Black neighbors - we see you. We hear you. We stand with you. We also know that actions speak louder than words and that while the power of social media is strong, it is not enough to make real, lasting change without actions to back up the messages we all share.
Below is an evolving list of resources we have found helpful, that you too can use to educate yourself, guide your conversations with children, deepen your understanding of systemic racism and inequality (as well as give you the tools needed to talk about it), and support local Black- led nonprofits and Black-owned businesses as a way to advocate for them.
At a time when we are being ordered to stay apart from one another physically, we are grateful businesses and organizations that are coming together in support of our local nonprofit community. Check out the list below of businesses and organizations doing GOOD things in the face of crisis.
The following is not a comprehensive list of all who are giving back and supporting local nonprofits at this time- if there is a business or organization you would like to acknowledge for their generosity, we are happy to add them to this growing list, just let us know!
Each year, June is nationally recognized as LGBTQ Pride Month and while it serves as a time of celebration for continued acceptance and the accomplishments of the LGBTQ community, it also serves to commemorate years of struggle for civil rights and the ongoing pursuit of equal justice under the law for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community.
We would like to leverage this nationally recognized month to acknowledge the unique struggles that this underrepresented and underserved community faces, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic which is impacting the LGBTQ community at a disproportionate rate.
Matthews Free Medical Clinic has been providing free, quality healthcare to low income, uninsured patients since 2004. They pride themselves on being a medical home for their patients, offering holistic care and treating every patient with dignity and respect.
Prospective patients apply to be part of the clinic and are then assigned a primary care physician, as well as gaining access to a range of specialists from cardiology and pulmonology to chiropractic and orthopedic services. Executive Director Amy Carr emphasized that although the clinic is physically located in Matthews, it serves patients living in all of Mecklenburg and Union Counties.
The Steve Smith Family Foundation (SSFF), founded by retired Panthers player, Steve Smith, has been providing hope and inspiration to those in need since 2013. SSFF was created to advance the causes close to the Smith family's heart including domestic violence, awareness and prevention, and family health and wellness services.
The creators of the largest annual global day of giving, GivingTuesday, introduced #GivingTuesdayNow on May 5, 2020 as an opportunity for communities around the world to come together and give in immediate response to the unprecedented need caused by the current COVID-19 crisis.
#GivingTuesdayNow sparked activity in more than 145 countries on May 5 for a global day of unity and giving. Millions of people expressed their generosity through acts of kindness, donations of goods, time and money, notes of compassion, advocacy for causes, and care for family and friends. Read more about the results of #GivingTuesdayNow on a global scale, here.
Like many organizations during this COVID-19 crisis, our friends at CREW Charlotte had to decide the best way to host their monthly luncheon while stay at home orders were in place in April.
Across Charlotte, the necessity to cancel or reschedule in-person gatherings and events has created a huge gap in programming for countless organizations. Leaders are being forced to forgo the opportunity to bring their groups together, or get really creative in order to provide a meaningful, virtual experience.
For almost 50 years, Planned Parenthood South Atlantic (PPSAT) has been serving the residents of Charlotte and the surrounding Mecklenburg County with compassionate, nonjudgmental care including preventive services like birth control, lifesaving breast and cervical cancer screenings, and sexual health education. Planned Parenthood is the nation’s leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable health care for women, men, and young people, as well as the nation’s largest provider of sex education.
For nonprofits working to care for neighbors in need, the latest phase in these unprecedented times has a new name: Now Normal.
As our community eyes a return to some level of life before COVID-19, nonprofits are heeding Gov. Roy Cooper’s three-phase approach that puts safety first. Slowly and carefully, with the health of clients, staff and volunteers in mind, nonprofits are poised to remobilize while retaining the best of what they’ve done sheltering in place.
Here are three illustrations that reflect Now Normal in the nonprofit world in and around Charlotte.
We have so much great news to share from our nonprofit partners about their amazing work. But, we'd love to hear from you. Let us know if you have stories you'd like to tell and we'll make you a guest blogger!!
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