CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Charlotte Hornets Foundation announced today that it has donated $100,000 to The Males Place – North Carolina’s leading male mentoring program – as its annual Hunger Grant. The donation is part of a long-standing partnership with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Charlotte, which will provide technical assistance to The Males Place to build their capacity and support data tracking to show the impact of the investment. The Males Place will purchase materials for its robust agriculture initiative and to assist with overall program administration support. To celebrate the grant, Hornets guard Tre Mann and Charlotte Hornets Foundation staff visited The Males Place yesterday to present a check to Founder Baba Reggie Singleton and to learn more about the organization’s weekly mentorship programs.
“The Males Place is an incredible organization that helps develop and nurture so many young men,” said Charlotte Hornets Foundation Executive Director Betsy Mack. “What The Males Place has already accomplished, especially in terms of their agriculture efforts, is tremendous and we’re happy to play a small part in helping them grow.”
Founded in 1993, The Males Place has helped more than 3,000 young men through its comprehensive and preventative health educational programs, enrichment experiences and resources. Its agriculture initiative empowers participants by teaching them skills that can assist them in helping their communities through agriculture as well as vital communication and social skills. In addition to combating food insecurity for participants, seniors and underserved neighbors along the Beatties Ford Road corridor have direct access to fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs, available at The Males Place garden and the Rosa Parks Farmers Market on West Trade Street from June 18 through September 25.
“We are thankful for the generous donation from the Charlotte Hornets Foundation and the support provided by LISC Charlotte,” said Singleton. “Our goal is to inspire youth to learn and develop into leaders through a range of holistic methods of training. Our agriculture program is one of the most effective ways we’re doing that, so this grant is a direct investment into our youth, helping to develop even more young men into responsible community leaders.”
