CSHC was proud to be among the select few non profits chosen to receive a $10,000 gift from the Altria Companies Employee Community Fund (ACECF). This was an opportunity for agencies who had received funding from Phillip Morris USA, Inc. in the past to receive a final donation before the closing of their Cabarrus County facility. Thank you ACECF and best wishes to all the Phillip Morris employees!

CSHC would also like to thank Good Friends for their $2,000 donation to our Hearing Services Bank in response to our feature in "Charlotte's MissionPossible" by the Charlotte Observer's effort this summer.

By the 2030s, English language learners (ELLs) will account for approximately 40% of the entire school-aged population in the United States. (ASHA)

The high school graduation rate of Limited English Proficient students in NC is 52.2%. (Dept. of Public Instruction, NC)

North Carolina has one of the fastest growing rates of Limited English speakers in the country. The number of residents in NC with limited English proficiency grew by over 200 percent between 1990 and 2000. (US Census Bureau)

For almost two years CSHC has enjoyed a partnership with the Bilingual Preschool on Central Ave (BPS). Over 100 children ages 2-5 years attend BPS, all speak Spanish as their native language and nearly 100% come from low-income families. This places these children at significant risk for academic failure. The goal of our partnership is to improve the kindergarten readiness of the children at BPS by addressing key speech, language and literacy skills that are building blocks for school success. CSHC provides a Spanish speaking therapist, Joy, to serve the children with speech-language delays and disorders at their school. Joy works with children individually, in small groups, and in and out of the classroom. Intervention can be done during meals, in the classroom, or on the playground; all with the goal of imparting critical skills that will be carried over to the child's natural environment.

Grants from the Wachovia Foundation and the Sisters of Mercy also make it possible for the CSHC therapist to provide parent and teacher education on topics such as emergent literacy and child development. The goal is to enlist parents and teachers to provide holistic intervention by creating a language and literacy rich environment for the children in the home and classroom on a daily basis. This complements the direct services a child receives from Joy each week and has the additional benefit of helping their siblings and classmates, creating a ripple effect in the community we serve.