Donate Yarn for a Great Cause

By Lyne Goode, Cabarrus Partnership for Children

Isn't it amazing how life throws people at you when you need them the most?

We are beginning our Cuddle Up Coat Drive this month, and I was at the Kannapolis Library dropping off a collection box. As I walked back to my car, a woman named Liz stopped me to ask about the coat donation box she had seen me carrying in. She explained that her mom, Linda, had crocheted a bag full of beautiful baby blankets and hats for children and wondered if the Partnership could use them. I took them with a heartfelt thank you and couldn't wait to return to the office with a bag full of love. As the day went on, I realized that I had Liz's name but no contact information to send a proper thank you. Amazingly enough, I received an e-mail the next morning from Linda, Liz's mom, the creator of these beautiful "yarn hugs". She explained that she would love to create more of these for the children and all she would need is a donation of yarn!

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Report: 64,000 Students Chronically Absent in NC Elementary Schools

Case Studies Show Promising Results in Reducing Chronic Absence

Raleigh, NC (September 20, 2018) – More than 64,000 of North Carolina’s youngest students were chronically absent from school during the 2015-16 school year, according to a report released today by the NC Early Childhood Foundation (NCECF). Chronic absence has been shown to impact reading proficiency at third grade, so the report analyzes absence data in North Carolina schools that have preschool, kindergarten, first, second and/or third grade classrooms. Eleven percent (11%) of children in those schools were found to be chronically absent in 2015-16. Chronic absence was defined as missing 15 days or more of the school year for this data collection, which was managed by the federal Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights.

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Medication Drop Boxes

Safe disposal of medications can help save lives! Help keep our community safe by safely disposing unused and expired medications at one of our local drop boxes. Medicine drop boxes are an anonymous and secure way to dispose of unused, unwanted or expired medications.

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Resilience

What are Adverse Childhood Experiences?886953 1511590212469298 8962174035498128086 o

Traumatic childhood experiences such as abuse, neglect, witnessing experiences such as crime, parental conflict, mental illness, and substance abuse can create dangerous levels of stress and effect healthy brain development in children – resulting in long term effects on learning, behavior, and health.

What is Resilience?

Resilience is the ability to thrive, adapt and cope despite tough and stressful times. The more resilient a child is, the more likely they are to deal with negative situations in a healthy way that won’t have prolonged and unfavorable outcomes. Resilience is not an innate characteristic, but rather a skill that can be taught, learned and practiced. Everybody has the ability to become resilient when surrounded by the right environments and people.

Toxic Stress

Researchers have recently discovered a dangerous biological syndrome caused by abuse and neglect during childhood. TOXIC STRESS can trigger hormones that causes problems with the brains and bodies of children, putting them at a greater risk for disease, homelessness, prison time and early death. While the broader impacts of poverty worsen the risk no segment of society is immune.


Resources

Learn more about resilience and adverse childhood experiences by downloading the following resources:

Local Services

 

Charlotte-Based Reemprise Fund Awards Grant to Families First in Cabarrus County

families firstEarlier this year, Aurora Swain of Families First in Cabarrus County pitched her nonprofit’s innovative ideas to an audience of over 900 people during Social Venture Partners’ SEED20 OnStage. Aurora’s supporters filled up the front row of Knight Theater to cheer her on as she represented Families First and the families she helps every day.

“I will never forget the first day when parents struggled to sign their names and even hold a pen,” Aurora said during her pitch. “You see, in Latin American countries education is not mandatory like in the USA. Obviously they couldn’t read or write. We resolved the problem by opening a school for adults, Monday – Saturday. I promise there is nothing more inspirational than this, seeing the power and freedom adults gain when learning how to read and write. We are educating the whole family.

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