Our every other week check-in meeting is open to anyone interested in supporting compassionate community response to our most vulnerable neighbors. Meetings are held online every other 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.
Want to learn more about we do on our calls? Watch this short video clip!
Click Here to Access Zoom Recording:
In this Issue:
Important Dates
7/14-17: S4TL – Rotary Leadership Camp
7/16: Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy Summer Fest
7/18: Applications due for National Fund for Sacred Places grant
7/20: Game Night for Good to benefit Compassion Closet at Free Range Brewing
7/27, 7pm: MeckMIN faith club with John Ashworth at Park Road Baptist Church, rm 503
7/29: Urban League hosts First Year Ready event at the Good Life at Enderly Park
7/30: 15th anniversary celebration for Lionel Lee Jr. Center for Wellness EVENTS ALL WEEKEND
7/30: NC MedAssist will be holding a free Over the Counter Medicine event
8/6, 10 am -1 pm: MeckMIN and Refugee Support Services Back to School party at 3925 Willard Farrow Dr
8/16, 12-1 pm: MeckMIN Food for Thought with James Ford of CREED at Covenant Presbyterian
8/19: Urban League hosts First Day Ready event at The Mount Charlotte on Tuckaseegee
9/11, 1-6pm: Sacred Threads Conference
Opening Reflection
Greg Farrand, Executive Director, Second Breath Center, Greensboro, greg@secondbreathcenter.com
A spiritual practice that begins each class:
Close your eyes or look down softly ..
Give your full attention to your breathing …
Drop your breath into your belly. We carry a lot of tension in our belly. See if you can release even 10% more of the tension there with your inbreath. Allow your shoulders to relax and fall away from your ears, your arms resting by your side or in your lap. Unhinge your jaw a little and let your vision relax. Let your forehead melt. Now, with your body unbraced I invite you to take a deep breath. Feel your body in this chair, your feet on the floor. This present moment is the only moment we really have to live. Now with another deep breath from the bottom of your belly into your chest. As you exhale allow all the dust and debris of the day to flow away from you. Now a third deep breath and as you inhale, and your chest expands picture what gift the divine has to give you in this space. Open yourself up to the reality that you are saturated in divine presence, divine e love. That it is all around us, closer than our thoughts, closer than our breath. Open yourself up to the energy and presence of this group. Be aware of the stories, the hope, the tiredness, the excitement, the sadness. Let’s contain the beautiful and complex stories of everyone here. With your awareness of the divine, of our connection to one another, I invite you to open your eyes.
1. MeckMIN Updates
FAITH CLUB - July 27
Join the Faith Club (women’s interfaith book club) on Wednesday, July 27th, at 7:00pm at Park Road Baptist Church in conference room 503 as they welcome John Ashworth. John is a knowledgeable historian, speaker and writer. He will discuss little known facts about the journey of African Americans in this country.
RSVP to saeeda4days@aol.com. There will be no fee. Masks are optional. There will be a zoom connection for those who prefer. For more details email Saeeda Mubaarak or Jinny Sullivan.
The Faith Club also welcomes new members!
YOUTH VOLUNTEER ACTIVITY - REFUGEE SUPPORT SERVICES Back to School Party
Back-to-School party on August 6, 10 AM - 1 PM 3925 Willard Farrow Dr., Charlotte, 28215
Amazon Wish List
We’re collect school supplies for 150 children at Refugee Support Services. Join us by donating pencils, crayons and more at the link!
Click here to access the Amazon Wish List
August FOOD FOR THOUGHT August 16 | 12 PM Covenant Presbyterian Church
We will return to face to face meetings Tuesdays at 12 PM. James Ford of CREED will be coming to speak about educational equity. We are MOVING TO TUESDAYS! Please note.
SACRED THREADS CONFERENCE September 11 | at Queens University and Myers Park Baptist
Join people from diverse faiths to explore the history of dialogue between Jews, Muslims, and Christians during the past 60 years. This conference was inspired by several major documents issued by the three main monotheistic religions regarding the need to reach out to one another and begin to build bridges of understanding.
We will hear from scholars in the field, discuss with one another in small groups, and enjoy music, poetry, and art. As our society grapples with the effects of division along so many lines, the vision for this day is to create beauty from the many threads of our sacred traditions.
2. Community Information - Covid and other
MECKLENBURG COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH
Autumn B. Watson, MPH, REHS
Sr. Health Manager Community Outreach | COVID-19 Unit
Mecklenburg County Public Health Autumn.watson@mecknc.gov
C: 704-621-5181 www.meckhealth.org
Pronouns: She/ Her/ Hers
PROVIDING PARENTS WITH FACTS ON VACCINES
High levels of COVID-19 remain in too many of our communities. Let’s not let the virus take hold again. Inform families in your community about the COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5 with the help of the HHS COVID-19 Public Education Campaign’s new parent messaging one-pager.
Visit vaccines.gov to find vaccine locations near your community. Also encourage families to visit their pediatrician. For families seeking affordable providers, find a Community Health Center here.
Covid-19 Report for Mecklenburg – past 2 weeks: June 17-30 (Eng/Span)
Reporte de Covid-19 de Mecklenburg - las últimas 2 semanas: Junio 17-30 (Inglés/Español)
We have returned to CDC Community Burden of Illness Level Low, but that may be short-lived. Our case rates and test positivity rates, along with wastewater monitoring, show that COVID transmission levels remain active. The largest concern we see in the data is that Omicron BA5 now makes up 27% of variant sequence results. It is likely BA 5 will be the dominant virus in Mecklenburg County before the end of the month. That variant is more easily transmitted, is better at evading immunity from vaccine and prior infection, and causes more lung damage than the earlier versions of Omicron.
-Director of Covid-19 Response Unit, David Sweat
Hemos regresado al Nivel Bajo de Carga de Enfermedad de la Comunidad de los CDC, pero eso podría no durar mucho. Nuestras tasas de casos y las tasas de positividad de las pruebas, junto con el monitoreo de aguas residuales, muestran que los niveles de transmisión de COVID permanecen activos. La mayor preocupación que vemos en los datos es que Omicron BA5 ahora representa el 27% de los resultados de secuencias variantes. Es probable que BA 5 sea el virus dominante en el Condado de Mecklenburg antes de fin de mes. Esa variante se transmite más fácilmente, es mejor evadiendo la inmunidad de la vacuna y la infección previa, y causa más daño pulmonar que las versiones anteriores de Omicron.
-Director de la Unidad de Respuesta de Covid-19, David Sweat
3. Non-Profit Updates
SECOND BREATH CENTER Update
Greg Farrand, Executive Director, Second Breath Center, Greensboro, greg@secondbreathcenter.com
We work with leaders, a lot of caregivers. The three centered knowing – heart, body and head – are essential for creating a better world. We focus on helping folks from every faith tradition and those who do not resonate with any tradition, but we are nested in a progressive Christian tradition. The heart of what we do is less teaching based and more about creating sacred space through practice so we can access our own sacred wisdom on an individual and organizational and group level. We have been a local school for 30 years and a few years ago we expanded online to include an app so we can reach out globally. We also have an inward journey class online through cohorts or individual experience. We are about to publish our outward journey class to enable folks to discover their deep gladness and serve the world. Our work incorporates science and the latest in research as well. To learn more or get connected to our work, visit our website and join our newsletter list.
ANOTHER CHANCE
Shakieta Maloye Founder|Executive Director - Another Chance House of Refuge, Inc. (704) 562-7500 1818 Kennesaw Dr., Charlotte, NC 28216
Website: www.anotherchanceclt.org
Founded in June 2019, Another Chance is led by Shakieta Maloye, Executive Director. Another Chance has made great impact in a little time. As a community leader, Ms. Maloye has accumulated over 10 years of community development and engagement experience working on behalf of marginalized and disadvantaged citizens in the local community. She has a deep compassion for suffering humanity and has often led the charge for raising the community’s conscious awareness around social issues that impact our less enfranchised citizens. Ms. Maloye is a focused and principle driven individual. Character and integrity are the hallmark of all her personal and business relationships. She believes that compassion, wisdom, discipline, and strategic awareness are qualities that cannot be compromised in building anything of substance. These are the very principles upon which she founded Another Chance: House of Refuge Inc.
The mission of Another Chance: House of Refuge is to empower underserved individuals to reach their fullest potential by providing a safe environment, safe housing, educational support, employment training, and self-sufficiency skills. Currently, Another Chance works with other community organizations in formulating, collaborative ideas, goals and objectives that will move the community forward. This is why we are coming to you for support and collaboration as we truly understand it takes a village to make lasting change within the community.
Our 10 bedroom and 6 full baths (Men's Home) and 4 bedroom and 2 full baths (Women's Home) House of Refuge offer support programs that build self-sufficiency for individuals, including but not limited to the following:
Financial management, including good credit and budget building education
Career coaching, including career skill building, resume development, and employment alignment assistance.
Mental Health Group Therapy, life coaching, self-growth and empowerment programs for all residents
Women/Men’s accountability group
Through our transitional housing program and wraparound services, our goals are to:
Provide daily household items and toiletries
Provide case management to Mecklenburg County residents as part of the Strategic Violence Prevention Program;
Facilitate a Food & Nutrition program by providing nutritional foods along with maintaining onsite community garden; and
Sponsor quarterly Community Giveback Events to assist with lack of resources and lack of financials to sustain self-sufficiency in the community.
You may also visit our Amazon Wish List to get familiar with the daily needs of our residents.
Please let us know if you have any further questions. You can also contact Shakieta Maloye at 704.562.7500 or via email at info@anotherchanceclt.org.
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Zach Surber Faith Relations Manager - Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region
980.859.5578 (office), 612.425.8225 (mobile), zsurber@habitatcltregion.org
We rely on Americorps service members to do our work. Please share with your network that this opportunity is available to students between college and high school, retired people and more. There is a stipend, training, tools and more available.
LIONEL LEE JR. CENTER FOR WELLNESS CELEBRATORY GATHERING
Sonja Lee | ready4glory@yahoo.com
Welcome to the Lionel Lee Jr. Center for Wellness (LLCW) anniversary weekend! On Saturday night we will be celebrating our Sweet 16 with our 16th Anniversary / Awards Gala. Tickets are only $40 and the festivities start sharply at 6pm. We want you to come dressed to impress and ready to celebrate this milestone with food, dancing, and music.
Weekend activities include
7/29 – 6pm: Meet & Greet
7/30 – 11am to 3pm: Workshops
7/30 – 6pm to 10pm: 16th Anniversary / Awards Gala at the DoubleTree Suites, 6300 Carnegie Blvd. Tickets/Registration Required by 7/18/22
7/31 – 9:30am: Weekend Closing Service
LOCAL WORK ON GUN SAFETY
John G. Clarkson JClarkson@med.miami.edu
Ron Knape ronknape@icloud.com
Following Uvalde, they connected to work on gun safety. Lay members who were interested in this issue were nominated. People across faith traditions came together and developed a petition on Change.org that includes 8 bullet points. Please sign the petition if it resonates. Please share it widely as well.
MEDASSIST EVENT - corrected date is July 30
John Giampaolo Community Engagement Specialist | Alliance Health 3205 Freedom Drive, Charlotte, NC 28208
www.alliancehealthplan.org
(704) 677-9676
Previously announced MedAssist event scheduled at Hidden Valley Elementary School will be on July 30th, not the date previously announced. Please take special note that the information in the original flyer was incorrect. The NC MedAssist will be holding a “free” Over the Counter
Medicine event on Saturday, July 30 (9:00 am – 2:00 pm) at Hidden Valley Elementary, 5100 Snow White Ln., Charlotte, NC 28213. Please share the attached updated information (In English and Spanish) with your list serves and/or to stakeholders who work directly with individuals who would benefit from these resources. My apologies for any confusion. Please let me know if you have any questions.
URBAN LEAGUE OF THE CAROLINAS
April Turner | 704.594.0386
FIRST YEAR READY: Event for college students heading out for the first time. Families may not be able to support as much as they wish so we help out by coming together to support. July 29 from 11-3 college students will receive a trunk of items they need for their room to get started along with a computer, school supplies and dorm essentials. We need donations for spreads, sheets, etc. Click here to access the Amazon Wish list:
First Day Ready August 19, 2022 at The Mount Charlotte on Tuckaseegee— a back to school event that will include activities for the entire family and ensure that elementary school children have the supplies and resources that need to sucede on day one — for up to 300 students who register. It will be a day with school personnel set to answer questions about vaccinations, community resources, and more. Those questions will be answered in one place and they will give away needed things so if you can donate, please do.
lNext month with Mount Charlotte will be First Day Ready for k-12 students. Find out more here:
Donate to Project Ready at urbanleaguecc.org
Place Urban League of Central Carolinas as a beneficiary on your company’s giving portal.
Contact: Shereese Floyd, Shereese.floyd@urbanleaguecc.org
Create 50 College Care Packages (Flashlight, Disinfectant Wipes, Sprays, Snacks, Dove Body Wash, Deodorant, & Laundry Detergent)
I STAND FOR PEACE with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
July 8 from 6:30-8:30 at the Dale Halton Theater
Reach out to Birjoo Vaishnav for more information: 404-913-4711
In the midst of growing violence, social isolation, and mental health challenges at home, in our community, and globally, let's do our part for peace in the world, and for peace within. On Friday July 8, 2022 - Treat yourself to an evening of music, meditation, and yogic wisdom with Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
WE invite you to join us. There are some donations of tickets for non-profit leaders and tickets available. We also want to honor educators and health care workers. They can also get guest passes.
WELCOME HOME
Ammara Ghani, amarraghani@gmail.com
Kicking off our Eid preparations! Eid-al-adha is the second Eid holiday on the Lunar calendar for Muslims. Muslims celebrate and commemorate the story of Prophet Abraham on this holiday. We will be distributing halal meat to refugees in the area (as well low-income households/families in greater Charlotte).
If you’d like to contribute to the effort, please visit the following local business to make your purchase. We have partnered with the following businesses to help us with halal meat coordination:
Halal International Processing: 462 Kelly Road, York SC 704-957-4613
Zaytuna Halal Market: 10227 University City Blvd, Charlotte, NC 704-817-7174
Holy Joes Meats and More: 10210 Berkeley Pl, Charlotte, NC 704-248-8686
For families/individuals in need: You must register on the forum below:
For questions please contact Saad Haq (215) 390-0313
INTERFAITH VIGIL IN REMEMBRANCE
Suneet Kaur, Suneet.Kaur@atriumhealth.org
Interfaith Vigil in Remembrance of the Tragedy at the Oak Creek Gurdwara 10 years ago on Friday August 5th at 7 p.m. at our Gurdwara – Gurdwara Khalsa Darbar 401 E. Arrowood Rd, Charlotte NC 28217. We welcome all to join.
The vigil will be on August 5th, starting at 7pm with food served followed by a few words, and then the vigil at dusk. A more formal event flier will be sent in the next week or so. WE will also be collecting school supplies for donation to existing efforts. We also have Day of Sava or service where leaders organize the children to participate in service events across Charlotte. We invite all of you to spread information about the vigil on Friday evening.
CHARLOTTE CENTER FOR LEGAL ADVOCACY SUMMER FEST CALLING FOR VENDORS
Natalie Marles (she/her/hers) Health Insurance Navigator / Outreach Specialist / Paralegal Advocate Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy
Mailing Address: PO Box 25558 Charlotte, North Carolina 28229
phone 980-202-7339 fax 704 376 8627 nataliem@charlottelegaladvocacy.org charlottelegaladvocacy.org
We moved our new office is located at 5535 Albemarle Road Charlotte, NC 28212
The event is designed for the whole family and geared towards our new neighborhood, but anyone and everyone are invited. We want the community to know about our organization and think of us as a safe place where everyone is welcome regardless of nationality, race, sexual orientation, or language. The idea is to bring awareness to all the services/agencies/resources in our community and strengthen our reputation in Charlotte and beyond. There will be activities for kids, general services/resources information, health screenings, vaccinations, and more.
When: July 16th
Time: 10 AM – 2 PM [setup time starts 8:30]
Where: CCLA Parking lot [5535 Albemarle Rd Charlotte, NC 28212]
Here is the link to register as a vendor
Registration deadline: June 30th
GAME NIGHT FOR GOOD - The Coalition for Cultural Compassion
Becky Schisler, Executive Director
LOCATION: Free Range Brewing, 2320 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205
DATE & TIME: July 20, 2022, 7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
The Coalition for Cultural Compassion's largest fundraiser of the year is back in person! Join us at Free Range Brewing for a relaxed evening of table top gaming, silent auction, and hilarity with friends.
Your support will help us raise the necessary funds to continue serving the Charlotte community through our Compassion Closet program, our Mulitcultural Series for Kids events, and our annual Visit with Santa experience. It's the perfect way to enjoy a summer evening while supporting a grassroots nonprofit organization!
Tickets can be purchased online at https://www.eventcreate.com/e/gamenightforgood?fs=e&s=cl (Tickets will be $5 more per person at the door, so be sure to get yours online and save!)
To learn more about The Coalition for Cultural Compassion, please visit our website at www.culturalcompassion.org
ONE CHARLOTTE HEALTH ALLIANCE -Mobile Health Units
Anabel Paniagua-Doyle, Senior Specialist, APaniagua-Doyle@oneclthealth.org
ONE Charlotte Health Alliance (OCHA) has two Mobile Health Units that can be brought to where they are most needed. We work with both Atrium and NOVANT health, as well as the county to bring health awareness, screenings and information of access to care to the community members.
We are looking for new locations to host our Mobile Health Units on a regular basis. Our units are available on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Janelle VanAcker
Jvanacker34@hotmail.com | 704-562-8264
This walk focuses on raising awareness to fight human trafficking global and locally! We want to connect with others focusing on these issues here in Charlotte. Here is a link to our event this year: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/202chanbarmil/
Our founder Dr Brodsky, is flying into Charlotte August 12-14! We are looking for places for him to speak at for FREE and ways to connect him with other leaders
Betsey and I came across the Barefoot Mile Walk because our former co-worker and friend mentioned it to us. We all taught together at Winget Park Elementary when it opened up and have kept our friendship over the years. Tonya, the assistant to Dr. Brodsky, lives in CO and asked us to do the walk in Charlotte because Charlotte is #1 in NC and now #5 in US for human trafficking! I live on the border of NC/SC... so I'm in the middle of the hotspot. Two years ago, I didn't realize how big of a problem it was in Charlotte. Therefore, Betsey and I have become more involved in human trafficking!
We were hoping to just raise awareness to this issue and support the local groups in the area. Even though Joy International is based in CO, it supports the local areas where Barefoot Mile Walks take place. So, we are open to finding places who need our assistance as we are SOOO new! Over the last year, we have came across bits and pieces of different organizations but was wondering if there was a bigger group to be a part of??
This is the information that I posted in the chat about our event to raise awareness and funds to fight human trafficking.
This is the link to the actual walk; https://secure.qgiv.com/event/202chanbarmil/ Please share and/or donate if you can! For more information about Joy international visit www.joy.org
To sum things up we are looking for support in these areas:
1. Raise awareness is our priority.
2. Barefoot Walk is Sat, Sept 10 at Winget Park in SW Charlotte area
3. We would like to learn more or join other groups working in the areas of human trafficking and violence against women.
4. Dr. Brodsky, the founder of Joy International, is flying in Aug 12-Aug 14 to share his testimony & mission through speaking events! We are looking for places where he can speak, especially to the youth in our area.
Again... Thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of MECK MIN! I look forward to working with you in the future!
PACE OF THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT
Beni Tshipamba | Beni.Tshipamba@pacesp.com Non-profit health care targeting Medicaid and medicare recipients. Beni Tshipamba
Looking forward to connecting with all of you.
ROSE DUNN TENNIS CAMP FOR UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES
Summer Camp for underserved children between 16 adn There will be a Tennis Summer Camp for underserved communities on July 11-15, 2022 at Veteran's Memorial Park, 2136 Central Avenue, Chlt. The time will be 9 AM yo 1:00 PM. For information, please contact me (Rose) 917-532-4117 or email rdunn777@gmail.com
CMS Request
We need your help with reaching out to our families in need of transportation for their students this fall! Our transportation enrollment survey link is below and is active now through July 22, 2022. https://wearecms.iad1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cZRayNC4khfw0T4
FREE FANS
Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation will give free box fans to county residents aged 60+ and adults 18-59 who receive disability income. While supplies last, those who quality fan pick up a fan from one of the following locations:
· Albemarle Road Recreation Center – (980-314-1101)
· Bette Rae Thomas Center – (980-314-1111)
· David B. Waymer Rec/Senior Center – (980-314-1127)
· Eastway Regional Rec Center – (980-314-3772)
· Mallard Creek Recreation Center – (980-314-1121)
· Southview Recreation Center – (980-314-1105)
· Tyvola Senior Center – (980-314-1320)
Walk-ups are not allowed, so those interested must pre-register by calling the number of the preferred location; there is a one-fan limit per person. You'll need: A valid driver's license or state ID that provides proof of age and residence. Got questions? Contact Recreation Coordinator Trena Palmer at 980-314-1049 or Trena. Palmer@MecklenburgCountyNC.gov.
RED CROSS Job Opening
Steve Nason, Disaster Program Manager, Charlotte Metro, (704) 619-4391, steve.nason@redcross.org
American Red Cross - DMA South Disaster Position
A new job posting has become available in DMA South to fill my former position. As we are interested in recruiting from as diverse a candidate pool as possible, please pass this link along to anyone you think may be interested in joining the team. This position, titled Disaster Program Lead Specialist, is open to anyone inside or outside the Red Cross, including current volunteers. Responsibilities will span across our six counties.
The U.S. is getting close to the July 16 transition to 988 – the easy-to-remember number to reach the existing National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. This transition is an important step to strengthening and transforming the crisis care continuum in the U.S.
To help our partners communicate about 988, SAMHSA has added downloadable print files for wallet cards, magnets, and posters to its 988 Partner Toolkit. The toolkit already includes logo and brand guidelines , key messages, frequently asked questions, fact sheets (English and Spanish), radio PSA scripts (English and Spanish), and more. SAMHSA is also working to make the print materials available for ordering from the SAMHSA store and will be adding social media shareables by mid-July about the basics of 988.
SAMHSA anticipates 988 will continue to grow and evolve over the years. In 2021, the Lifeline received 3.6 million calls, chats, and texts. That number is expected to at least double within the first full year after the 988 transition.
SAMHSA continues to hold convenings with state, territorial, and tribal leaders – as well as crisis contact centers, public safety answering points, and behavioral health providers – to prepare for 988. One of the most urgent needs involves staffing at crisis centers. Anyone interested in serving in these critical positions is encouraged to visit the 988 jobs web page. https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988/partner-toolkit
KIDS EAT FREE
Elaine Jones
Elaine.Jones@AtriumHealth.org | 704-787-0134
Atrium Health's “Kids Eat Free” program is BACK and kicked off Monday, June 27. The program, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Summer Food Service Program, provides free healthy meals #ForAll kids ages 18 and younger.
Days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from June 27 till Aug. 26 (closed July 4, 11 and 15)
Time: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. (or while supplies last)
Where: Pritchard Memorial Baptist Church, 1117 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203
For more information, contact Elaine Jones at Elaine.Jones@AtriumHealth.org or
704-787-0134. More information: http://spr.ly/6184zi1ap
4. General Information
PRAYER FOR NONPROFIT LEADERS
No one went yesterday,
Or goes today,
Or will go tomorrow
Towards God
On the same path
That I do.
For each person God saves
A new ray of sunshine…
And a virgin path.
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