ABOUT FRIENDS IN FOCUS
VISION
In Montgomery County, North Carolina, Friends In Focus will be a major catalyst in advancing the educational opportunities of students and a leader in enhancing life enjoyment and improvement for senior citizens.
MISSION
Our mission is twofold: first, increasing educational opportunities in the schools of Montgomery County, North Carolina through mentoring, tutoring, addressing barriers to learning and providing college scholarships to students in need.
Second, developing and implementing programs and activities for senior citizens in the town of Mount Gilead, to enhance their participation and overall enjoyment.
CORE VALUES
The work of Friends In Focus will be undergirded by the following values:
respect at all times
nonjudgmental
integrity in all of our activities and relationships
truth and honesty
compassion for all
THE BEGINNING -
THE FORMATION OF FRIENDS IN FOCUS
In 2012, a group of friends, mostly from Mt. Gilead, NC, came together and planned an appreciation dinner for their 84 year old 5th grade teacher. This educator had provided encouragement and motivated his students to reach beyond their current setting.
The dinner was a great success and after realizing the community impact, the friends decided to look for other ways they could help their hometown. It was decided the group would become a formal non-profit corporation and Friends In Focus was formed.
Friends In Focus has 2 key objectives: help improve the educational opportunities of students in Montgomery County, North Carolina and provide programs and activities for senior citizens in Mt. Gilead.
In a year’s time, the group has started several programs at Mt. Gilead Elementary School, including a Gator Good Guys mentoring program with over 20 students focused on making right choices, a Saturday Academy for students requiring more effort towards reading and math and an after school program to assist with home work and class work. Also multiple college scholarships were created for college bound high school minority seniors.
Annually, an appreciation gala is scheduled for June in Montgomery County, where a citizen will be honored for his or her volunteer work in the community in the name of the 5th grade teacher, who inspired the creation of Friends in Focus. The award is named the Milfred F. Greene Outstanding Achievement Award.
We urge you to consider membership and/or sponsorship of this organization. With your help, we can do more. All questions may be directed to Earl Leake at 704.905.9201 or email at edleake@hotmail.com.
2020 Year In Review
2020 was the beginning of a new decade. In our wildest dreams, we did not imagine a year filled with uncertainty, fear, and alarm. With a pandemic as a backdrop, such description is understandable, and yet, some organizations steadied themselves and looked for alternative ways to address their mission, especially, when serving others. Friends In Focus had a similar mindset. We do not make widgets. As our motto states, “we serve…we give”
Although a number of our programs and events were cancelled due to the coronavirus, we still managed to be of service to others. We forged ahead in the following ways.
volunteering in Montgomery County, NC for over eight years, we lent our voice in support of addressing the pandemic and highlighting those citizens disproportionately challenged by the virus. This included communication with the school system and the county leadership.
with 55% fewer candidates than a year ago, the Friends In Focus Scholarship Program awarded five (5) college scholarships to minority seniors in the Montgomery County School System, encouraging more minorities attend college. It is expected this number will improve and return to usual levels in the new year.
not deterred by the pandemic, the 5th Annual Mt. Gilead Back to School Picnic and Rally transformed to a drive-through effort. Volunteers assisted in distributing bookbags and other school supplies and snacks to over 120 students. Also, financial contributions were made to the student emergency funds of several schools. This was a successful community event, strongly supported by the faith community.
we continued our consulting relationship with Highland Community Center and with the school system teaching 100% remotely, Friends In focus partnered with Highland to offer an afterschool program to assist students struggling with remote learning or did not have access to the internet. This was done adhering to all safety guidelines.
each year, Friends in Focus reaches out to families, needing assistance with their efforts to provide holiday gifts for their children. Working with school district personnel and community leaders, we selected two families, each with five children. This is always the highlight of what we do every year.
with our travel restricted and unable to implement a number of our programs, we focused our efforts on how to tell the story of our mission in hopes more will join us in serving the citizens of Montgomery County. As a result, we launched our new website in November 2020. It remains a work in progress. Please take time to browse https://www.friendsinfocus.org and consider the opportunities for engagement.
Yes, 2020 was a difficult year and Friends In Focus is ready to advance its mission with our supporters and those we serve. As we all work to put this pandemic behind us, let us all do our part by wearing a mask, practicing social distancing, and frequently washing our hands. These are simple things we can do to help each other. After which, we can prepare ourselves to address the needs of those who have surely been hurt by this coronavirus.
As always, on behalf of Friends In Focus, thank you for your support. We look forward to 2021.
“we serve, not because of what we give, but why we give.”
Become a Member Today
“I am a volunteer with Friends In Focus and appreciate very much the resources the organization brings to our community. I am also a parent and know that my two daughters have benefitted from participating in the programs offered by Friends In Focus.”
Ms. Susan Smith / Parent & Volunteer