JLC KICKS OFF A NEW PARTNERSHIP with SUGAR CREEK CHARTER SCHOOL by Shellisa Multrie This year, the Junior League of Charlotte began a new partnership with Sugar Creek Charter School (SCCS). Led by Chair Lisa Newth and Vice-Chair Shamira Youkhaneh, this placement has offered a unique opportunity to support a community school with deep Charlotte roots. Chair Lisa Newth shared, “Actually getting to work with the kids is so rewarding. It’s a very supportive environment and they (SCCS) make it happen for their students.” Sugar Creek Charter is a year-round, public charter school for over 1,700 students in Kindergarten through twelfth grade, all of whom are considered minorities. This north Charlotte school and its 250 staff members just celebrated their 20th Anniversary, and there is much to celebrate. SCCS’s motto is “Whatever it takes” and that motto has been adopted and upheld by JLC members since the JCL began its involvement. Richard Russell, elementary school principal at Sugar Creek Charter School, is a fan of the services JLC members provide the students. “The impact and work of the Junior League has been invaluable to our students,” raved Russell. Last fall, the JLC hosted the first Family Night Out event about mental health called, “Creating a Winning Hand” -- an event the school counselor had wanted to host for years. The goal was to get the families to connect, especially since many Sugar Creek parents work multiple jobs and do not have time to participate in school events or even the PTA. Principal Russell noted how the committee worked hard to ensure the night was special for both parents and students. The Creating a Winning Hand event focused on supporting students and families with different Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Families were educated on the downstream impacts of trauma, food insecurities, 22
and other common issues to help them find ways to thrive. The program provided an opportunity to discuss how not to let ACEs become generational issues. The students participated in games on communication, selfexpression, and made crafts to give them a way to talk and express themselves at home. Committee member, Aaliyah Jenkins, had this to share about her experience with the Family Night Out event:
Working this event made me realize what “ the true meaning of volunteering was. I realized that volunteerism was not only about my selfsatisfaction but was about being able to bring a positive impact to your community and the members within it. The majority of the children enrolled at SCCS belong to low-income stricken families. Being able to provide families with resources needed to break generational curses felt so gratifying, because now there is hope for our youth. We will see them succeed, we will see them grow to be the best version of themselves and we will see them help and fight to make our community better.
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One of the JLC Provisional small groups also supported Sugar Creek Charter as their Capstone Project. Camese Noel shared, “When we visited for a tour, we learned the school library was converting from a mobile unit. My small group needed a Capstone project so this was a good opportunity to help.” Her group saw the need and worked diligently to sort the books by grade level and category to assist in the upcoming move. JLC is proud to partner with Sugar Creek Charter School and look forward to its continued partnership in the future.
