While the Peninsula Community Foundation (PCF) works with many nonprofit organizations, the effects of the Pandemic have prevented us from gathering with our partners for quite some time. This past week, we were able to gather 17 of our partners and board members for a luncheon in the Lakeside Room at the Peninsula Golf Club. Not only did they share a meal, but also encouragement and inspiration.
It sparked energy into each of the nonprofit leaders.
Each nonprofit leader was given an opportunity to share about their organization, they also shared updates, recent challenges, and wins they had been experiencing. A common theme was on how many new challenges the pandemic had brought to day-to-day operations. While it has been a hard season for so many, hearing how other nonprofit leaders were handling the pandemic and life after covid was encouraging and inspiring. The beautiful side of the pandemic was all of the new charities that began out of recognized needs.
- During the pandemic, up to 40% of daycares were shut down temporarily and/or permanently during the pandemic and social distancing. One of our partners at the luncheon, Davidson Cornelius Child Development Center, is the only center in the North Mecklenburg area that offers 5-star, full-time, affordable early education and child care with scholarship support for children ages 6 weeks to Pre-K. Around 40-50% of their children receive sliding-scale scholarship support, ranging from 35‒75% of the total tuition cost. This not-for-profit organization is striving to provide any child in the community with a safe and nurturing environment in which to grow and learn.
- During the 2018-2019 school year, the NCHE reported 1,508,265 students in CMS who had experienced homelessness at some point during the previous three school years. Financial strain for these parents comes with tough challenges such as making rent, purchasing groceries, and providing other family needs. With even the most basic of necessities too often scarce, birthdays become nothing more than a distant wish for these children. At their new satellite office in Mooresville, volunteers at Bright Blessings provide program services to North Mecklenburg County. The office served nearly 400 children in 2020 with their Bless a Birthday program and other similar programs such as Bless a Baby.
We were so grateful to have lunch with some of our partners to hear stories like these. There is much growth and excitement happening in PCF and we are excited to do big things with our partners and help our community in this next season!
