The Relatives Family Update
Please ensure you scroll down to read all of the recent stories in this newsletter.
When a young person arrives at the Crisis Center, it often means everything else has fallen away. Their home may feel unsafe. Trust feels fragile. What they need first is simple and profound: a place to breathe.
Tammy Smith, Program Manager of the Crisis Center, describes the care provided at The Crisis Center this way: “We focus on helping youth stabilize emotionally, feel safe, and build trust with caring adults.” That steady presence matters. One recently discharged youth shared that what stayed with them most was knowing staff continued to encourage and listen, even when things felt overwhelming.
The Crisis Center exists for moments like these, offering immediate safety, structure, and connection when kids have nowhere else to go. This summer, that consistency and care remain essential.
If you haven’t already seen it, we invite you to read a letter written to you, our supporters, from James, a 13-year-old staying at the Crisis Center this summer.
Thank you for partnering with us as a critical community resource for youth in crisis.
A Note From Trish
On Friday, June 26, we will gather to celebrate something hard-earned: the GED graduation of three young adults. Each of them arrived on a different path, with their own mix of questions, setbacks, and determination, and each stayed with the work long enough to reach this moment. Earning a GED takes discipline and courage, especially when life has asked for so much already. We are proud to honor them as they mark this milestone!
This celebration is also a chance to honor Ms. Pendle, whose quiet consistency as a GED tutor has shaped the journeys of countless young people over the years. She has a remarkable gift for meeting each student where they are.
As we look ahead, we are grateful for recent support for our GED program from multiple generous donors:
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Truist Foundation
TJX Foundation
Myers Park United Methodist Church
Their generosity has allowed us to expand these services and reach more young adults ready to take this step. Together, we are building space for growth, one student at a time.
If you would like to join us next Friday, 6/26, to celebrate these 3 young adults and their remarkable accomplishments, please reply to this email and let us know!
Trish Hobson
Executive Director
The Relatives
Last Month at The Relatives:
Serving Up Relief, Acceptance, and Empowerment
The Six-on-Six Volleyball Classic once again brought together Charlotte’s commercial real estate community in support of local nonprofits. The Relatives are grateful to be the beneficiary of this year’s 17th annual tournament.
To Childress Klein, Beacon Partners, and the many industry leaders whose generosity, teamwork, and commitment to service will help support and transform the lives of those we serve, we give our appreciation and thanks!
A Summer of Opportunity, Made Possible by the Fosters
Last summer, as Tara and Nathan Foster picked up their youngest daughter from summer camp, Nathan found himself reflecting on what summers are like for kids staying with The Relatives.
That reflection quickly turned into action.
The Foster’s felt strongly that every child deserves meaningful, enriching summer experiences. Thanks to their generosity, young people staying with The Relatives will have an enriching summer, including trips to waterparks, time at local pools, visits to museums, and outings to parks and other recreational spaces.
“We felt passionate about giving kids at The Relatives similar experiences that our own children get,” Nathan shared. “When we saw how much could be offered to these kids for that level of investment, we knew we wanted to be part of it.”
As they look ahead, Nathan and Tara remain committed to continuing their partnership with The Relatives, helping ensure that every young person we serve has access to the opportunities they deserve.
Our 2025 Family Report is out!
Take a look at the impact of your generosity over the past year.
One item on our summer To Do List at The Relatives is thinking about new programming we could offer clients who have an interest in spiritual growth. To get a better feel for what might be possible, we thought it would be helpful to get feedback from you about your faith community.
We hope you will participate in this quick survey which can be completed in under 90 seconds. We will leave this survey open through June 30. Please pass this along to others within your faith community if they are better suited to respond and are open to connecting with The Relatives.
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