Our weekly check-in meeting is open to anyone interested in supporting compassionate community response to our most vulnerable neighbors in this time of crisis. Meetings are held online every Thursday from 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Email LeDayne Polaski for Zoom access code. In addition, if you would like to receive notification when these minutes are posted, please subscribe to our newsletter.
In this Issue:
Click Here to Access 10/15/20 View Zoom Recording: Passcode: M1CSA$Nu
Important Dates:
January:
1/18: Deadline to apply for Charlotte’s Civic Leadership Academy
1/19, 5:30pm: COVID Memorial Nationwide Ceremony
1/20, 10:30am-McCrorey YMCA Food Share
1/21, 10:30am- City of Charlotte Virtual Hiring Event
1/21, 1:30pm: Christ the King Church Food Share
1/21, 6-8 pm: The 2021 Mayor’s Mentoring Alliance (MMA) Awards presented.
1/21,6:00pm: Mecklenburg County Town Hall on Homelessness
1/21,10:30pm: Keith Family YMCA Food Share
1/25-29: Augustine Literacy Project trainings
February:
2/10, 3-4 pm: East Charlotte Leaders Meetin
Opening Reflection
Senate Chaplain Barry Black offered a prayer shortly before 4am on the morning after the attack on the Capitol Building and immediately following the conclusion of the Senate session confirming the electoral votes:
Let us pray. Lord of our lives, we deplore the desecration of the United States Capitol building, the shedding of innocent blood, the loss of life, and the quagmire of dysfunction that threatened our democracy. These tragedies have reminded us that words matter, and the power of life and death is in the tongue. Lord, you have helped us remember that we need to see in each other a common humanity that reflects your image. Use us to bring healing and unity to our hurting and divided nation and world. Bless and keep us. Drive far from us all the wrong desires, incline our hearts to do your will, and guide our feet on the path of peace.
Amen
1. MeckMIN Updates
January Food for Thought: A Conversation with Ruby Sales "We've come this far by faith & action " - January 21, 2021, 12:30pm - 1:30pm: REGISTER HERE
Public Theologian, Historian, Activist, Social Critic, and Educator, Ruby Sales joined the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) as a teenager and has worked for racial justice ever since.
Annual Community Awards Breakfast: The breakfast is scheduled for April 7th (after Easter and before Ramadan)
Call for 2021 Community Leader Award Nominations! Deadline to submit is Thursday, Feb 4.
Nominations are now open! Visit the Annual Community Awards Breakfast page on the MeckMIN website to find nomination forms. You can also find a list of former awardees on this page.
Please consider becoming a sponsor! Support ranges from $250 to $5000. See the newsletter (going out 1/7) for more information. The breakfast is MeckMIN’s biggest fundraiser of the year, and we very much need your support in order to continue our work.
Please see the awards descriptions below. If you’d like to make a nomination but are unsure whether the person/group has been honored by MeckMIN in the past, you can find the list of past recipients here. Bridge Builder award goes to a local person who:
embodies the vision of MeckMIN to foster understanding, compassion and justice, envisioning a community that lives by the highest values and core virtues of our rich faith traditions and respects the dignity of every person;
is an unsung hero, volunteer, grassroots level person;
directly promotes one-on-one relationships and bridge building across differences through their actions and daily life;
fosters interfaith cooperation, promotes racial and ethnic understanding, and addresses social needs in the community.
This award is most often given to someone who does this work as a volunteer. Nominations for this award are solicited annually from the community. The Sydnor Thompson, Jr. Community Leader award goes to a local leader or organization that:
embodies the vision of MeckMIN to foster understanding, compassion and justice, envisioning a community that lives by the highest values and core virtues of our rich faith traditions and respects the dignity of every person;
exemplifies leadership and collaboration across differences in the community;
fosters interfaith understanding to promote racial and ethnic understanding and address social needs in the community.
This award is most often given to someone who does this work as part of their career – such as a clergy person or nonprofit professional. Nominations for this award are solicited annually from the community.
Comparative Religion Series: We live in a world where loved ones suffer, where kids struggle, where pandemics come, where hate spreads, where political differences divide, and where not everyone can move to higher ground when life’s storms come. Religious traditions must reckon with the reality of this world. We invite you to learn about how Charlotte’s Multi-Faith Communities understand individual and communal healing. The interactive evenings will include rich discussions from a diverse group of faith leaders with opportunities for Q&A. Presented by Temple Beth El and MeckMIN.
REGISTER HERE! Tuesdays at 7:00pm:
January 19 - Trauma, Pain, and the Challenges of the Past Year
January 26 - Healing of the Mind
February 2 - Healing of the Body
February 9 - Healing of the Soul
The Racial Equity 21-Day Challenge : MeckMIN is cosponsoring The Racial Equity 21-Day Challenge, a powerful opportunity for shared learning and growth that invites people in the Charlotte region to develop a deeper understanding of how inequity and racism affect our lives and our community.
SIGN UP at uwccEquityChallenge.org for the 21-day self-guided learning journey that begins on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day – January 18, 2021.
FREE to participate!
Receive an email every weekday January 18 – February 15 highlighting a different topic with links to recommended articles, videos, podcasts and more.
Topics include racial identity, intersectionality, housing affordability and homelessness, race and health, legal system inequity, allyship and more.
2. Nonprofit Updates
NC Justice Center , Kris Nordstrom, Sr. Policy Analyst
Kris gave a brief summary of the Leandro v. State of NC Case. In 1994, five school districts in low-wealth counties along with families, filed a lawsuit against the state arguing that their school districts were not being given enough state money to provide an equal education for their children, despite the fact that they taxed their residents higher than average. The court ruled that NC IS NOT providing adequate education.
If you want to know more, Kris did a great job sharing details at the Picking Up the Pieces webinar that MeckMIN cosponsored. Click here to listen to Picking up the Pieces webinar
Consultancy Firm, West Ed laid a path on how the state can deliver quality education. FInd it here.
If you are interested in being a part of the advocacy effort to get the state to implement these changes, email kris@ncjustice.org
Food rescue organization that converts excess into access created in 2019
Freshly prepared foods are given to neighbors in need
40% of prepared food is thrown away
1 in 3 Mecklenburg families do not have a clue as to where their next meal is going to come from
Since its creation, they’ve rescued 50,000 lbs. of food and served 43,000 meals
The App FoodRescue is in the works and will be soon on their website
To access it and view schedule and calendar you need a registration link
We will keep you updated as to how to access and use the app to share or to receive food.
All Access Point, Mecklenburg County Department of Social Services , Teronica McLean, Sr. Manager, 704-336-3000
Due to physical restrictions imposed by Covid, it is recommended to use the application process in the All Access Point website. This site should make it easier for clients to easily get all they need:
Four assistance categories are accessible on-line:
Benefits Self-assessment
Apply for Benefits
Submit Documents
Energy Assistance
Helping Early Literacy With Practice Strategies (HELPS) is an evidence-based program proven to improve children’s reading fluency. In 2015, only 39% of CMS third graders read consistently.
Goal: To get 900 volunteers to tutor the same student once a week Registration for Tutor Training starts Jan 27. Register Here!
MedAssist : Prescription medication for uninsured. Over the counter medications for all, regardless of insurance or income or citizenship status. Please spread the word and reach out to them if you have any specific questions.
Mecklenburg County will hold a virtual town hall on Thursday, Jan. 21, from 6 - 8 p.m. The community is invited to participate. During the town hall residents will learn about the challenges and solutions to addressing homelessness and receive information on ways they can help. Panelists for this event will include:
Stacy M. Lowry, Mecklenburg County Director of Community Support Services
Liz Clasen-Kelly, CEO at Roof Above
Deronda Metz, Director of Social Services at Salvation Army Center of Hope
Britni Eaton, Director of Operations, Assertive Community Treatment Team, Monarch
Deborah Woolard, Founder of Block Love Charlotte
Dr. Jessica Salzman, Atrium Health
Our experienced panelists will answer questions and provide information that can be helpful to preventing and ending homelessness. The town hall will be moderated by Robert Nesbit, Mecklenburg County Policy and Operations Manager. Viewers will also hear from the following speakers:
Chairman George Dunlap, Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, District
Dena R. Diorio, Mecklenburg County Manager
Anthony Trotman, Assistant County Manager
Karen Pelletier, Community Support Services Business Manager
Participants can send questions in advance to TownHall@MeckNC.gov. Residents can access the virtual town hall at http://meck.co/Townhall.
City of Charlotte, NCWORKS, Virtual Hiring Event, Thursday, Jan 21, 2021 10:30am
REGISTER BY 5pm on 1/20 by Texting CLTNCWORKS to 844-619-2051
3. Food Share Info
Wednesday, January 20th; 10:30am-11:30am
McCrorey YMCA, 3801 Beatties Ford Rd #3215, Charlotte, NC 28216
Thursday, January 21st; 1:30pm-2:30pm
Christ the King Church, 13501 S Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28278
Thursday, January 21st; 10:30pm-11:30pm
Keith Family YMCA 8100 Old Mallard Creek Rd, Charlotte NC 28262
4. Covid Resources
Mecklenburg County Public Health, Kimberly Scales, Preparedness Coordinator
Phase 1A: long-term care facilities and healthcare workers who work with COVID-19 patients.
Phase 1B only those 75 years could receive a COVID-19 vaccine in Bojangles Coliseum. As of now the only available location is Bojangles Coliseum but they hope to expand to more locations. Click here for vaccine appointment information for those 75+
While demand continues to be much greater than supply, individuals 65+ are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine per updated guidance from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.
SCHEDULE ONLINE or by calling 980-314-9400 and selecting Option 3.
Please share information about the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Please help eligible people in your network to get an appointment.
Covid Vaccine Toolkit:
Bagged Lunches Needed for for first responders and volunteers at Bojangles vaccination clinic: We received notice that the Bojangles vaccination clinic is in need of feeding our first responders and volunteers working at the site 6 days a week. The need is for individuals, or groups to bag 40 lunches and deliver them to Bojangles on the day of their choice. Family-friendly serve opportunity. You will find all the details within the sign-up genius link HERE.
Gloves Available: Does anyone need gloves for PPE? First United Methodis Church received a huge amount, mostly size M:
501 North Tryon Street
Charlotte, NC 28202
704-333-9081
The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC) will host a memorial to remember and honor the lives lost to COVID-19 in cities and towns across the country on Tuesday, January 19, 2021 at 5:30 p.m. ET. A Washington, D.C. ceremony will feature a lighting around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. It will be the first-ever lighting around the Reflecting Pool to memorialize American lives lost.
PIC is inviting cities and towns around the country to join Washington, D.C. in illuminating buildings and ringing church bells at 5:30 p.m. ET in a national moment of unity and remembrance.
Charlotte can get involved by:
Clergy ringing church bells to honor lives lost to COVID-19
Having residents light a candle in their window
Prayer for Nonprofit Leaders
Mary Catherine Bateson: [Speaking of evolutionary clusters] Yes, and very often major accelerations of change came out when a group of people got together and learned together and dared to think new thoughts and then pass them on. It was true of the American Revolution — a group of thoughtful colonists thinking, actually, about French philosophy, mainly, and deciding they wanted to be independent. And the point is that the evolutionary part of that was in the relationships between the members of those small groups, feeding off of each other’s imaginations and insights and wisdom and then spreading them out in the society, going forward.