2023 Ministry Impact Report

Thank you for your support of LHCC during 2022!  We were filled with blessings, growth, and new innovative programs. Here are some highlights we would like to share with you.

LHCC Kinship Initiative

LHCC continues to foster greater levels of kinship and trust between people from different backgrounds, cultures, and walks of life. Despite the challenges presented by a prolonged pandemic, we have stayed true to our mission of serving families with dignity and respect and have continued our in-person programming to meet our families’ needs.

Over the past few years, LHCC has placed a greater emphasis on parent engagement, without compromising on our core children’s programs. Some examples include:

1.         A parent advisory committee was established to vet decisions regarding needed human services. Their input resulted in the inclusion of programs to address food insecurity, mental health, and wellness.

2.         Healthier lifestyles have been promoted through cooking instruction and weekly Zumba exercise classes. This programming complimented a successful “FIT” project for 60 adults that tracked individual health outcomes over time.

3.         Behavioral health awareness training was introduced in a 10 week-program

LHCC has benefitted from our partnership in a Kinship Coalition for the past two years and advancing our cross-cultural outreach by helping all who the Lord leads our way.

We hosted Kinship Kitchen lunches for our invaluable community partners, volunteers, and donors. Our summer camp coincided with a ten-year anniversary celebration and summer camp. Parents and students were able to share testimonies of the impact LHCC is having on their lives. Enjoying meals together are our way of saying thank you and to hear from our families about what God is doing in our ministry. The food was prepared by parents in our program, utilizing fresh vegetables from one of our food partners, Jubilee Farms. We look forward to more Kinship lunches and preparing meals, or breaking bread, so to speak, together, with our families and culinary volunteers in the Kinship Kitchen.

New LHCC Board and Team Members

We welcomed Bettie Green as our returning board member, who has been faithfully serving the ministry for many years. In addition, Magbis Love with Atrium Health/Levine Cancer Center also joined the board as we ramp up further on health and wellness initiatives. We hired two team members, Meghan Miller, and Ana Robles. Meghan is our full-time Operations Lead, while Ana Robles serves as our Parent Outreach Lead. Both are bilingual and passionate about ministry.

Summer and Day Camps

We hosted over 75 elementary to-high school students for our tenth year of summer enrichment camps. In addition, we offered day camp every Tuesday from June to August, and two full weeks in July. Our kids learned about bible heroes during daily devotions led by our volunteers, improved their exercise and nutrition, thanks to cooking classes by Chef Sonya. Students improved their literacy and reading comprehension skills

Enrichment, Tutoring, and Mentoring

On an average Tuesday, around 40 volunteers and 50 kids participate in our tutoring and mentoring program. Students have been making a lot of growth on their state exams and are increasing their reading and math scores, thanks to the dedication of our volunteers.

In 2023, our elementary school students will begin a reading program called iReady that will be tailored to their specific needs. We are excited to launch this program and look forward to improving their reading and literacy skills.

Family FIT Programming

On an average Thursday evening, around 20 moms participate in program led by community partners. Some of the programs from 2022 were led by the Charlotte Mecklenburg Health Department, Camino Health Clinic, Atrium Health and many more. These programs covered health and nutrition, mental health services, medical coverage and services, community programs and financial literacy. Family participation and support is vital to the success of LHCC, and we are blessed to serve and get to know our families on a deeper level.

New LHCC FIT Program

Thanks to a grant from The Charlotte Mecklenburg Health Department and support from Atrium Health, we launched our LHCC Fit Program last February. 50 parents began a journey of learning how to create healthy habits in their lives and the lives of their family. They were screened and monitored by doctors and nurses and tracked their vitals, BMI, and A1C levels. Families were made aware of health needs they had and were given the tools to help themselves. We are excited to be starting this program again in the upcoming weeks.

While parents engaged in FIT program activities, their children enjoyed a combination of physical activity and STEM programs with our two tech partners. One of our goals in 2023 is to provide more programs for our teens and develop them as leaders in their homes, schools, and community.

We promise to our donors is that we will faithfully steward the funds you invest in LHCC to advance the ministry and maximize Kingdom impact. We do this with the highest levels of accountability, integrity, and transparency.  We will apply your gifts so that our mission can be accomplished through equipping of people and seeing lives changed by the Gospel.

Thank you again for your support of LHCC over the past 10 years! We are grateful to our incredible volunteers, partners, and corporate and individual donors for your kind support. Thank you for being an integral part of our mission to serve alongside LHCC as we provide scholastic, spiritual and social supports to our families. We look forward expectantly to what the Lord has for us in the coming year.

Brent Morris

January 2023