SHARE, Advocacy Center to share space

Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy officially recently welcomed SHARE Charlotte as a new tenant of the Advocacy Center, at a special event held with CEO Toussaint Romain and SHARE’s managing director, Melissa Hovey.

Both leaders discussed the importance of strengthening community-based solutions at an event hosted at their shared space located at 5535 Albemarle Road in Charlotte, according to a news release. SHARE Charlotte connects and supports more than 600 local nonprofits with engagement opportunities, one of whom is The Advocacy Center which pursues justice for those in need. Learn more at charlottelegaladvocacy.org and sharecharlotte.org.

Sharing space in The Advocacy Center’s new east Charlotte location will increase SHARE Charlotte’s visibility in a diverse and growing part of Charlotte that is highly accessible. Likewise The Advocacy Center will benefit from increased awareness among SHARE Charlotte’s vast network of nonprofit partners which have the potential to create partnerships and synergy for the benefit of The Advocacy Center’s client base. Both organizations are committed to fostering a spirit of networking and relationship building with the Charlotte community in mind.

“The vision of Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy is to build a just community where all people are treated fairly and have access to legal representation to meet their basic human needs. We cannot achieve that vision alone,” said Romain in the release. “SHARE supports like minded nonprofit organizations in Charlotte and beyond with opportunities to connect, grow and thrive.”

“The need in our community is so great. In order to empower Charlotte neighbors to achieve safety, security and stability, it takes every agency and organization working closely together,” said Hovey. “We are excited about the natural intersections that will occur from sharing space.”

Volunteers are cornerstone for both The Advocacy Center and SHARE Charlotte, which thrive due to the involvement of the Charlotte public, once ranked eleventh in the nation for volunteerism. In 2022, The Advocacy Center coordinated over 6,000 pro bono hours from attorneys and law firms to help clients with issues ranging from asylum and immigration support, to criminal record expunction and estate planning. That same year, SHARE coordinated 4,200 volunteer opportunities for nonprofit organizations like Classroom Central and Roof Above.

SHARE Charlotte started as a single platform built for Charlotteans to find and connect with local nonprofits who need support and volunteers. In December 2012, that platform went live with 87 nonprofit partners. In ten years, the platform has grown to 624 nonprofit partners, representing approximately 85% of all active 501c3 organizations in Mecklenburg County. SHARE’s community-wide giving campaigns and events have influenced $42 million in financial support to local nonprofits and 22,000 volunteer opportunities.

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Continued From Page 9 over and over again, to thinks it's okay,” Merriweather said. “The Family Justice Center allows an opportunity for us to interrupt that cycle.”

Another program that Merriweather has initiated is Second Chances, a strategy for drug prosecution that provides those who suffer from addiction to receive treatment through Mecklenburg County drug recovery courts. Merriweather has advocated for a program that acts as a vehicle to recovery rather than incarceration.

“I want to be able to go to members of my community and say, ‘We're using the limited resources that we have wisely, we are thoughtful and intentional about how we're prioritizing cases within our office, and we also understand that a lot of the people that are interacting with us are sick.’”

It is important to Merriweather that addiction is recognized as the complex issue it is, and when faced with simple possession cases, courts can aid users on their way toward recovery, rather than furthering the cycle of incarceration.

“Justice, true justice, is not encapsulated by the number of guilty verdicts that you hear,” Merriweather said. “It's encapsulated by whether or not the right thing was done.”

Merriweather has been recognized as a leader in justice reform efforts, offering alternatives to prosecution, opening the door to conversations about the reinvention of the bail system, and presenting new training to combat racial bias.

“When people talk about me being reformed minded, I take that as a compliment,” Merriweather said. “I'm always willing to look and listen and think about something in a different way. There are some things that I think the stability the system requires me to not change, and there's some things that I think we can take a fresh look at.”

It is important to Merriweather to ensure that people in his office are especially thoughtful on issues of diversity, inclusion, and equity. He has initiated the creation of a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Team, as well as created a mandatory curriculum for all attorneys and staff members in his office.

“This is meant not to indoctrinate, it's meant to raise questions,” Merriweather said. “If you're in the role of making the kind of decisions that our folks are making or engaging with the public in the way that we are, I'm not trying to get you to believe anything, I’m trying to get you to take a beat and just think.”

As the first Black District Attorney in Mecklenburg County, Merriweather feels that he has a unique opportunity to instill confidence in the people in his community.

“People just want to know, and they want to see that you're being fair,” Merriweather said. “They want to know that justice is not dictated by what someone looks like, or what zip code they live in, or how much money they have in their pocket.”

Throughout Merriweather’s second term, he hopes to restore resident’s confidence in justice system, shortening the wait of cases, applying trauma informed principles, and confronting juvenile violence in the community.

He will continue advocating for justice and serving the public, just as he always has.

To hear more from Merriweather, check out the Q&A below.

Q: What are your plans following your second term as Mecklenburg County District Attorney?

A:As a wise former judge I knew once said, “I don’t ever buy green fruit.”

Q: What are some of the key things you learned as Assistant District Attorney that prepared you to step into the role of District Attorney?

A: (1) It’s hard to talk about something you haven’t seen. (2) Create the time and space to empathize with others.

Q: What is your favorite “hidden gem” in Charlotte?

A: There’re a lot of them. My dad was a Parks and Rec Director, so I’m constantly amazed by how easy it is to lose yourself in our county’s beautiful park system. Trails, greenways, picnic areas, there are so many places to find a sense of peace.

Q: What is your favorite book?

A: This answer changes every couple of years. I’m partial to nonfiction. “Parting The Waters,” by Taylor Branch is the one I keep coming back to. “Wilmington’s Lie,” by David Zucchino and “Getting Something to Eat in Jackson,” by Joseph C. Ewoodzie, Jr. are the ones I talk to other people about most frequently in the last couple of years.

Q: Who are a few of the most influential people in your life?

A: Here’s where I get a little hokey. My parents made me. My wife sustains me. My little girl gives me hope. The people in my life who have taken the time to teach me something (which includes each of the people I’ve already mentioned) are the ones I cherish more that I have words to express to them.

Q: What is the best advice you have ever received?

A: People will forgive a bad call. They won’t forgive bad faith.

Q: Outside of the office, how do you like to spend your time?

A: When I can find the time, I look to cook, and I’m especially partial to baking. It’s something where you can lose yourself in the precision and balance of the tasks. Also, it can draw the physical presence of my wife and child, which is a great bonus.