fhm_2022-20223 Annual Report_002

2022-2023 IMPACT REPORT Serving Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg Counties areas since 1997.

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS SINCE 1997 2022-2023 ANNUAL REPORT Freedom House has provided * 3 MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR substance use prevention/ * 5 PROGRAMS intervention, workforce * 6 preparedness, & problem * 7 TAX PAYERS BENEFITS * 8 YOUTH SPOTLIGHT gambling prevention services * 9 EVENTS to youth in Cleveland, Gaston, * 10 * 11 COMMUNITY PARTNERS Lincoln, and Mecklenburg BOARD OF DIRECTORS Counties. GET INVOLVED Click here to go to numbers dsfsdfsdfsdfsdf

LETTER FROM DIRECTOR 3 Dear Friends, Founded in 1997, Freedom House of Mecklenburg, Inc. is a tax-exempt organization that caters to court-involved youth; we specialize in substance use prevention/intervention, workforce development, problem-gambling prevention and parent/family skill-building. In 2022, we celebrated 25 years of providing services to the Charlotte-Metro Area! I’m incredibly proud to present this report that documents our impact over the past fis- cal year. Thanks to our funders and individual contributors we were able to mitigate youth substance use, provide workforce preparedness/employment opportunities, and enhance family cohesion. Additionally, we were 1 of 3 organizations nationally to be awarded the AGILITY Grant, the first-ever program to offer national grants in problem gambling preven- tion and is funded by the National Football League Foundation with additional support from FanDuel. In partnership with Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) and the North Carolina Problem Gambling Program, Freedom House will integrate problem gambling prevention lessons into the Choice Led Health curriculum taught to approximately 20,000 7th grad- ers across 49 CMS middle schools! The program curriculum will include resources from Stacked Deck, an evidence-based problem gambling prevention program. With your continued investment, we will continue to provide high quality programming as we nudge our participants and selves towards self-actualization. It will take us all. Are you with us? Executive Director Freedom House of Mecklenburg, Inc. Impact 3

Our Mission is to improve the quality of life for families by creating an atmosphere where renewal happens. We encourage, uplift and guide the participants in our programs in the pursuit of spiritual, physical, intellectual, economic, emotional, and social growth. FREEDOM HOUSE SERVED OVER 250 CLIENTS FY ‘22-23

PROGRAMS 5 PROGRAMS PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES DISTRICT 27 TRADE PROJECT IN RECOVERY FOR TEENS ( P. O . R .T. ) Provides an integrated mix of services to build the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to Provides substance use assessment, evaluation, urinalysis, counseling, be a productive workforce member. and case management. COMMON SENSE PROBLEM GAMBLING PREVENTION PARENTING Stacked Deck is an effective program Partners with parents to teach parent- to prevent and reduce the risk of prob- ing skills/techniques in a nonjudge- mental environment. lem- gambling among teens. Impact 5

6 TAX PAYER BENEFITS Tax Payer Benefits Freedom Hous Vs Competition $$$$ In the city of Charlotte there are about 3,165 unhouse people. 6 Impact

YOUTH SPOTLIGHT 7 YOUTH SPOTLIGHT Freedom House of Mecklenburg, Inc. was founded in 1997 by Michael L. Bridg- es to teach disenfranchised men spiritual principles and life skills in a therapeu- tic transitional living setting. Freedom House accepted adult males transitioning from substance use treatment facilities, detoxification centers and substance use programs in the penal system; Freedom House provided individual thera- py, group therapy, Narcotic Anonymous meetings and housing in Mecklenburg County up until 2010. In 2004, we began serving youth involved with substance use and the Department of Juvenile Justice in Gaston County. Today, Freedom House provides substance use prevention/intervention, workforce prepared- ness, & problem gambling prevention services to youth in Cleveland, Gaston, Lincoln, and Mecklenburg Counties. Our Mission is to improve the quality of life for families by creating an atmo- sphere where renewal happens. We strive to encourage, uplift and guide the participants in our programs in the pursuit of spiritual, physical, intellectual, eco- nomic, emotional, and social growth. Impact 7

ANNUAL 5K ANNUAL RUN 25th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION ANNUAL GOLF TOURNMENT 8 Impact

COMMUNITY PARTNERS 9 COMMUNITY PARTNERS Impact 9

10 BOARD OF DIRECTORS BOARD OF DIRECTORS MARCUS MCKINNEY/CHAIRMAN Daimler Truck North American VALAREE GRIER/TREASURER VIP Homes & Properties STAISHA HAMILTON, DSW, MSW, LCAS/SECRETARY Council for Children’s Rights MICHAEL L. BRIDGES, FOUNDER MLB Investment Group LARRY EASTRICH Cox Automotive Inc. JOHN PARHAM, MD Veteran Affairs DONIELLE SMITH, LCSW Ellie Mental Health FRANGI CHAVEZ Construction Entrepreneur TARIK CRANKE Cranke Marketing Agency

G E T I NVOLVED 11 GET INVOLVED TO Impact 11

P. O. Box 495 Gastonia, NC 28053 704.396.7600 [email protected]