Give Raleigh 2024

Let’s make a difference together.

What if you could change your city with just $5? Now you can. Turns out, “no act of kindness, no matter how small, [really] is ever wasted.” Embodying the essence of Aesop’s proverb, RM’s sophomore Give Raleigh campaign—where every dollar literally adds up—is launching for 40 days of giving Oct. 1 in partnership with TowneBank/Towne Insurance to inspire the generous spirit of Raleighites. 

Coming off an inaugural campaign supernova that raised a whopping $24,242, we look to double down on our community investment this year with a new handpicked trio of local nonprofits: Haven House, Healing Transitions and  SAFEChild. As with last year, every dollar raised will stay right here in Raleigh and help families just like yours and ours. And our benevolent partners TowneBank/Towne Insurance will again match the first $10K of every donation—think $1, $5, $10 and beyond, donated to the one that most resonates with you or split three ways—and thereby doubling your dollar’s impact. 

“Your donation matters,” says Nicole Stewart, former Raleigh city councilor and current director of engagement for the A.J. Fletcher Foundation. “Once upon a time in Raleigh, there was a group of 20-year-old women who pooled their fresh-in-their-career dollars together to donate to causes they cared about. Together, with even more of their friends, they raised nearly $10,000 in one year (and that was in 2007!). Over the course of their 14-year run, they raised and donated over $425,000. Small dollar donations add up and make a huge difference—especially for our local nonprofits.” 

Raleigh is one of the most charitable cities in the country. Beyond sheer Southern hospitality, we donate, volunteer and buy tickets supporting boots-on-the-ground charities whose hard work wraps their arms around local families in their time of need and gives hope for a better tomorrow. 

I’ve seen firsthand, over and over again, that Raleigh is a city full of passionate and generous people,” says Stewart. “When there is a cause they care about, they give what they can to support it.”  

And each of these impactful organizations make a difference in our city each and every day across all sectors—strengthening and empowering families, youth and all, including the uninsured and underserved, through child abuse services, housing, crisis management and addiction recovery. Together we hope to galvanize our community’s inherently good nature to come together and propel these critical purposes.

Read about these three impactful organizations—and give hope where otherwise there may not be any. Then, from Oct. 1 to Nov. 10, let’s smash the funds raised last year, Raleigh! It’s giving generous! Donate at giveraleigh.com.

HEALING TRANSITIONS

Recovery for All

At the core of every community is its people—all of them. And Healing Transitions is a beacon of real community for all Raleighites via its “Recovery for All” MO: Always open. Always free. Always everyone. Always another chance. Always community.

Regardless of birth year or bankroll, addiction likely touches each one of us in our lifetime—whether ourselves, a partner, a parent, a peer, a child, a colleague and so on. And it doesn’t always look the way you’d imagine. It affects individuals and families from every community in all walks of life—tearing at the very fabric of who we are. Separating us from everything we’ve known. Alienating us from everyone we need. 

And no matter who we are or how it begins, we all come to the same realization that we’re powerless to control that addiction alone. But there’s a way to prevent “from OD to RIP.” And a glimpse of hope can reroute the course of an entire life. 

Healing Transitions is committed to making essential, effective recovery services accessible to everyone—especially those who are homeless, uninsured and underserved,” says Healing Transitions Executive Director Chris Budnick. “To eliminate barriers, we offer all of our services completely free of charge. This means every single donation—no matter the size—plays a critical role in our mission. When we say every dollar matters, it’s because it helps us continue saving and transforming lives.”

“Healing Transitions is committed to making essential, effective recovery services accessible to everyone—especially those who are homeless, uninsured and underserved,” says Healing Transitions Executive Director Chris Budnick. “To eliminate barriers, we offer all of our services completely free of charge. This means every single donation—no matter the size—plays a critical role in our mission. When we say every dollar matters, it’s because it helps us continue saving and transforming lives.”

A lifeline for neighbors in need, with a focus on “healing” (recovery) and “transition” (rekindling desire to return to meaningful and productive life), so-named Healing Transitions is dedicated to the notion that addiction doesn’t have to be the end of the story. With open doors 24/7, the organization is Wake County’s only long-term, peer-based recovery program, serving the needs of all those struggling—with no financial barriers. 

“Most importantly, Healing Transitions turns people’s lives around who can’t afford expensive recovery programs, but it also cleans up Downtown significantly,” says Healing Transitions board member David Meeker, who also serves as partner in Trophy Brewing, which has dedicated much of its resources and efforts, including the popular Trophy Trot, to the healing org. “We are so lucky to have Healing Transitions in Raleigh.”

Through its on-demand and innovative peer-to-peer addiction services ranging emergency drop-in shelter and nonmedical detox to long-term services and sustained sobriety, the recovery-oriented organization is dedicated to meeting anyone where they are, including those who are homeless, underserved and uninsured. In short, Healing Transitions saves lives. Period.

What I love about Healing Transitions is they don’t give up on people who need help,” says local hospitality titan Scott Crawford, who, beyond his dedication to nourishing the community via his boon of best-in-class concepts, also serves as a distinguished member Healing Transitions’ board of directors—and is marking his 20th year of recovery with his inaugural October Freedom Harvest event to benefit the nonprofit.

“There were people in my life who didn’t give up on me,” adds the renowned chef/owner of Crawford Hospitality and five-time James Beard semifinalist—including for Outstanding Hospitality this year. “And this is the reason I can celebrate 20 years of sobriety now—there’s no better way for me to celebrate than to give back to my sobriety community.” 

To that end, every dollar donated to Healing Transitions saves lives—“and the impact doesn’t stop there,” says Budnick. “It ripples out, touching families, friends and the broader community. And it’s our neighbors’ support that makes this possible.” healing-transitions.org

EVERY DONATION MAKES AN IMPACT

$5	$10	$55	$100
One meal	Average prescription	Day of service on campus	24-hour stay in nonmedical detox

SAFEchild

Stop Abuse for Every Child

Safety is not a birthright. But it should be. And they don’t teach parenting in school. Fortunately, bringing healthy families to the forefront is SAFEchild via its roster of support and education services you won’t find anywhere else.

“We are the place for parent education and support, children’s medical evaluations when there is suspected abuse, and school-based programs in every Wake County public elementary school, plus several charter and private schools,” says SAFEchild’s Executive Director Cristin DeRonja. 

Established in 1992 with an MO to Stop Abuse For Every child (aka SAFE)—because “every child has the right to mature in an environment free from abuse and neglect”—it’s the only child-abuse prevention agency serving Wake County and providing a full range of no-cost critical prevention and intervention services for children and families.

[SAFEchild] took a horrible experience and made it as comfortable, manageable and safe as possible considering the circumstances… without causing any additional harm,” says a local parent whose child was served through the SAFEchild Advocacy Center.

“We are that safety net for children and families in Wake County. Every dollar means so much to us,” says DeRonja. “We raise over $3 million annually to be able to provide life-saving and life-changing services to children and families. And every dollar raised through Give Raleigh to ensure SAFEchild’s mission can thrive is critical to the health of the community”—not to mention having more people involved and aware of the prevalence of child abuse and to advocate for the children, she adds.

In short, in a world where access is everything, SAFEchild is saving lives. “I describe it as free counseling,” says a former participant. “It was such a breath of fresh air to actually… have someone who truly understands where you are, like right there.”

Today, the org’s reach has expanded far beyond physical safety. Raising a tremendous $11.1 million in just two years, the nonprofit bowed its 20,000-square-foot Raleigh facility last fall, allowing it to further empower children and caregivers and build stronger families via a range of programs, classes, parenting resources and support groups.

Photography by Keith Isaacs, courtesy of SAFEchild

In a group of people sharing their stories, “you realize it’s not just you that feels this way,” says another program participant. “You come to realize mine can change too.” safechildnc.org

EVERY DONATION MAKES AN IMPACT

$5	$10	$25	$50
Child care for a family attending SAFEchild parenting classes	Medical gown for a child seen in SAFEchild’s  Advocacy Center	Funny Tummy Feelings programming for a Wake County first-grade classroom	Parenting classes, meals and child care for three Wake County families in SAFEchild classes

Haven House

Strong Youth. Bright Futures.

For 51 years, local youth have been lifted up by a haven for hope. Building strong young people and bright futures for five impactful decades, Haven House’s legacy is one for the books.

With an MO of empowering youths ages 6–24 who are homeless; in crisis; or having difficulty at home, school or in the community to thrive and be safe, supported and successful, the transformative nonprofit has altered the course of tens of thousands of vulnerable youths’ lives and futures for the better since its inception in 1973. 

Helping them understand, work through and overcome challenges, Haven House is the place for youth to find their way—and find the help they need. “Haven House served over 1,500 youth last year—a 25% increase from the year before—reflecting the urgent and growing needs in our community,” says Haven House Chief Executive Officer Michelle Zechmann. 

The Give Raleigh campaign is vital to meeting those needs by helping us reach more young people struggling with homelessness; mental health challenges; and problems at home, school or in the community,” Zechmann continues. “Every donation, no matter the size, is about coming together to provide hope and a brighter future for all.” 

A critical asset to the health of the entire community, Haven House meets our local young people and their families where they are. Together, its 10 essential programs have helped youth navigate and overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges; be better prepared to transition into adulthood; and find paths to success by providing critical access to resources, counseling, connections, mentorship and community. 

Of those programs, Wrenn House answers a critical call by providing a safe space through the only homeless, runaway and crisis-intervention program and shelter for ages 10–17 in the Triangle. Meanwhile, point-of-entry Street Outreach provides runaways, homeless and street-dependent youth under age 24 with their most essential needs and resources, and transition-in-place assistance helps homeless 18–24-year-olds (and their minor dependents, if applicable) move into transitional housing.

Doubling down on bright futures, myriad programs work with at-risk, court- or juvenile justice system-involved youth—from physical to mental. Innovative Second Round implements boxing, weight training and fitness to teach discipline, teamwork and leadership, while the January-launched Outpatient Therapy program provides guidance and resources to address growing mental health matters via clinical assessments, individual and family therapy sessions, and education.  

Haven House was exactly what my son needed,” says one parent of the program. “For a while early on, I wasn’t sure [graduating high school] would happen, but I knew it could, and Haven House made it possible.” 

Ultimately, Haven House is there for all of us when no one else is. And every donation, no matter how small, makes a difference in the life of a young person in our community. Just $5 can quickly add up to rewrite a child or young adult’s worst chapter for a better ending. Donate for a better future. Because it takes all of us. And we are “stronger together.” havenhousenc.org

EVERY DONATION MAKES AN IMPACT

$5	$10	$25	$50
One meal for a youth (10–17) at Wrenn House	One pair of athletic shorts for intervention program	One day of outreach and basic needs for youth experiencing homelessness	One hour of crisis counseling to youth and/or their families