Second Century of Hope Receives $500,000 Gift
In December 2008 the Home began serving older youth who want to continue their education beyond high school with the opening of the Ray Campbell Independent Living Village. Since its launch, we’ve seen our high school graduation rate climb to 84{fef42559c60c122be59298be536a216a775d7bc7d196b10040eaac0d33d7cf1d} and several youth have completed certificate or degree programs. There are currently 15 youth in residence with another five receiving higher education support.
Now we’re ready to launch the next phase in helping older foster care youth find success. At the heart of the Second Century of Hope Campaign is an exciting new apprenticeship program that will provide older youth with an alternative to a traditional education. While we will continue to support youth who want to pursue a degree, we are also developing programs for those who are interested in a hands-on approach to learning a skill that will help them earn a living wage after they complete their apprenticeships.
Last June we signed a 60-year lease with NC State to use their former 4-H camp adjacent to our campus. This gives us the opportunity to open the facility to outside groups creating apprenticeships for youth and income for the ministry that will decrease our dependence on government funding. We plan to focus on four apprenticeship tracks: hospitality, culinary, maintenance/automotive, and outdoor recreation/leadership.
Our fundraising goal of $3.5 million will allow us to add new and upgrade existing facilities so that we can give hope to youth who are facing challenging futures. Last fall, we received a $500,000 lead gift to jump start the campaign with several other donors contributing toward doubling that initial gift. If you would like to learn more about the Second Century of Hope Campaign and how you can help, please contact Tom Campbell at 828-686-3451 x133. Also, please make plans now to attend our West Campus Open House on June 3.
