2 minute read
The Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center
by Marshall McFadden
Founded by the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC) in September of 1967, the Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center (CSHC) became North Carolina’s first community speech and hearing center. The JLC allocated $124,000 over a three year period and provided 30 volunteers to the center. The first therapy session at CSHC was held in October of 1967. Their mission has always been to provide access to superior speech language and hearing services that empower and transform lives. The organization believes that communication is the key to connecting with the world and provides a full range of effective, family centered speech-language and hearing services to everyone in need.
Over the years, CSHC has made a huge impact on so many individuals, families, and schools in the Charlotte community. Over 1500 hearing screenings are given to children 2-5 years old every year in Mecklenburg and Union counties. Over 1000 children receive monthly language and literacy inclusion services. Nearly 400 therapy sessions are completed each week. Each year, almost 250 brand new digital hearing aids are provided to children and adults with hearing impairments, who could otherwise not afford it.
In a typical year, JLC members support the annual March Madness reading event. Volunteers assist in preparing for the event, as well as reading to small groups of children or classrooms, helping out with reading reward parties, and handing out books for children to take home. JLC volunteers and CSHC staff work together to bring the love of reading and literacy to the children of Charlotte.
As a volunteer at CSHC during the 2019-2020 school year, I distributed hand-wrapped books and encouraging notes to students at two different schools. Seeing how excited and grateful the children were for their books was a truly rewarding experience and my favorite part of my volunteer experience.
But this year, volunteering with the Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center looks a little different, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, JLC volunteers do not have access to the clinic for in-person Story Time Sessions. Instead, volunteers are recording videos of themselves reading stories that are posted on the CSHC’s Facebook page every Friday. Crystal Heilig, this year’s chair for the Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center placement, says “We’re hopeful that there will be enough progress in the area that we can safely proceed with more in person volunteering in the Spring, but we’ll pivot in a way that makes the most sense and allows us to best serve the children.”
