. “Oh my gosh when they called me I started crying. I could not believe it, my voice was shaking,” Hunt said.