Friday, November 21, 2008

Current Bethlehem Center Needs

We are having a Santa Brunch on Saturday, December 6th for the kids of the Bethlehem Center. We are in need of donations for this breakfast, which can be any of the following:
  • Pancake Mix
  • Eggs
  • Bagels
  • Muffins

If you are able to help out in this way, drop your donations by 2705 Baltimore Avenue and ask for Karie or Amy.

Thursday, November 20, 2008

Looking for a way to give to Bethlehem Center that won't cost you a dime?

iGive is a program where a percentage of your online shopping gets donated back to the charity of your choice. It's simple. Shop through iGive.com or download the application that will automatically donate any time you shop online, and Bethlehem Center will receive a check from your iGive contributions.

Go to www.iGive.com/bethlehemcenter for more information and to sign up.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Guys with Ties raises $10,000 in support of the Bethlehem Center through 3rd Annual Monster Mash

Photo: Jared Keaton, Assistant Executive Director of the Bethlehem Center, accepts a check from Jason Snead, President of Guys with Ties along with Guys with Ties members (l to r: Chris Malach, Jordan Raniszeski, Tim Ferguson, Jim Heckman, and Peter Allen)








Guys with Ties raised $10,000 in support of the Bethlehem Center of Charlotte at their 3rd Annual Monster Mash party on October 31, 2008, sponsored by 96.1 the Beat. Over 1800 people were in attendance at this year’s event, with a line that stretched around the block by 10:00 PM. A $1000 cash prize, partially sponsored by the PR Store, was awarded to the costume contest winner.

Guys with Ties Charlotte is a non-profit organization founded in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2006 by 5 men seeking to enrich the Charlotte community through social events targeted at the young professional community that raise money and awareness for deserving charities in the Charlotte area. The goal of Guys with Ties is to connect Charlotte’s growing population of young professionals to organizations in our community that make Charlotte a better place.

“To put it in perspective, the amount of money raised off one night, one party is enough to send 25 of our kids to summer camp for a week,” says Amy Hutchison, Development Specialist at Bethlehem Center.

Bethlehem Center of Charlotte, located within the Charlotte Housing Authority’s Southside neighborhood off of Remount Road, is a nonprofit that provides educational opportunities for low-income children and families to improve the quality of their lives. Programs include an afterschool enrichment program, emergency financial assistance, scholarship awards, and seniors programs. Bethlehem Center is also the administrator for the national pre-school program, Head Start.

For more information about Guys with Ties, visit http://www.guyswithtiescharlotte.com/. For more information about the Bethlehem Center, visit http://www.bethlehemcenter.org/.

Thursday, November 13, 2008

Stephanie Jennings

The Bethlehem Center has lost a valuable, respected and loved volunteer, Stephanie Jennings. The sudden and unexpected death of Stephanie at age 42 has created a huge void at Bethlehem Center and in the Community of Mecklenburg County. She served on the Board of Directors at Bethlehem Center for 5 years, where she also served as Chair of the Personnel Committee, and has given hundreds of hours of volunteer service to BC in addition to her work as a Community Relations Manager for Mecklenburg County. Stephanie also worked with the UNC-Charlotte Mediation Program.

Stephanie leaves behind her husband Steve and two young daughters. Please keep the Jennings family in your prayers.

Services will be held Friday, November, 14 at 11:00 at Myers Park Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials to Bethlehem Center or to UNC-Charlotte Mediation Program.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Good Shepherd United Methodist Church

On Saturday, November 1st, volunteers from Good Shepherd United Methodist Church came out to finish painting the hallways of the Bethlehem Center. The Center has not been painted in several years, so the teachers and students enjoyed coming back to a freshly painted Bethlehem Center.

Here at the Bethlehem Center, we take stewardship very seriously. This means that if we don't have to spend your dollars as donors and United Methodists, we don't. When Bob Young of Hands on Charlotte was here a few weeks ago, he said this, "Be wary of a nonprofit who's facilities are too pristine. This means that they're spending money on the building that they aren't on programming." So, bringing in groups of volunteers to paint the walls with donated paint and donated hours means more of your money is spent on things like sending kids to camp, helping out families in need with emergency assistance, and honoring deserving students with scholarships to pay for college. We love what we do, but we love what you do even more. Thank you Good Shepherd!














































Thursday, November 6, 2008

Halloween Hall-A-Ball-Oo

Students at the Bethlehem Center got the opportunity to have a BALL at the Halloween Hall-A-Ball-Oo. Bethlehem Center partnered with A Better World and other volunteers to present a day full of games and fun for the kids on Thursday, October 30th.


















After taking part in the carnival games, the kids went outside to have fun with our Executive Director, William McDonald. The class with the winning pumpkin was able to throw a pie in the face of our fearless leader. Thank you William for being such a great sport!