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Ballantyne Families Helping Neighbors In Need |
The Countdown to Our High Five Celebration Is On!
Sunday, March 16th, we’re celebrating five incredible years of feeding families, strengthening our schools, and building a community of care. Your generosity, time, and support have made it all possible, and we can’t wait to celebrate with you!
High Five Celebration: Five Years of Feeding Families
Community House Middle School cafeteria
March 16 | 2:30 – 4:30 PM
This family-friendly, interactive event is all about gratitude, inspiration, and fun! A Celebration of Impact – Hear stories of hope, honor the people who make this work possible, and enjoy our celebration cake! Encouraging Notes Station – Write messages of support to the families we serve. Pantry Tours – See firsthand where food is gathered and shared with love. Scavenger Hunt for Good – A fun way to engage and learn about our mission. Giving Trees – Pick a school, scan a QR code, and sponsor a family for summer food support. High Five Photo Booth & Gratitude Wall – Share what giving and receiving help means to you. Art Competition Display – View artwork celebrating our impact. Live DJ & Fun Zone – Enjoy music, face painting, and more!
Be Part of the Celebration! Please join us as we celebrate all that we’ve accomplished together and look ahead to the future. Let’s keep feeding hope, one family at a time.
We’re so excited that we’ll be celebrating our 5 year milestone throughout 2025! We have several more events planned, so stay tuned and I’ll tell you more about them in future newsletters.
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Mark your calendars for our High Five Celebration on March 16 and join us for special pantry tours to see firsthand how we support families in need and discover ways you can get involved. Together, we’ll celebrate all that we have accomplished and look ahead to the future.
This past month has been especially busy at the pantry, with all of the generous food drive donations helping us provide for many families. We are incredibly grateful for everyone who has contributed—whether by donating, volunteering, or spreading the word. Your support makes a difference!
Thank you to all of our wonderful Pantry Volunteers this month! Amanda Freeman, Vimmi Borkar, Alyssa Cowell, Dominique Greve, Susan Dalton, Amulya Deepak, Heather Fray, Melissa Graham, Sangeetha Gurumurthy, Susan Hicks, Denise Oswald, Stephanie Owens, Kim Pongetti, Natalia Russo, Pooja Satija, Sara Seamann, Kristine Walski, Lakeisha Watston and Sapna Shetty.
Hope to see you on March 16th!
Sincerely, Erin, Tammy, and Sheilah |
Food Drives/Partnership Update |
February was a busy month for food drives! Thank you to Polo Ridge Elementary, Hawk Ridge Elementary and JM Robinson NJHS for hosting food drives in their school communities for us. We also have some individuals we would like to thank for their contributions to the pantry. Special thanks to Natalia Russo who collected canned food items at her Super Bowl Party and to Kajel Patel for her donations. Finally, we would like to thank Novant Health Ballantyne Medical Center for collecting food donations during their “Soup-er Bowl” food drive in February and donating them to our pantry! As always, please reach out if you are interested in hosting a food drive. We would love to chat with you at the 5-year celebration coming up on March 16. We will be sharing tips on how to organize a successful food drive and information about a new collection project called “Birthday Blessing Bags.”
Best, Lauren Rosenbaum |
ALYSSA COWELL, Congratulations on being selected Volunteer of the Month for Ballantyne Families!
We asked Alyssa to share why she likes to volunteer for Ballantyne Families:
"I am grateful for the opportunity to volunteer with the Ballantyne Families Food Pantry. I have enjoyed being a part of this organization's growth and impact on the community over the past few years. I love working with the other volunteers as we pack and deliver the weekly orders to support local families in need. As we celebrate five years of helping families, I look forward to continuing to care for our neighbors through the hard work of the Ballantyne Families organization."
Thank you so much for your support, Alyssa! Your willingness to step up and contribute your time means so much. We truly couldn't do it without you!
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March 16 (Sunday - 2:30 - 4:30 pm)– Ballantyne Families’ High Five Celebration - Celebrating 5 Years of Feeding Families in the cafeteria of Community House Middle School. To RSVP: https://evite.me/BFHighFive
March 17 - April 11 - Summer Giving Campaign begins - With schools closed and no meals provided to students, summer can be a difficult time for families. Your support will help to ensure that none of our families are hungry during the summer. Donations are needed and welcome - please visit our summer giving signup to contribute.
March 18 & March 20 - Poverty Simulator Participation Experience - A poverty simulator is an immersive experience designed to help participants understand the daily challenges faced by families living in poverty. Through interactive role-playing scenarios, participants navigate real-life situations such as securing housing, managing food budgets, accessing healthcare, and handling unexpected financial crises—all within a limited income. These simulations provide a glimpse into the difficult decisions and trade-offs that millions of people face every day.
Why Participate? Develop Empathy – Experience firsthand the struggles that low-income individuals and families endure, fostering a deeper understanding of poverty’s impact. Raise Awareness – Gain insight into systemic barriers that make it difficult to escape poverty, helping to break down misconceptions. Inspire Action – Discover ways to advocate for policy changes, support community programs, and contribute to meaningful solutions. Encourage Collaboration – Work with others to navigate challenges, fostering teamwork and community engagement.
A poverty simulation is more than just an exercise—it’s a powerful experience that can change perspectives and inspire action toward social change.
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Become a Neighborhood Champion for Ballantyne Families!
Neighborhood Champions play a vital role in spreading awareness and rallying support for Ballantyne Families in their communities. As a Champion, you’ll help share our mission through your neighborhood communication channels and have the opportunity to organize food drives or other initiatives to support local families in need. If you’re passionate about making a difference right where you live, sign up below to learn more about how you can help! |
Thank you to the amazing School Social Workers who partner with us by identifying families in need and then distribute the support. Denise Gatewood (Ballantyne Ridge High School) and Jon Rochester (Ardrey Kell High School) are a critical component to making Ballantyne Families successful!
We’re grateful for their help and support and we celebrated them during School Social Worker Appreciation Week (March 3 - 7) with a basket of goodies. Thanks to the following stores who kindly donated to make our “thank you” baskets special: Trader Joe’s, Nothing Bundt Cakes (Marvin) and Firebirds.
A special thanks to the team who put this appreciation together and helped deliver the baskets: Julie White and Kathy Wholley.
Thank you to the volunteers who took the time to write encouraging notes and decorate envelopes for our Spring giving campaign: Eliza M., Hayden M., Jovan A., and Lila R. Your kindness and thoughtfulness are deeply appreciated and make a world of difference to those who receive them.
Thank you to Shaheen Anwar for her donations to the Food Pantry. |
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14023 Lissadell Circle
Charlotte, North Carolina 28277
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