As we work together to address the issues in our city, take a few minutes to read the Top Ten Successes of 2011 and celebrate all that was made possible by your funding and support of Mecklenburg Ministries' programs.

Mecklenburg Ministries

Top Ten Successes of 2011

1. Offering “An Inside Look at Urban Education,” Souls of Our Teachers, the second in a series of documentaries we are sponsoring, raises nearly $30,000 for teachers’ projects in high-poverty CMS schools. The documentary, nominated for a regional Emmy, is being used in congregations and corporations to encourage volunteerism in our public schools. (The third documentary in the series, Souls of Our Neighbors: Fears and Facts of Affordable Housing, debuted in January 2012.)

2. Youth Leadership Council Breaks Down Barriers and debunks stereotypes while empowering future leaders through their citywide programs. The council is composed of 28 high school students representing 8 faith traditions, 20 houses of faith and 18 public and private high schools.

3. Friday Friends Program Goes Statewide as Gov. Bev Perdue signed the statewide Diversity Month Proclamation. More than 1,400 Charlotteans have participated in the program, which facilitates friendships among people of different races, cultures and faiths. Several colleges also have asked to implement the Friday Friends program on their campuses.

4. Collaboration is Celebrated as we increase our partner and sponsor organizations from 24 and 14 in 2010 to 44 and 21 respectively in 2011.

5. 5th Annual Awards Breakfast Honors Community Heroes and emphasizes greater racial/ethnic and interfaith understanding. More than 300 are in attendance as Willie Ratchford of the Community Relations Committee receives the Community Leader Award and long-time interfaith activist Sara Haymond of Charlotte’s Baha’i community receives the Bridge Builder Award.

6. 36th Annual Citywide Interfaith Thanksgiving Service Sets All-Time Attendance Record as more than 1,500 people gather at the service hosted by Temple Beth El to hear the sermon delivered by Monsignor Father McSweeney of St. Matthew Catholic. Congregations in Illinois and Maryland are replicating our Thanksgiving service.

7. Powerful “In Their Shoes” Homeless Walk Shows CMS Teachers what homeless CMS students face every day and debunks the myths of poverty.

8. Nearly 60 Clergy/Congregations Participate in 2nd Annual Sermon Exchange, offering cross-racial and cross-faith exchanges in an attempt to improve racial and ethnic understanding while building relationships across the faith community.

9. Community Conversations Program Marks Fourth Year as a Catalyst for Action on critical community issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, education and poverty and giving voice to hundreds of community residents.

10. Soul to Soul Continues Popular “Souls of White Folks” sessions for both clergy and laity, initiates facilitator trainings while building relationships that explore racial and cultural myths, and supports participant projects within congregations and the community.