For most, the New Year begins in January. But for Assistance League of Charlotte and all of the children we serve, New Year begins in Fall!

 

Fall is my absolute favorite time of year. It brings to mind crisp chilly air, new school clothes, fresh notebooks filled with paper, and unsharpened yellow Ticonderoga pencils, all of which remind me of my teaching career and my own children's school days.

 

Assistance League celebrates the new school year with students and the whole community in a big way, and-as teachers and parents do-we also spend our fall (and summer!) days in preparation for this important time of year.

 

This fall, we anticipate that over 1,850 students will visit the Center. When those bright yellow school buses pull up to let off excited children, we will be buzzing with business as we outfit them in new school clothing, shoes, undies, warm coats, books, and yes- unsharpened yellow pencils-for their new school year. Then, as the year goes on, we will refresh their school supplies as needed to keep their momentum toward academic success in full swing.

 

As you know, we do so much more in other areas to help children in need. I will tell you more about that as the year goes on.  For now, join us in ringing in another New Year. Set your resolution to continue supporting our efforts and don't forget to visit, like, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to see (and share!) all of our latest updates.

 

Happy New Year!

 

Kelly Fifield

President

  Community Connections Day

  

A Message from the Grants Committee

   

The grants committee has finished up three busy months meeting deadlines for grant proposals and writing evaluations. Grant requests were sent to the Merancas Foundation, Speedway Children's Charities, St. Gabriel Tithing, Charlotte Merchants Foundation, among others. Evaluations for grants received last year were sent to the Merancas Foundation, The Leon Levine Foundation-Leon and Sandra Levine, The Charlotte Merchants Foundation, Speedway Children's Charities, and CarMax.

 

This summer Mecklenburg  County  Teen Court was host to a group of inquisitive teenage visitors from Iraq. This group of 15 teens was sponsored in Charlotte through the Iraqi Young Leaders Exchange program. The Iraqi teens were focused on the importance of civic engagement, volunteerism, citizenship and leadership.

 Assistance League of Charlotte Mecklenburg County Teen Court Administrator, Lauren Bowley met with the students at the International House to explain the diversion program and where it "fits" in the larger juvenile justice system. She answered many of their questions about the justice system and about being a teenager in the U.S.  in general. The group also  attended a night of  Teen Court and  observed four hearings with real defendants, teen attorneys and the teen jury.

 The Iraqi teens and our Teen Court teens were able to dialogue with each other, not only about the court system, but had insightful conversations  about their different cultures and way of life, and the concept of  volunteering.

"It was an energetic exchange of thoughts. The Iraqi teens' poignant questions of our judges and teen attorneys showed that they were really engaged!" said Ms. Bowley.  At the end of the evening, the visitors thought the Teen Court visit was the greatest thing they had seen in the U.S. thus far, and wanted to stay to be jurors.

"They were most impressed that in the U.S. we are willing to listen to our teens and "give" them a program to hold themselves accountable. They shared the concerns for their own country as they do see car bombings, refugees and occupation by other countries yet energized by hope that one day THEY will be able to shape their own government, culture and future," added Ms. Bowley.

Matt Martin Speaks at September Regular Meeting 

Matt Martin, Regional Executive, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond, shared the findings of The Charlotte Mecklenburg Opportunity Task Force study with attendees at our September Regular Meeting.  Matt then responded to questions as to how our programs could help effect the changes that the study identified.