The Junior League of Charlotte year runs from June 1 to May 31. The 2022-2023 year will be the fifth and final year for our current focus area: school readiness. For the past five years, the JLC has partnered with organizations in our community to ensure all children are school ready by focusing on the health and educational needs of children from birth to fifth grade in priority areas of Mecklenburg County. This year we will be working with the following organizations:
Children’s Health Focus
Charlotte Bilingual Preschool Charlotte Bilingual Preschool gives children and families the tools they need to be successful in an English-speaking school system by providing dual-language, multi-cultural early childhood education. It is not just a preschool serving children from birth through preschool age but also provides family programming for parents, family members and alumni children. Volunteers help by assisting with classroom decorations, supporting events, delivering school supplies and assisting with the Workforce Development Program.
Done in a Day Done in a Day is a committee within the Junior League of Charlotte that assists local organizations by planning events at which committee members and other Junior League members can volunteer. Participants assist with various community service projects within JLC priority zip codes focusing on the health and education needs of children from birth to fifth grade.
Renaissance West Community Initiative/Kids in the Kitchen The Renaissance West Community Initiative is a nonprofit organization coordinating the education and services continuum of the former Boulevard Homes public housing site into a vibrant village called Renaissance. RWCI’s mission is to promote a collaborative community centered on quality housing, education, health, wellness and opportunity. The goal is to end intergenerational poverty through a holistic community revitalization effort. Volunteers serve by providing healthy cooking demonstrations through Kids in the Kitchen, assisting with the mobile food pantry and planning special events.
Healthy Minds Focus
Bright Blessings Bright Blessings is a nonprofit focused on bringing joy, care and hope to homeless and impoverished children by mobilizing community volunteers of all ages. Volunteers serve by assembling snack packs and hygiene kits in addition to assisting with creative projects like wrapping gifts, making birthday cards or supporting shelter birthday parties.
Thompson Child and Family Focus Thompson is a leading provider of clinical and prevention services for children and families across the Carolinas. The Charlotte, NC-based, nationally accredited nonprofit agency empowers children and families through therapy, education and prevention-based care. Volunteers serve by planning and supporting special events and enrichment
activities.
Ready to Learn Focus
Classroom Central Classroom Central supplies teachers in underserved communities with much-needed supplies. Volunteers serve by working in the free store counting and distributing supplies or by building literacy kits.
Digi-Bridge Digi-Bridge aspires to create a generation of well-equipped 21st-century learners and they do this by providing schools with digital classroom consultancy and engaging communities through educational courses. Volunteers serve by supporting an afterschool STEM program using the Digi-Bridge curriculum to work with students to develop their building and programming skills.
Heart Math Tutoring Heart Math Tutoring’s (HMT) mission is to ensure that all elementary students develop the strong foundation in math and enthusiasm for academics needed for long-term success by helping schools use volunteers as tutors. Community members commit 30 minutes to one hour per week to deliver Heart’s hands-on curriculum in one-on-one tutoring sessions during the school day while receiving on-site support from HMT Program Coordinators. HMT provides a fun way to build relationships with students while delivering academic skills crucial to their success.
Promising Pages Promising Pages collects new and donated books and distributes them to students and organizations, with the goal of eliminating the book desert and providing a free resource to those that need it most. Volunteers will serve by processing and cleaning donated books in the warehouse or by serving in Reading Resource Centers in affordable housing communities restocking books and engaging with families.
Wing Haven The Preschool Environmental Education Program (PEEPs) at Wing Haven is designed to educate preschool children through stories, classroom and outdoor activities and guided nature exploration. The program gives children at local preschools an opportunity to visit, learn, explore and discover in their greenspace. Preschool partners visit Wing Haven once a month for eight months, with each lesson building upon the previous one. Preschool educators then bring the lesson into their classrooms to continue the thread of curiosity and knowledge. Volunteers will assist monthly during lessons and special events.
If you are interested in partnering with the JLC, please visit our website for more information.
Applications for new partners are open through September 1, 2022.
