OUR STORY

Neighborhood Hope began over 10 years ago in a very grassroots manner: we started spending time with kids and their families in their neighborhood - playing basketball, sharing meals, and building friendships. As we spent consistent time with these families, our program was born. One of the things that sets Neighborhood Hope apart from other service organizations is that we develop programs based on what the community we are serving expresses as a need. When Covid hit, one of the greatest needs expressed was academic help for the kids. After listening to the parents and doing some research on the statistics of how Covid was impacting the kids in our community, we created the After-School Tutoring Program.

OUR SERVICES

Our program meets not only the academic needs of our students, but also their emotional, social, and basic essential needs as well. Two days out of the week, we provide one-on-one reading intervention tutoring. Tutors work with students on individualized lessons based on their specific reading needs. We gather all of this information through a program called iReady which provides a diagnostic test to determine grade level and instructional placement based on the five pillars of reading: Phonological Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, High-Frequency Words and Literature/Informational Text Comprehension. Once the students complete their lesson with their tutor, we send them home with a balanced meal for dinner.

We also provide an after-school program once a week where students rotate in small groups between four stations: Bible Study, Guided Reading, Small Group Therapy, and Get Active. Bible Study focuses on helping the students understand that they are uniquely created, loved, and valued by God. Guided reading provides extra practice on their academic levels. Small Group Therapy is run by an organization called BeWell, with whom we have had a partnership for three years. This program provides students with the tools necessary to express and work through their emotions in healthy ways. Finally, Get Active simply allows the students time to be kids! They play games, work through team-building exercises, and enjoy free time. In an effort to remove one of the largest hurdles, we drive to the neighborhoods to pick up and drop off our students each day, relieving our parents from the burden of having to provide transportation.

OUR IMPACT

Within the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System, less than 10% of black students have reached reading proficiency in grade three. Research shows one of the greatest indicators for improving this score is one-on-one reading intervention. During the first year of our tutoring program, 59% of our students improved at least one grade level in reading. During the second year, 89% of our students improved at least one grade level in reading! We have not only seen academic growth, but also social/emotional growth as students have become more comfortable with sharing their struggles and working through their emotions in a healthy way. Working with BeWell Therapy has given our students the tools necessary to navigate the struggles they encounter on a daily basis. Physically, we have ensured that students are either outside or inside being active and playing for at least 30 minutes while they’re with us, rather than on screens. In addition, we have sent home healthy meals with our children 3 days out of the week for three years, which averages to 3,600 meals per school year.

YOUR SUPPORT

We graciously ask for a donation toward our After-School/Tutoring program. Your support would provide one of three things: 1.) Continued healthy meals each evening of the program, 2.) New books and supplementary reading activities for our students’ continued reading enrichment, and 3.) The opportunity to hire a driver to pick up and drop off our students each day. All donations directly impact the students in our program. Would you help us reach our goal of raising $20,000 through this Give Butter campaign? Partner with us to close the educational achievement gap within our community - our amazing students deserve it!

Giving Tuesday 2021

By Neighborhood Hope

Giving Tuesday 2021