Leland Business Owners Make Generous Donation to Support Local Students
Manoj and Shelley Bhatia, owners of Leland Self Storage, at 1218 West Gate Drive in Leland have made a generous $10,000 donation to Communities In Schools of Brunswick County to support the organization’s work with local at risk students. The Bhatias wanted to give back to the community and education was one area they chose to support that was particularly meaningful to them. The Bhatias have challenged Communities In Schools to use their donation to leverage additional matching funds, to grow the impact of their contribution and serve more students in need. CIS Resource Development Director Joann Shanley is thrilled that CIS is a beneficiary of the Bhatias’ generosity, knowing the tremendous impact their gift will have on the work of CIS. Ms. Shanley has reached out to the business community seeking matching donations for this gift and continues seeking connections with those who may wish to contribute and support the work of CIS. Bonnie Jordan, CIS Executive Director noted, “It is not often that these types of opportunities occur, giving CIS the ability to leverage further contributions to expand the impact of such a generous donation. It is our hope that other like- minded businesses in our community will choose to make a matching gift. The amount of the gift can be as little as $100, all the way up to $10,000. Every bit helps us get closer to our goal.”
The mission of Communities In Schools is to “surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life”. CIS of Brunswick County has been serving local students for the past twenty-five years. This school year, due to the pandemic, more students are at risk for dropping out of school or not being promoted to the next grade at the end of the school year due to academic skill losses suffered when schools were closed for an extended period of time. The CIS Action for Success Program, which works by placing Success Coaches in high-need local schools, anticipates greater numbers of students needing support this academic year, as a result. The program provides tutoring, mentoring, social-emotional learning, attendance and behavior interventions, basic need items, and case management to students as part of an individualized Student Support Plan developed to address student needs, helping them to keep pace with their peers inside and outside of the classroom, and grow socially, emotionally and academically. Last year the evidence-based program successfully worked with 386 students in six high-need Brunswick County elementary and middle schools.
If you are a local business owner who would like to join the Bhatias in supporting local students please contact Joann Shanley, CIS Resource Development Director, at (910) 351-8007 or jshanley@cisbrunswick.org. For more information on Action for Success and other CIS programs, please visit www.cisbrunswick.org. Communities In Schools is committed to ensuring that all students, regardless of circumstance, have the opportunity to learn, grow and be successful.
As a registered 501c3, contributions to Communities In Schools of Brunswick County are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law.
