The Leon Levine Foundation

The Jewish High Holidays kick off in a few hours, and we wanted to wish our Jewish communities throughout the Carolinas and the world a Shana Tova (a good year)! In these challenging times, we are keeping the Jewish Communities of Western NC/Upstate SC, as well as throughout Israel, in our minds, and we hope the year ahead brings peace, health and safety for all. Rosh Hashanah will begin this evening and go through the evening of Oct. 3 or 4, depending on observance and tradition. Yom Kippur will be observed from the evening of Oct. 11 to Oct. 12. During these periods, some of our staff and partners may be unavailable due to religious observance. For those who are interested in learning more about these holidays and the appropriate greetings to use for both, here's a resource with some high-level and easy-to-understand overviews:?https://lnkd.in/eXN4S6ij #LeonLevineFoundation #RoshHashanah #YomKippur #HappyNewYear #HighHolidays #JewishHolidays

Our hearts go out to everyone affected by Hurricane Helene, especially our neighbors in Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina. The storm has left behind a trail of destruction and catastrophic flooding, and many communities continue to face immense challenges. This is a time for our community to unite and support those in need, and we are deeply inspired by the efforts already underway. In response, The Leon Levine Foundation is committing $5 million to aid both immediate relief and long-term recovery efforts. These funds will ensure that essential resources like food, water, and shelter are quickly provided to those who need them most. We have already distributed an initial $1 million grant to the COMMUNITY FOUNDATION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA, INC (CFWNC) to support its Emergency and Disaster Response Fund, which is assisting relief efforts across 18 counties. Additionally, we have provided additive unrestricted support to all of our existing partners in Western NC to help address urgent financial needs. For more information on how you can contribute to recovery efforts, please visit the following links: Community Foundation of Western NC Emergency Disaster Response:?https://lnkd.in/gkBi3hQf State/Regional Relief:?https://lnkd.in/eiAnR-dX

We support education-based nonprofits because providing youth from low-income families with academic resources helps break the cycle of generational poverty. Book Harvest?in Durham's mission is to provide books to every child to enhance community literacy through an Early Literacy System of Care, as well as Book Abundance Initiatives. ?? This summer, Book Harvest partnered with NC State University to collaborate over the next year and create a comprehensive evaluation plan for core programs in the Early Literacy System of Care. It's a suite of programs that start at birth and continue through the first decade of life. Congratulations on this amazing next step in your growth! Read more: https://lnkd.in/dvEiFsrx #LeonLevineFoundation #EarlyEducataion #CarolinasNonprofit #ReadersAreLeaders #ChildhoodLiteracy

To all of our followers in the Charleston area, Charleston County Public Library is one of 50 libraries across the country selected to host Americans and the Holocaust, a traveling exhibition from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum that examines the motives, pressures and fears that shaped Americans’ responses to Nazism, war and genocide in Europe during the 1930s and 1940s.? The exhibit will be on display at the Main Library at 68 Calhoun Street, along with a series of related special events, through Oct. 15. Also please consider attending one of the following talks in the library's main auditorium:? - Letters from Europe: South Carolina Jews and the Holocaust: Sept. 18 at 6 p.m.? - Generational Survivors and Liberators Panel Discussion: Sept. 23 at 6 p.m.? - Reports of Atrocities in the Charleston Press of the 1940s: Sept. 25 at 6 p.m.? Our grantee, Charleston Jewish Federation, is sponsoring two programs for the event. One was held on Sept. 12 and explored the highs and lows of the Jim Crow South and the Nuremberg Laws of Germany and Europe. The other will be the intergenerational panel on Sept. 23 featuring children of Holocaust survivors who settled in Charleston, a grandchild who chose to come to Charleston and a son of a liberator. For more information, please visit: https://lnkd.in/ek874Muu #LeonLevineFoundation #Holocaust #CharlestonJewishFederation #AmericansAndTheHolocaust #USHolocaustMemorialMuseum

ourBRIDGE for KIDS?works to bridge the gap between school and home for immigrant and refugee children by providing culturally relevant, trauma-informed programming that helps students and families acclimate to life in the US and thrive academically and socially. ?? In partnership with the Carolina Migrant Network and the Charlotte Community Health Clinic, ourBRIDGE recently opened the Charlotte Is Home Center, a collaborative hub where neighbors can access comprehensive healthcare, pro-bono immigration legal representation and educational resources in their first language all under one roof. The center offers support for families newly arrived in the U.S.? Through this innovative center and collaborative partnerships, ourBRIDGE will expand its work of creating a vibrant, inclusive community for refugee and immigrant families in Charlotte. Learn more about the Charlotte is Home Center here: https://lnkd.in/d547k6h9.? Also listen to the recent episode of Nooze Hounds where ourBRIDGE's Founder and Executive Director Sil Ganzó shares more information on exciting new projects! https://lnkd.in/e7F6e2sx.? #LeonLevineFoundation #CarolinasNonprofit #AfterSchoolPrograms #Immigration

Our grantee The Relatives hosted a joyful community celebration on Sept. 5 to mark their 50th anniversary. We have partnered with them since 2014. Our Program Officer Andrew Yavorski? and Senior Program Officer Deborah Majewski were thrilled to attend! Pictured from left to right are Andrew Yavorski, The Relatives Director of Philanthropy Caitlin Donley, The Relatives Executive Director Trish Hobson and Deborah Majewski. A big congratulations on this special milestone!? Since 1974, the mission of The Relatives has been to keep kids safe, to keep families together and to prepare youth and young adults to be healthy, productive and engaged members of the community. Their services include:?? - Youth Crisis Center - A co-ed, 24/7, 9-bed emergency shelter in Dilworth serving youth in crisis, ages 7-17. The center also operates a crisis hotline. - On Ramp Resource Center – A drop-in resource center in West Charlotte for any at-risk young adults ages 16-24 transitioning to adulthood. It provides case management and employment readiness programs for youth who are disconnected, homeless or at risk of homelessness, aging out of foster care or who have little or no family support. - Housing Program - Provides housing subsidies and case management for homeless and unstably housed young adults ages 18-24.? Discover more at: https://therelatives.org. #TheLeonLevineFoundation #CarolinasNonprofit #EndingHomelessness #Empowerment

Our partner Spartanburg Academic Movement?is a nonprofit launched in 2013. It creates partnerships between education, business, government, foundation, community and faith leaders across Spartanburg, SC to pursue high levels of academic success for all children. Learn more about their Resilience Conference on Oct. 10 where the nation’s foremost authorities on early childhood development and adverse childhood experiences will share best practices to create positive outcomes for children and youth. https://lnkd.in/gsTb9ytV #LeonLevineLegacy #InvestingInPeople #SouthCarolinaNonprofit #GivingBackSC

One of our grantees, LISC Charlotte, is a nimble nonprofit connecting hard-to-tap public and private resources with programs across Mecklenburg County in a wide variety of areas including affordable housing, economic development, education, wealth building, health, and sports and recreation. LISC-Charlotte's Charlotte Housing Opportunity Investment Fund (CHOIF), which TLLF recently invested in, helped finance The Legacy at Carr Heights Senior Apartments, a 120-unit apartment community on West Boulevard in Charlotte. The $31 million development for people age 55 and older is named after Nathaniel Carr, a Black landowner and farmer, who, along with his wife Lizzie, established the neighborhood in the early 20th century. The apartments celebrated their grand opening this summer! ?? We appreciate how LISC-Charlotte is bolstering access to safe, stable and affordable housing, which is one of our foundation's main priorities under our Human Services pillar. https://lnkd.in/eVYUXF7j #LeonLevineFoundation #LocalInitiativesSupportCorporation #AffordableHousing #CLT

Our partner Children's Home Society of North Carolina offers a network of services and support throughout North Carolina to help establish and sustain healthy, loving relationships in every family. They provide a broad spectrum of programs and services, including adoption, foster care, parenting education, family preservation and teen responsibility. Their work exemplifies our goal of empowering families to attain self-sufficiency by preventing and addressing personal crises, as well as supporting the well-being of vulnerable populations. Check out their tips for how both parents and students can thrive in a new school year.

We are pleased to host a Return on Investment (ROI) Certification Program at our office in SouthPark Towers from Sept. 30 - Oct. 4 this fall. In this program hosted by ROI Institute, Inc, participants will build the skills needed to develop and deliver effective ROI evaluations in the fields of learning and performance, organizational development, human resources, technology, change and quality solutions.? Upon completion, you will earn the prestigious designation of Certified ROI Professional (CRP). Learn more about what's included and register here: https://lnkd.in/emyhC_4G.? #LeonLevineFoundation #ROI #ROIInstitute #ContinuingEducation #ROICertification