Chair Elise Benham and Vice Chair Kim Terry are the fearless leaders who drive Family HealthLink, a Saturday event which provides free physicals and dental, vision and hearing screenings for children pre-k to 18 who are new to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg School system. These exams are also required for students to remain in school. This year, the committee served 208 students between the ages of 3 and 18 from 111 different schools in the greater Charlotte community and had one of the biggest turnouts in recent years.
For 2017, the committee is striving to create a second event to better serve the community and reach all of the students who need our care to stay in school.
“My favorite thing about Family HealthLink is the ability to directly see the impact we have on lower income students in our community by providing them with the free health screenings they need to stay in school. The children and their families are always so grateful, and that makes every hour we put into this event worth it,” shares Kim. Elise echoes Kim’s sentiments and loves to work with our community in a hands-on way.
Kim adds, “I want to give a shout out to the Family HealthLink committee. The ladies on the FHL are amazing, and we couldn’t have been as successful as we were this year, without each and every one of their hard work and dedication.”
We had to ask this inspiring duo their advice on pursuing a leadership path in the League. “Leadership in the League has been a great experience for me. It has not only allowed me to get exposure to the way the League is run and led but also allowed me to build relationships with the extraordinary women leaders of our League,” shares Kim. “Leadership is the next step to owning what we do in the League. The cycle of two-year placements (Vice Chair and then Chair) allows you to learn everything your first year so that you are not overwhelmed when you are the Chair. Also, many encouraging leaders will help you along the way. I suggest if you are interested, give it a shot,” says Elise.
Elise continues, “Your league experience is up to you, and what you put into the League, is what you get out of the League.” Through participating in meetings, informational events and volunteer opportunities, she credits the League in helping her become a better-rounded person.
Want to get involved? Spread the word about the Family HealthLink event as well as sign up to volunteer. We can use as many volunteers as we can get, especially the day of the event. We need medical volunteers, community volunteers to help set up and clean up, and we especially need translators! Stay informed at jlcharlotte.org
