A Child's Place

Urgent Needs

advocate — Tue, 23 Oct 2018 05:00:30 +0000

Now collecting kids’ essentials

We accept donations at our office Tuesdays (1-4pm) and Thursdays (9am – 12pm). Dropoffs are accepted at 601 E. 5th Street, Suite 230, Charlotte, NC unless otherwise coordinated. Hours are subject to change. Extended hours during busy seasons (back-to-school, holiday, etc.). Before bringing any donations to our office, please contact Holly Wiggins to ensure the anticipated need is still unfilled, as we have limited storage space.

Shopping on Amazon?

When you shop at Amazon Smile, Amazon donates a portion of the purchase to A Child’s Place. While you’re there, take a look at our Amazon Wish List. Before checking out, add a few items to your cart that will help children and families experiencing a housing crisis.

Essential Items

*Items in bold are most urgent*

Uniforms/Apparel

New items only, please.

Adult size uniforms for our middle schoolers (khaki or navy bottoms; white & navy polo shirts)
Black or brown belts: All sizes (kids)
Pajamas in children and adult sizes
Undergarments (Girls and Boys: all sizes)
Close-toed shoes (Youth and Adults sizes; boys and girls)
Girls khaki or navy pants, shorts, skirts, skorts, jumpers: PreK-8th Grade sizes
Girls navy polo dresses
Boys khaki or navy pants and shorts: PreK-8th Grade sizes
Polo shirts: All sizes (white, navy, light blue) especially adult sizes
Long-sleeved polo shirts: All sizes (white and navy)

Toiletries

No travel size items, please!

Soap
Washcloths
Deodorant
African American Hair Products (some brand options include: Motions, Olive Oil, Crème of Nature)
Brushes/Combs
Body Wash
Sanitary Napkins/Feminine Products
Lotion
Tissues (boxes and travel size)
Shampoo & Conditioner
Toothbrushes & Toothpaste
Hand Sanitizer
Chapstick
Child-friendly products- deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes
Gallon-sized Ziploc Bags

Family Needs

Air Mattresses
Diapers (all sizes)
Baby Wipes
Paper Towels
Toilet Paper
Blankets
Linens + bedding (New: sheets, pillow slips, etc)
Bath Towels/Washcloths/Hand Towels
Pot/Pans and other kitchen utensils (New-Gently Used)
Clorox Wipes
Laundry Detergent (pods are preferred)
Alarm Clocks
Luggage/Duffel Bags
Reusable Tote Bags
Nonperishable food boxes
Gift Cards: $30 to Walmart or Food Lion
Individually packed/single-serving snacks (Please DO NOT include anything with peanuts or peanut butter in them to protect kids with these allergies in schools. This includes items “made in a facility with nuts or peanuts.)

Student Rewards/Prizes

Generic sweatshirts/hoodies
Movie tickets/passes (AMC Theaters or Studio Movie Grill)
$5-$10 gift cards (fast food: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Little Caesar’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut; Wal-Mart; Dollar General)
Long socks (Nike preferred)
Headphones (large style)
NFL gear (hats, sweatshirts)
Games
New Toys
Footballs, basketballs, soccer balls, hula hoops, jump ropes, etc.

School Supplies Needed

At this time, we do not need any spiral notebooks, loose paper or pencils as we are at capacity.

Calculators (including TI-84 Plus)
Post-it Notes
Dry Erase Markers
USB Flash Drives
Index notecards
Alphabet Tracing Books
Simple math flash cards
Activity books
Coloring books
Earbuds

Holiday 2018 Essentials

Click here for more holiday information.

how to get involved this holiday season

Sponsor-a-Family by purchasing wish-list items for ACP children (registration on our homepage)
Feed-a-Family by donating $30 Food Lion or Wal-Mart gift cards
Donate gift bags, wrapping paper, supplies, tissue (donate by 12/6)
Donate stockings filled with “stocking stuffers” (donate by 12/6)
Donate and/or deliver food boxes to schools (prior to Thanksgiving Break)
Donate loose gifts (see details below)

LOOSE GIFT ITEMS TO DONATE

Must be NEW items that are donated by 12/6.

Games
New toys and items for infants/babies
Dolls
Footballs, basketballs, soccer balls, hula hoops, jump ropes, etc.
Skateboards
Scooters (must include helmets) * NO BIKES PLEASE*
Small handheld devices
Accessories (hair items, purses, jewelry, makeup, nail polish, etc.)
Generic sweatshirts/hoodies
Movie tickets/passes (AMC Theaters or Studio Movie Grill)
$5-$10 gift cards (fast food: McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Little Caesar’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut; Wal-Mart; Dollar General)
Headphones (large style) or earbuds
NFL gear (hats, sweatshirts)
Coloring books, activity books
Luggage/Duffel Bags

Please contact Holly at hwiggins@achildsplace.mmcltpreview.com or 704-943-9550 for any questions or to determine if there is still a need.

A Night of 4,000 Dreams – Thank you!

advocate — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 18:27:47 +0000

Thank you to everyone who came out on Saturday May 19, 2018 for A Night of 4,000 Dreams where we celebrated the work of A Child’s Place, the families we serve, and our generous community of loyal supporters. Due to your generosity, we were able to raise over $250,000 to support the mission of A Child’s Place.

A special thank you to our lead sponsor American Airlines.

Why I Volunteer for A Child’s Place, and You Should Too!

advocate — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 19:29:36 +0000

As a recent transplant to Charlotte from Charlottesville, VA I hoped to find a way to become more actively
involved in my new community. Wanting to volunteer, I discovered that the mission and efforts of A Child’s Place aligned with my interests in working with children and families. A Child’s Place supports families experiencing homelessness, and recognizes the barriers students in unstable living situations face. I connected with their vision to empower students to achieve academic success and decided it was the right place for me to volunteer.

My involvement with A Child’s Place began as a Holiday Central volunteer; I collaborated with other volunteers in organizing toy and clothing donations, which were distributed to children and their families for the holiday. It was rewarding to know that children would be receiving gifts to unwrap. I could only imagine the excitement that was in store for each child.

Recognizing the impact of A Child’s Place’s holiday programs inspired me to become more involved. As a Student Support Volunteer, I tutor a student at a local elementary school each week with her math and reading assignments. Witnessing an increase in her confidence and self-motivation as it relates to her academics has been encouraging and energizing for me.

I have also assisted as a Program Support Volunteer, helping with outreach and special events. Most recently, I collaborated with the Volunteer Coordinator to develop an event for local Girl Scout Troops. We spent a weekend morning raising awareness around child homelessness, teaching the girls the meaning of having a home, and explaining how they can also support other children in our community currently experiencing homelessness. The Girl Scouts were engaged throughout the event, and excited to learn how they could make a difference. It was gratifying to ignite their compassion to support and advocate for children experiencing homelessness.

Overall, my experiences thus far as a volunteer with A Child’s Place have been exceedingly rewarding. I know that hope and confidence are being instilled in the lives of the children served and that my contributions are making a difference in the lives of each student and their family.

You, too, can make a difference in the lives of children experiencing homelessness. A Child’s Place volunteers are essential to helping students experiencing homelessness value their education, develop a passion for learning, and use the power of education to change their lives. I strongly encourage you to consider one of the many volunteer opportunities available through A Child’s Place!

For more information about volunteering with A Child’s Place visit: http://achildsplace.mmcltpreview.com/make-a-difference/volunteer-opportunities/.

– Ami Camp, A Child’s Place Volunteer, 2015-2016

Only 40% of Charlotte Mecklenburg third graders read at grade level, here’s how to help

advocate — Wed, 03 Feb 2016 14:40:13 +0000

Only 40% of Charlotte Mecklenburg third graders read at grade level, here’s how to help

By: Gi Hallmark, Charlotte Agenda, gi@charlotteagenda.com

According to a report from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, in 2014, only 40% of Charlotte Mecklenburg third graders were reading at grade level.

Reading at grade level by the end of third grade is the single most important predictor of success – studies show that 96% of children reading at grade level by the end of third grade will graduate high school.

If you think you’re too young to get involved in issues related to education because you don’t have a child or a child in the school system yet, instead of turning a deaf ear, you should become hyper involved.

The truth of the matter is, turning around complex problems like low literacy rates and failing schools takes years and it impacts the entire district, not just your home school.

Read Charlotte is a local foundation started in 2014 to tackle low literacy rates in Charlotte.

With support from business, nonprofit, education, philanthropic and civic leaders, Read Charlotte has a bold mission to double Charlotte’s third grade reading outcomes from 40% to 80% by 2025 .

“We need to act with urgency, as this issue is very real, very now and will affect our all of our futures in some way, so even if your child doesn’t struggle to read this doesn’t mean you and your family are immune to the problems associated with poor literacy. Read Charlotte is dedicated to the ideal that all children can succeed, but we as a community must come together to address what needs to happen to help them reach their potential.” -Munro Richardson, Executive Director

In addition to support from foundations like Read Charlotte, partnerships between Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools and Charlotte Mecklenburg Library has led to initiatives like the ONE Access program which allows 154,000 students access to books and services using their school identification number. Given that access to books is one of the most important keys to improving literacy, programs like ONE Access are critical.

Improving children’s literacy requires a commitment from the child, family, school and community.

In Charlotte, the reality is, children and families in under-served areas may not have the resources or ability to commit to improving literacy. In these cases, the schools and community must step in the fill in the gap to make the effort whole.

Consider taking some time to learn about how you can help our kids reach their potential by contacting one of these organizations:

St. Peter Catholic Church (ReadWriteServe Second Grade Tutoring)

Learning Help Centers of Charlotte (Weekly Afterschool Reading and Summer Enrichment reading)

Read a Book, Earn a Book

UrbanPromise Charlotte (AfterSchool Program & Summer Camp)

Augustine Literacy Project-Charlotte

Freedom School Partners

Promising Pages (Magic Book Parties; Community Distribution Program)

A Child’s Place (STAR (Students Today Achieving Results))

Communities In Schools

YMCA of Greater Charlotte (YMCA – Parents as Teachers)

BELL (Building Educated Leaders for Life)

Family Support Network-Charlotte (Books For Babies)

Charlotte Bilingual Preschool

Ada Jenkins Center (LEARN Works)

Girl Scouts, Hornets Nest Council (Girls Go Beyond – Community Outreach)

Mecklenburg County Council, Boy Scouts of America

Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (North Star Reading Partners)

Reading Partners

Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (Reading Buddy; Tutors; Homework helpers)

Reach Out And Read (Book drives; Creating Literacy Rich Waiting Areas)

Original Article

Rise in homeless families predicted during annual count

advocate — Wed, 27 Jan 2016 17:22:28 +0000

View Original Article

Rise in homeless families predicted during annual count this week

By Mark Price, The Charlotte Observer, msprice@charlottobserver.com

Mecklenburg County’s annual count of homeless people kicks off late Wednesday, and organizers are predicting the number of homeless families will increase for the second year in a row.

It’s a belief based in part on reports that the Salvation Army Center of Hope and the Urban Ministry’s Room in the Inn shelter program are seeing more homeless women with minor children.

The Center of Hope is over capacity, with 425 women and children, and Room in the Inn says the number of families showing up nightly for beds is up by one-third over the same time last year, from 40 families to nearly 60.

An annual count of the homeless is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and is intended to provide a snapshot of how many people are sheltered in homeless programs and unsheltered on any given night. Last year, 2,001 homeless people were counted in the Charlotte area, a 1 percent drop from 2014. Since 2010, the city has seen a 29 percent drop in homelessness.

Mary Gaertner, manager of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Coalition for Housing, is asking the public to submit tips on where homeless camps can be found this week at www.housingfirstcharmeck.org/referrals.

Gaertner believes overall homelessness will drop again this year, but she expects to find more homeless families.

“It’s very worrisome to us. We acknowledge there has been an increase, and we’re really taking a look at that,” said Gaertner, citing the community’s lack of affordable housing as a probable cause.

“Affordable housing in Charlotte and Mecklenburg County is a hot topic now. We’ve watched the community explode with new apartment complexes, but every one is market rate to the tune of $1,000 to $1,100 a month. The families who are experiencing homelessness can’t afford that.”

Numbers released by the Charlotte Housing Authority 14 months ago showed 4,449 of the more than 32,000 adults on the wait list for Section 8 housing were considered homeless. That included not only people in shelters but some staying in hotels or living with friends.

The increase in homeless parents has been most troublesome for the Center of Hope, which opened a 64-bed expansion in July to ease overcrowding. Six months later, women are once again sleeping on the floor because of a lack of beds, said Deronda Metz, director of the shelter.

“We have more homeless people working jobs than ever before, but they still can’t afford housing,” said Metz. “It’s scary to say it, but not all people with jobs can afford housing, and we don’t have enough subsidies to help every one of them.”

A community program to tackle the issue of family homelessness is being crafted and should be unveiled in coming months, say organizers.

The annual homeless count is critical to nonprofits because it shows where problems lie and which programs are having an impact. Charlotte charities are seeing successes on two fronts: housing veterans (374 homeless vets were housed last year) and housing chronically homeless people (a 36 percent drop in the chronically homeless in five years). The latter is a subgroup of the homeless that is considered in fragile health because of disabilities and addictions. They typically live on the streets for years.

Among the volunteers participating in this year’s count is Justin Markel, 47, who was chronically homeless for four years. He now lives in the nonprofit Moore Place apartment community, which has stabilized his life to the point that he has been appointed to serve on the city’s Housing Advisory Board.

“I became homeless after moving to Charlotte and losing a job in 2007, and the worst night was the first night,” he recalls. “I walked around the city all night, afraid to sit down, lay down, or talk to anybody. I just kept walking, and wondering how I had let myself get in that position.”

It’s that recollection that he’ll keep in mind Wednesday, as he enters camps in the woods or under bridges. Contacts made that night will likely save lives, he says.

“The longer you are homeless, the more you begin to realize you need to have a conversation with people, who may or may not help you. You never know when you’ll find that person.”

Wreck causes Charlotte mom’s life to unravel as finances take hit

advocate — Mon, 07 Dec 2015 20:02:44 +0000

Single mom Tanesha Garner is an example of what happens when a family living paycheck-to-paycheck runs into something they were praying would never happen.

In her case, it was lost transportation that started the dominoes falling.

Tanesha and her children Tyler, 10, and Tei’anna, 12.

Faulty brakes resulted in her car being totaled in a wreck. Without a car, she lost her job as a certified nurse’s assistant. Without a job, she lost her home. Without a home, she and her two children lost their belongings.

It’s been a year, and Garner is still struggling financially, which is why she recently enrolled her children – Tyler, 10, and Tei’anna, 12 – in the Salvation Army’s Christmas program. The two are among more than 11,000 children registered to get free toys, with much of the cost covered by Observer readers who donate to the Empty Stocking Fund.

Garner, 31, says the past year has been one filled with humbling experiences for the family, including an initial plan to stay at Charlotte’s overcrowded shelter for women and children. Family members stopped that from happening, however.

“I didn’t want to be a burden on anybody,” Garner says. “But my mother said: ‘I may not have much, but what I do have is yours. I’m not letting my grandchildren stay in a homeless shelter.’ She knew we’d get on each other’s nerves but wouldn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”The family stayed with her mother for most of the year, then Garner got lucky and qualified for housing through the newly announced initiative, A Stable Home. The program is a collaboration between the Charlotte Housing Authority, A Child’s Place and Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools.Its mission is to find stable housing for the estimated 4,000 CMS students whose families are staying in the homes of friends or relatives, due to a financial or health crisis.The Garner family is among the first 16 households selected for A Stable Home, which provides federal housing vouchers for parents and educational guidance children. The family moved into its new home this summer, she says.“It was funny when I tried to cook our first meal and I only had one pot,” Garner says. “I used that one pot to cook everything. And we had no plates, so we ate everything in bowls. My kids actually loved it.”Garner, a native of Buffalo, N.Y., still needs a car and a job, but she’s optimistic. Her income tax refund may help supply money for a used car, and she’s had several promising job interviews. She is also enrolling in certification classes that she knows will make her more competitive for higher-paying jobs.Her goal is to be a registered nurse and work in a hospital, which would allow her to earn enough money to possibly buy her own home one day.In the meantime, Garner says she and her children feel they are destined for better things in the coming year. Tyler and Tei’anna would like bikes for Christmas, but Garner says they’re more than grateful just to have their own rooms again. They were among seven people living in her mother’s three-bedroom house, she says.“There was a time not long ago when I didn’t know where I was or where I’d be going with my life,” Garner says. “I feel blessed now compared to where I was a year ago, sleeping on my mom’s floor. On Christmas morning, I’ll be happy just to wake up in my own place with my children by my side.”

By Mark Price, msprice@charlotteobserver.com

The Charlotte Observer

View Original Article

Student Rewards and School Uniforms &nbsp

advocate — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 13:45:01 +0000

Polo Shirts- white, navy, red, black, and sky blue &nbsp

advocate — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 13:44:41 +0000

Khaki School Uniform Pants &nbsp

advocate — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 13:44:02 +0000

Laundry Detergent, Lotion, and Feminine Hygiene Products &nbsp

advocate — Thu, 01 Oct 2015 13:43:17 +0000