The Junior League of Charlotte

Community Impact: The Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC) commits volunteer and financial resources to community agencies and projects that focus on the most critical needs of the Charlotte community. Since June 1, 2018, the JLC has partnered with the community to ensure that all children are school ready by focusing on health and educational needs of children from birth to fifth grade in priority areas of Mecklenburg county.Bright Blessings: Bright Blessings mission is to bring joy, care, & hope to homeless & impoverished children by mobilizing community volunteers of all ages. There are 4 main programs- Bless-a-Birthday (birthday celebrations at homeless shelter), Bless-a-Baby (blessing baskets for homeless & impoverished babies), Gift of Literacy (books & learning supplies to support academic success), & Gift of Care (essentials to support health, care, & comfort needs). Junior League volunteers will serve by assisting with special events at the homeless shelter such as a birthday party, packing gift bags & literacy kits to support various programs, and assisting with deliveries of items as needed. Charlotte Bilingual Preschool: Charlotte Bilingual Preschool (CltBP) prepares Spanish-speaking children for success in school and life by providing superior dual language, multi-cultural early childhood education. CltBP currently serves 230 children and their families from Charlottes Latinx community, with plans to grow their programs to serve 1,500 children in the next 10 years. CltBP meets the unique educational needs of Charlottes Spanish-speaking children from economically- marginalized families and builds an equitable path for their success. JLC volunteers support specific programs with virtual or face-to-face homework assistance, preschool classroom assistance, parental support in the areas of computer literacy and/or ESL, material preparation for remote learners, and teacher appreciation activities.Classroom Central: Classroom Central equips students in need to effectively learn by collecting & distributing free school supplies to their teachers. The program has a free store and mobile store where teachers & other school personnel from eligible schools shop for free supplies throughout the academic year. Materials include essential school supplies, cleaning supplies, personal care items, STEM & literacy materials & lesson plans, books, and much more. Junior League volunteers will serve by volunteering at the Free & Mobile Store, assisting during special events throughout the year, and supporting the Learning Library by cleaning, organizing, & prepping new kits to put into inventory or rotation.Digi-Bridge: JLC volunteers support after-school robotics programs and steam Saturdays, working with students to develop building and programming skills by using science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics to instill a love of learning.Done in a Day: The JLC's signature done in a day committee plans and executes several projects throughout he year to assist community agencies with one or two day special events aimed to serve women and children in need. The team also provides trained volunteers to agencies with a one-time need.Heart Math Tutoring: In 2010, Heart Math Tutoring was designed and piloted by Social Venture Partners, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, and Communities In Schools 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. Teachers have limited capacity to provide one-on-one attention, especially in high need schools. Hearts program counteracts effects of increasing class sizes, reduced support staff, and shrinking budgets by bringing caring, dedicated tutors to students who otherwise would not have access to one-on-one tutoring. JLC Volunteers will each provide 2 children one-on-one tutorial sessions using Heart's easy-to-follow curriculum to facilitate hands-on activities and games that target the conceptual gaps of their assigned student(s).Thompson Child and Family Focus: Thompson Child & Family Services is the leading provider of clinical and prevention services for children and families across the Carolinas. The agency strives to change the lives of at-risk children and families through therapy- based care. They have four locations specializing in clinical and behavioral treatment, developmental education, and proactive care. Their mission is to strengthen children, families, and communities through healing, teaching, worship, and play. JLC volunteers serve as reading buddies, collect and package kits, and plan events for children, such as a Super Hero party. Volunteer opportunities may be virtual or in person.Advocacy and Public Awareness: JLC volunteers host community educational forums on issues relevant to the JLC school ready focus are. Leadership Development Institute: The JLC's leadership development institute (LD) is a year-long training program that educates, inspires, and connects JLC provisional, transfer, active and sustaining members through the study of eight core leadership values facilitated through interactive monthly workshops. Training and Development: The training and development committee develops, organizes, and implements monthly quality education, personal, and professional development, leadership, and membership training opportunities to strengthen members' leadership skills and enhance member satisfaction. Public Policy Institute: The public policy institute curriculum teaches participants advocacy skills on the local, state, and national levels. Attendees participate in a city council simulation and learn from city council members, state officials, and community leaders who share their experiences of advocating for change.Get On Board: a five-session training program to identify and develop participants' leadership skills to produce effective Board of Directors. Sessions cover board governance, strategic planning, fiduciary oversight, roles and responsibilities, impact evaluation, engagement, and fundraising. New Member Training: New members are immersed in training from the beginning. They have a monthly small group meeting to learn about all the aspects of junior league. Through these meetings and meetings with the larger membership development group, new members receive information and reinforcement around effective voluntarism to participate over continued years of service. Training culminates in a new member capstone project with a focus in the community. Keynote speakers and subject-matter experts cover a range of topics.Promising Pages: Promising Pages mission is to provide ownership of books to underserved childrenand cultivate a lifelong love of reading through innovative literacy programs and partnerships. This effort directly impacts the reading gap at home, the most critical place for encouraged learning. JLC Volunteers support: Feed the Body, Feed the Mind program, which partners with local food banks, to provide books for distribution at the same time as food drive pick up events. Stock books Help children select books Behind the scenes and warehouse Cleaning, repairing, stickering and sorting books At home cleaning kits: process books off-site Renaissance West Community Initiative/Kids in the Kitchen: Renaissance West serves through a multitude of projects that focus on the child, family, and neighbor. Assist with the mobile food pantry. Plan special events throughout the year. Plan events which educate youth and their families on the importance of healthy eating, teach healthy meal and snack preparation, and complete cooking demonstrations either virtually or face-to-face. JLC Volunteers will support: Kids in the Kitchen Zoom tutorials Shop and deliver food to residents Cooking demos Student/Teacher Appreciation events Wing Haven: Wing Haven provides a natural oasis for reflection and study of its three public gardens. Wing Haven Garden & Bird Sanctuary is rich in Southern horticulture and a habitat for birds and wildlife. The Elizabeth Lawrence House & Garden is the site of a world-renowned garden writers living laboratory. The Student Environmental Education and Discovery (SEED) Wildlife & Childrens Garden provides hands-on exploratory learning and a natural habitat for local wildlife. Together, these gardens welcome visitors of all ages to discover and learn. Wing Haven also offers more than 40 programs and special events each year. JLC Volunteers events include monthly story time program, greenery sale, weekend garden tours, weekend badge events.