Community Spotlight

By Dr. Scott Gartlan, CRC Member

In the Community Spotlight, the CRC recognizes organizations and people supporting our community with missions that align with the work and mission of the CRC.

Earlier this year, the Prodigal Son Foundation was one of 17 community-based organizations that received a grant through the City of Charlotte’s SAFE Charlotte program. Visiting the website of the Prodigal Son Foundation is a great way to learn about the work of this important non-profit organization in North Carolina. The mission is stated clearly on the homepage: “We are committed to strengthening communities and developing productive leaders for the future by empowering, educating, and engaging students and families.” There is also an infographic that shows that they empower more than 150 adult families yearly, educate nearly 100 low-income students daily, and engage over 200 volunteers, tutors, and mentors in the movement to eliminate educational inequity.

Clicking through to the “About Us” page I found a seven-minute video that includes an interview with Leroy Wray, the organization’s founder and president. Leroy gives a clear summary of the ways that the Prodigal Son Foundation meets the needs of low-income students and families: “We do this in four major areas. We do this with our mentoring program, our after school and summer program, our health and fitness, and our new program; we do this in sponsoring other non-profit organizations. The structure of each program is to provide primary prevention and intervention efforts to facilitate positive growth and development for students and their families.”

In the video students are working alongside mentors to plant trees together. After they plant the tree the mentor asks them to reflect on what they learned. “If we had to go back in time to tell somebody what we did in the garden today, what would we tell them?”, the mentor asks and then calls on Bryson, who raised his hand with an answer. As he looks around at the plants, Bryson says, “We spread soil all around then we dig things.” The mentor asks other questions to get the students to identify what they planted. In the end they said, a “Blueberry bush!”

Then students are interviewed about the impact of the program on their lives. It’s powerful to have direct testimonials from children who have benefited directly from the support of The Prodigal Son Foundation. You also get to meet mentors and teachers who serve students and families in the program.

It’s a must watch if you want to get to know Leroy Wray and others who make it happen.

The website has lots of great information about programs serving students. The Leadership Academy is all about positive mentoring, the Learning Center builds confidence and self-management skills in students, and the Physical Activity Community Education (PACE) program is focused on the value of active living and being healthy.

There is also a nifty Google form called “Sign Up Reading Checkup Tool” under the Events tab. The idea is families sign up to get support for their children in grades PK-3 on specific reading skills through targeted activities parents can do at home. This is a wonderful online resource for families who would like a little help to grow their children’s academic skills. Parents will be contacted by staff from The Prodigal Son Foundation to set up a plan that is workable and doable for each family.

So, click here to watch the video to see the impact on these children. Don’t forget to share this website too. After all, I could think of no better thing than helping our children.