The Relatives’ Family Update – September 2018
Please ensure you scroll down to read all of the recent stories in this month’s newsletter. If you would like to be added to our email distribution please email your information to development@therelatives.org.
You enable us to continue to provide youth and young adults in our community the resources they need to get the education they deserve.
School is in Session
Most of the youth in our community are currently stressed over test scores and good grades. Imagine now if you also had to worry about where you were going to sleep. So many of the kids and young adults we help don’t have a place to call home. According to the 2018 Charlotte-Mecklenburg State of Housing Instability and Homelessness report, nearly 5,000 students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools were identified as homeless in the 2017/2018 school year, an increase of 10% from the 2016/2017 school year.
Providing educational pathways is a priority for us as many statistics say that the No. 1 predictor for youth homelessness is not having an education. We offer GED and tutoring classes at On Ramp to ensure that each young adult that walks through the door has the opportunity to achieve their goals. We work with local partners and make it a priority to get clients back in the school system so that they can continue their education. Case managers who work directly with our young adults helped 62% of them enroll in education services. The goal is to expand our educational services and hire a full-time education specialist to further enhance our mission of providing top-notch services.
One of our volunteers, Dave Burns, originally planned on coming twice a week to help teach GED math, but quickly discovered many more opportunities to help our young adults with reading, interview skills, and simply listening to them open up about their issues. Volunteers at The Relatives get to help build competence, confidence, and meaningful relationships. Through the help we receive, we’re able to support a better future for youth in crisis, but also a better future for our community.
Introducing Our New Look
The Relatives has undergone a fresh update! Our new branding holds a special place in our hearts as this project has been a labor of love. When asked about what the new look meant to Executive Director, Trish Hobson, she stated, “Over the past several years, our programs have grown to meet the needs of youth and young adults in our community. Our new look better represents the all-encompassing support and love we give the young people who walk through our doors.”
We hope you enjoy our new look (you can see our new logo at the top of this newsletter)!
Opa!
We were the recipient organization for donations collected during this year’s Yiasou Greek Festival. We’re so grateful to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral for their support and for being gracious hosts for our upcoming Breakfast with The Relatives.
Extra! Extra!
We were excited to be recently featured on the cover of Creative Loafing. Thank you so much to Courtney Mihocik for highlighting our agency and the work we do every day for youth in crisis. You can read the article here.
Volunteer Spotlight
