Renaissance West Community Initiative (RWCI), the agency leading the revitalization of the site of the former Boulevard Homes public housing project, now named The Renaissance, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded $500,000 from The Leon Levine Foundation, an organization that invests in nonprofits with a track record of success and a focus on sustainability.

RWCI has now raised $11 million of its $15 million comprehensive campaign goal that will fund construction and operating costs for the Howard Levine Child Development Center (CDC), as well as additional programs and services for families at The Renaissance and the surrounding community. The initiative was launched in response to the critical need to improve social mobility and break the cycle of poverty for residents living on West Boulevard. The CDC, a cornerstone of the initiative, will provide high-quality early learning opportunities for children from birth to age 5 and will be operated by the YMCA of Greater Charlotte.

“The Leon Levine Foundation is proud to support the vision of Renaissance West Community Initiative,” said Tom Lawrence, executive director of The Leon Levine Foundation. “With highly effective leadership and a focus toward long-term sustainability, Renaissance West is committed to cultivating impactful partnerships that facilitate economic mobility and end the cycle of intergenerational poverty along the West Boulevard corridor.”

The $11 million raised to date includes a lead $1 million donation from The Howard Levine Foundation, as well as donations from other contributors such as the Charlotte Housing Authority, the C.D. Spangler Foundation, American Airlines, Jerry and Rosalind Richardson, Tim and Sarah Belk, Hugh and Jane McColl, Jr. and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Foundation, the grant-making arm of Foundation for the Carolinas.

The new PreK-8 school located at The Renaissance is currently under construction, and construction on the CDC is slated to begin this fall. The CDC is currently scheduled to open in summer/fall 2017.  

RWCI is focused on multiple critical factors to ensure children and families have the resources they need to be successful in one of the city’s most economically challenged areas. The CDC is the final piece of The Renaissance master plan and is supported by research that high-quality early education is associated with positive lifelong outcomes for children. This represents a more comprehensive approach to community development than traditional strategies and will ensure the area’s youngest students begin at the new CMS PreK-8 school at The Renaissance without having to fill a learning gap. It will also provide a stable and affordable high-quality child care environment so that parents can focus on working to improve their socioeconomic situations.

About The Leon Levine Foundation:

The Leon Levine Foundation’s mission is to improve the human condition by creating permanent, measurable and life-changing impact. The organization invests in nonprofits with a successful track record and a focus on sustainability in the areas of healthcare, education, Jewish values and/or human services.

Started by Leon Levine, the creator of the first Family Dollar Store in Charlotte, N.C., in 1980, the foundation has grown into one of the country’s largest and most impactful philanthropic organizations. For more information, please visit www.leonlevinefoundation.org

About The Renaissance

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded the Charlotte Housing Authority (CHA) a $20.9 million HOPE VI grant for the revitalization of the former Boulevard Homes, located at West Boulevard and Billy Graham Parkway. The public housing site had been home to 900 people who struggled with poor educational attainment, poverty, and violent crime, which at one time was five times the city average. Redeveloped by Laurel Street Residential, the community now includes 334 units of mixed-income housing and a community center. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will open a new PreK-8 school on the site in 2017.

About Renaissance West Community Initiative:
Renaissance West Community Initiative is a nonprofit organization leading the revitalization of the former Boulevard Homes public housing site into a vibrant village called The Renaissance. The initiative uses a holistic community redevelopment approach focusing on multiple critical factors including mixed-income housing, educational opportunities, youth and adult development programs, health and wellness services and commercial investment. RWCI is responsible for developing, coordinating, and evaluating a comprehensive array of services and supports, such as health care, out–of-school-time programs, and workforce development to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty.

Led by CEO Laura Clark, Renaissance West Community Initiative was formed by community leaders in the fall of 2012 and is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors. For more information, please visit www.rwci.org.