Posted on by Holly Cain

Standing on stage holding his arms high above his head giving double peace signs, 10-year-old Elijah Aschbrenner looked like a rock star — bright red hair, high wattage smile and unmistakable attitude.

A year after being diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer, Epithelioid Sarcoma, Elijah struck the pose after joining NASCAR stars such as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Danica Patrick walking the runway as part of the Martin Truex Jr. Foundation’s “Catwalk for a Cause” pediatric cancer fundraiser this past May.

Predictably, Earnhardt and Patrick got rousing cheers, but Elijah clearly stole the show — afterwards be-bopping around the Mooresville, North Carolina, venue shaking hands with donors, grabbing snacks with his little brother Sam, 9, and posing for photos with the race car drivers. It was difficult to tell who was the celebrity and who was the cause célèbre.

That was only five months ago.

 

Unfortunately, a recent CT-scan revealed that despite the chemotherapy and the radiation and the surgeries — despite great courage and faith — Elijah’s cancer has spread. And after a brief and hopeful time participating in a clinical trial in Atlanta last month, doctors have decided there is no further treatment to prescribe.  

A hospice nurse visits Elijah every Tuesday at his home outside Charlotte making sure he is comfortable. A hospice social worker also stops by regularly to counsel Sam and Elijah’s friends, whom his mom, Becky Hughes, says “are having a real tough time with this.”

Though Elijah would much rather be riding a Ripstik outside with his brother and friends, he mostly spends his days in a wheelchair building elaborate Lego creations or watching television — “Wheel of Fortune” is one of his favorites. “My mom and I are really good at it,” he says. He loves the occasional trips to Target or Toys “R” Us, and the steady stream of visitors who bring prayers and love.

The cancer has taken a real toll on Elijah’s young body. His voice is softer and strained, his stamina greatly diminished, but cancer has not sapped his incredible spirit or lessened his intense resolve.

“There are so many days I could just cry and let myself get buried in that, but I can’t,” his mom explained. “Elijah is strong and Sam is strong, always there to make us laugh and smile.

“I have prayed to God to just give me this tumor. I would do that in a heartbeat. The worst pain in the world is seeing your child going through something like this, and you can’t fix it, you can’t do anything.

“I could be an emotional wreck, but Elijah only allows me three minutes of crying a day. Some days I don’t need it, but if I start to, he’ll say, “Three minutes, Mom.”

Hughes has worked in the racing industry for years both as a driver public relations representative and now with sponsor Great Clips. She has been buoyed by the outpouring of support from the NASCAR community but not surprised.

This weekend Elijah and his family will be guests of Ann and Ken Schrader at the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. After some souvenir shopping — his favorite part of the day — Elijah is looking forward to stopping in the garage area and seeing his “friends” from the Catwalk event.

So many of them have provided help to Elijah and his family.

Drivers have lent their private airplanes to transport Elijah to various doctors around the Southeast. They have donated money to cover the escalating medical bills and sent messages of support using the hashtag #prayersforelijah on social media.

More significantly, they have given their time and attention.

Truex and his girlfiend, Sherry Pollex, herself undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer, are essentially on speed dial with the family and have been constant support for Elijah. Pollex organizes the Catwalk event and had been raising money ($300,000 this year) for childhood cancer long before she was affected personally by the disease.

Team Penske put Elijah’s name over the door of both of its Sprint Cup Series Chase contending cars last week. And 2012 Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski devoted one of the entries on his popular blogs to remind people about “perspective” in life. He used Elijah as a shining example.

Roush Fenway Racing and Richard Childress Racing are among the organizations to publicly offer good wishes — the entire team from shop foremen to drivers posing with a “Prayers for Elijah” sign.

And while it is all a bit overwhelming and “very cool,” Elijah joked this week that it does cause a minor problem when it comes to picking a driver to cheer for.  

“That’s the hard part,” Elijah said. “They are all so good to me.

“The fact they know me is outstanding, I don’t know how a kid like me would get that lucky to meet them. Just knowing them means a lot to me.”

His mother begins to cry when trying to explain the impact of those relationships.

“He really looks up to Martin (Truex) and Dale Junior and Kasey (Kahne) and Jeff Gordon and feels like they are all his buddies because they have done events with him,” Hughes said. “After the Catwalk, he’ll talk about how Dale Junior is his buddy. During a race, he’ll ask me to call Dale Jr. and get him to do this or that. I’ll laugh. It shows how great these guys have been to Elijah.

“Even if they were just with him for half an hour it made such an impact on him and made him feel comfortable and like a friend.That means everything to me. To see how happy he gets thinking he has all these buddies in all these different avenues of sports.”

Taking the cue from NASCAR’s best, other sports have rallied about Elijah, too.

WWE wrestling star Titus O’Neil changed a flight to detour to Charlotte and pay a visit to Elijah.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton surprised Elijah at a block party in his honor — a Halloween theme because that’s Elijah’s favorite holiday. News outlets from People Magazine to “The Today Show” shared the story.

“I’m in disbelief. Every day we’ll hear of another athlete doing something for him, last night someone sent us a picture of Kirk Cameron holding up a sign saying ‘Prayers for Elijah,’ ” Hughes said.

“It’s just amazing to me, the outreach and the people that have been impacted throughout all this, from NASCAR, to WWE to the Panthers. Everyone’s just put their arms around us and are supporting us.

“He is definitely a loved little boy, and I am so blessed that God chose me to be his mom. He is the bravest little boy I know and I just pray for many, many more years to watch him grow up.”

It’s not just famous people who have recognized and rallied for Elijah.

Classmates from school visit him. The community organized a golf tournament fundraiser, and even local restaurants designated certain nights to donate funds.

In some ways, “Prayers for Elijah” has grown from a sentimental hashtag or well wish into a movement.

It is a plea for more funding and research into childhood cancers, which currently receive a very small portion of the overall funds.

It is an inspiration reminding us if a 10-year-old boy can be this strong and positive despite all he’s going through, then we should have great courage and a better attitude, too.

It is a lesson in living in the present each day.

As a breast cancer patient myself, I feel a special connection to Elijah.

I was diagnosed a couple months after him and our chemotherapy treatments and surgeries often coincided. In fact, I had radiation treatment the morning I flew from Florida to Charlotte to attend May’s Catwalk event. And I had to leave early the next morning to be back in the cancer center for my next round.

That evening I asked Elijah what advice he had for other cancer patients.

“Keep fighting,” he said. “And breathe.”

His mom considers that evening a gift — a time of pure happiness and excitement. How proud to know her son was an inspiration to every soul in the room.

And still is.

“He was amazing, he just shined that night,” Hughes recalled. “It was like, ‘Here I am and I’m not going to let cancer get the best of me.’ And he’s had that attitude from Day 1.

“There have been many days when my faith is down and I’m scared and worried and he’ll look at me and say, ‘Mama, we’re going to get through this.’ So never once has his faith been in question. A few months ago he coined the phrase, ‘Faith and believing are your cure.’ And he really means it.

“He is amazing and he gives me strength every day.”

He does the same for all of us.

Posted on by Staff Report

David Ragan‘s plans for this weekend’s race in the NASCAR industry’s backyard will take on special meaning, with birthday accommodations made for a special guest.

Ragan paid a visit Wednesday to Shriners Hospitals for Children in Greenville, South Carolina, surprising 8-year-old NASCAR fan Hunter Black at a birthday lunch. Ragan took part in the celebration with his own gift for the youngster — a weekend trip to Charlotte Motor Speedway as his honored guest for Saturday’s Sprint Cup Series race.

Ragan planned to ask Black, a patient born with cerebral palsy, to join him and assist with driver introductions as part of the pre-race ceremonies for Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 (7 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM). The two met during a previous hospital visit in April 2014.

Ragan, in his ninth full season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, named Shriners Hospitals for Children his official charity in 2008.

Posted on by Staff Report

Ray Alfalla (Slip Angle Motorsports) punctuated yet another stellar season in the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series Powered by iRacing by earning his fourth victory of the 2015 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Alfalla, who started a lap down because of technical trouble, sliced through the field in the early going and drove every bit like a driver with nothing to lose.

Last Row Motorsports‘ Jake Stergios finished second, followed by brother PJ. The Stergios brothers had the cars to beat on the short run, but could not match Alfalla’s speed as the laps added-up on their virtual Goodyears. Bryan Blackford was fourth, just edging Chris Overland and mirroring their places in the final standings.

Alfalla and Jake Stergios dominated for most of the evening, leading a combined 146 of 167 laps. Stergios was one of the first sim racers to experiment with the high line in Turns One and Two and the change in line brought his car to life. Polesitter Cody Byus (The TEAM) had no answer and was passed by Stergios just nine laps in.

As halfway approached, Jake still led but PJ had cut the margin and began to plan his move. On Lap 83 PJ drove to the bottom in Turn Three and cleared his brother off of Turn 4. A lap later, a caution stopped the battle and sent the leaders to the pits for tires and fuel.

PJ won the race off pit road but his time at the front was short-lived as Jake used the outside lane in Turns Three and Four to regain the lead. However, Alfalla was now within striking distance and began picking his way through the top five. On Lap 112, Alfalla took the lead for the first time and started to pull away, but a caution for Brad Davies (Drill Aisle) erased Alfalla’s lead and brought the leaders to pit road for the final time.

Alfalla won the race off pit road and looked set to drive away to victory, but Jake was strong and stayed right in Alfalla’s tire tracks. Stergios gave it a valiant effort, even getting alongside Alfalla at one point, but did not have the speed on the bottom to clear the race leader. He finally burned off his tires and had to settle for second, just over one second behind at the checkers.

Kenny Humpe, the 2015 series champion, did not have the result he was hoping for. Although he qualified fourth, Humpe lacked speed in race trim to compete for the win.  Still, a strong finish looked possible until his chance to record a twelfth top five of the season ended when he got loose off Turn Two on Lap 44 and pounded the inside wall. Humpe wound up forty-second, dead-last.

As Alfalla and Jake Stergios battled for the lead over the last 40 laps, PJ Stergios, Blackford, and Overland were locked in an intense battle for third on track, and third through fifth in the championship. PJ came away with third on both counts, a rather comfortable 19 points ahead of fourth place Blackford. Overland and Blackford fought side-by-side multiple times during the last fuel run, each needing to finish in front of the other to claim the $1,000 fourth place prize. Blackford’s long run speed was too much for Overland, who settled for fifth in the championship, a single point behind Blackford, and collected $500 for his efforts.

Further back in the standings, Nathan Wise was the last driver to secure his 2016 NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series license by finishing twentieth in the standings. He beat Michael J Johnson (Gale Force Racing) by seven points despite limping a damaged car home to a thirty-seventh place finish at Homestead.

As the sixth NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series comes to a close, the story of the year has to be Humpe’s complete dominance through the first three quarters of the season. Though he faded a bit at the end, Humpe’s consistency was nothing like this series has ever seen. As he looks to become just the second repeat champion, Alfalla — already a two timer himself — looks to be his biggest competition. Nobody was stronger the last few races than Alfalla and he will carry that momentum into the off-season and, he hopes, to the start of 2016.

The NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series is off until February, giving drivers and teams some much-needed time off. What does next season have in store? With the NASCAR iRacing Pro Series bringing-in new talent, drivers undoubtedly changing teams, and iRacing build changes, it is always possible that different and unexpected drivers will challenge for wins.  However, Humpe and Alfalla will be on their games, and likely ready for any new challengers.

Posted on by Staff Report

RELATED: Watch Harvick’s burnout | Effort to hinder inspections?

 

Rodney Childers, crew chief for the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing team and driver Kevin Harvick, used photos and humor to make his points after oblique but pointed accusations by fellow Sprint Cup competitors that Kevin Harvick‘s burnout at Dover may have been an effort to cover up infractions.

Childers tweeted a response to Tuesday’s insinuations.

The No. 4 team was a hot topic among other drivers at Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Contender Round Media Day on Tuesday, with several drivers questioning if the team would intentionally damage such a dominant race car and saying that the practice was relatively commonplace. Harvick led 355 of 400 laps in Sunday’s AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway. It was a race he had to win to reach the second round of the Chase after a wreck put him in last place in the field of 16 coming out of Chicagoland.

Childers also brought history to bear as he made his point about burnouts via photos on Instagram, posting 13 photos of Harvick doing victory burnouts, reaching back to the driver’s time in the No. 29 car.

 

Told about some competitors’ beliefs that Harvick’s contact with the wall during his celebratory burnout at Dover was intentional and a way to circumvent post-race inspection from revealing anything amiss, Harvick responded with amused wordplay.

“I knew how to knock my car back into compliance by rubbing it up against the wall,” he said, grinning.

 

RELATED: Watch Harvick in Victory Lane 

 

A few more photos from Childers:

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: Gordon by the numbers at Charlotte

As Jeff Gordon‘s farewell tour winds down, so do the number of chances to scratch the win column in his final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The four-time champion sees opportunities in the seven races that remain, however, even as a bigger goal looms.

Gordon took his rightful place among the 12 title-eligible Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Tuesday, just days before the three-race Contender Round kicks off with this Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 (7 p.m. ET, NBC, PRN, SiriusXM). A victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend would provide a bookend for his career at the site of his first major-league triumph, back in 1994.

With 29 races in the books, Gordon is facing down the prospect of a winless final season, but he said a title ring for the thumb would be the ultimate trump card.

“I mean, I’ll be disappointed, but at the same time, I’m a realistic person and we’ve rarely put ourselves in position and had the cars and the team to do that,” Gordon said. “I think certainly Martinsville’s high on my list of opportunities, and I feel like we’ve been able to win there the last several years. I’ve got to make sure I go in there and do my job because I think we’re very capable of winning there.

“To me, the championship overrides that, and even if we don’t win a race and win the championship, that’ll supersede the win.”

Gordon qualified for the 10-race postseason on the basis of points and advanced through the first three-race series with finishes of 14th (Chicagoland), seventh (New Hampshire) and 12th (Dover). Passing the Challenger Round test mirrored the Hendrick Motorsports No. 24 team’s steady effort from the regular season, when Gordon placed in the top 10 in half of the 26 races.

With the points re-racked for the next round, Gordon said having equal footing in the standings makes the championship race a new day for all 12 finalists, icing on the season-ending cake.

“I feel like it’s all bonus from here on out,” Gordon said. “We haven’t had the best year, but we’ve done a great job at fighting and overcoming things and here we are with having — up to the Chase — not a very great performance, and yet we’re in the Chase. And I think we showed in Chicago that we’ve improved our mile-and-a-half program. Let’s hope that continues these next two weeks, but it’s full-on reset.

“We came into this thing very far behind in bonus points and now we’re on an even playing field as far as points are concerned. You’ve got to just play to your strengths, and I think our strengths are that we’re very consistent, we’ve got a lot of fight in us, and we’ve had to fight through a lot of things this year, so we’re very experienced at that.”

Gordon exited the title hunt last year in the Eliminator Round, the final three-race series before the championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Though the current Chase format is only in its second year, Gordon said the pressure “only intensifies from here” as the season winds down.

One team that has risen in close correlation with the stress levels has been the Stewart-Haas Racing No. 4 outfit helmed by defending series champion Kevin Harvick, who converted a must-win situation last weekend at Dover to keep his repeat hopes alive. Though Gordon said the focus remains in-house for the No. 24 bunch for the time being, it’s been hard to ignore the accomplishments from Harvick & Co.

“We’re in a category right now where it’s really just focus on how we get ourselves to Homestead and then see who we need to worry about, but the first step is just that,” Gordon said. “But I will say consistently every weekend, he’s at the top of board, he’s the guy that I think everybody’s measuring themselves off of, but in all honesty I think he’s in a whole ‘nother category right now.”

Posted on by Zack Albert

RELATED: NASCAR official release

NASCAR issued P2-level penalties to Furniture Row Racing‘s No. 78 Chevrolet team for infractions found during last weekend’s Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway.
 
NASCAR officials confirmed the punishment Wednesday, saying that first-year crew chief Cole Pearn has been placed on probation until the end of the year. The P2 penalty was decided after a further review of the violation this week at the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, North Carolina.
 
The No. 78 entry for Martin Truex Jr. was removed from the starting grid shortly before the green flag fell on Sunday’s AAA 400. NASCAR officials discovered issues with a flared wheel opening in pre-race ceremonies, and the team was required to fix the infraction in the Sprint Cup garage.
 
“I didn’t even see it, actually,” Truex said of the last-minute repairs. “I was at driver intros and Marty Snider from NBC was like, ‘Hey, your car’s not out here.’ I looked at (Ryan) Newman, he’s like, ‘Yeah, I just walked by it coming out here.’ Then I saw on TV that it was back in the garage. I was like, ‘Well, that’s not good.’ It actually wasn’t as bad as you’d think. I felt really good about the race car we had going into the race. I obviously felt really good about Dover; I always do. Something about that track just gives me a lot of confidence, and they’re like, ‘We’ve got to go to the rear.’ I’m like, ‘No worries, we’ll be fine.’
 
“If anything it made me more focused. I was kind of mad about it for a minute, and then I was like, you know what you’ve got to do, just go do it, and we did it, so it was good.”
 
Truex was forced to start at the rear of the 43-car field, rallying to finish 11th and secure his spot in the Contender Round, the next three-race series in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup playoffs.

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

RELATED: No. 78 team penalized for infractions at Dover


·       The No. 78 team has been penalized for an infraction that occurred during pre-race inspection on Oct. 4. This is a P2 level penalty (Sections 12.1; 20.4b; 20.4.2a; 12.5.3.2.2). Crew chief Cole Pearn has been placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31, 2015. 

Posted on by Official NASCAR Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (October 7, 2015) — Twenty-two drivers have three days to compete for a spot in the motorsport industry’s top driver development program, the NASCAR Drive for Diversity (D4D), set to commence at Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va., Oct. 19-21, 2015.



Now in its 12th year, the annual Combine invites promising ethnically diverse and female drivers, ages 14 to 26, from across North America to test their skills over a three-day period in order to identify members of the NASCAR D4D Class of 2016.



“Finding and developing diverse athletes who will represent the future of NASCAR is at the core of our organization’s mission,” said NASCAR Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Jim Cassidy. “Every year, the bar is raised with talented applicants who have the potential and determination to succeed. We’re proud to watch our graduates in the national series and develop more diverse talent to join them in the years to come.”



In partnership with Rev Racing, the Max Siegel-owned race team, D4D offers racing opportunities in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (NKPSE) and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (NWAAS) for one full season, providing drivers with equipment, mentoring, and competition experience.



“We could not be more excited about this year’s NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine to select the 2016 Class of Rev Racing drivers,” said team CEO Max Siegel. “Coming off of our sixth consecutive multiple race winning season, we are focused on continuing to make our program and approach world class, as we prepare these young drivers to advance into the national series.”



The NASCAR D4D Combine has proven successful in identifying and developing future stars of the sport. Current D4D member Collin Cabre secured Rev Racing’s second win of 2015 with a victory at the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season finale at Dover International Speedway. In addition, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Larson and NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers Darrell Wallace Jr. and Daniel Suárez, leaders in the series’ Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings, are among the graduates of the program.



This year’s athletes include 13 women, notably the youngest combine participant ever at 14 years old, Macy Causey. Also participating are four stars from the NASCAR Mexico Series: Abraham Calderón, Enrique Contreras, Rubén García Jr. and Santiago Tovar.



Returning to defend their spots in the program are current NASCAR Whelen All-American Series drivers Dylan Smith and Natalie Decker.



Driver combine participants will be evaluated on their driving skills and will also be tested on a series of strength and agility exercises at Hampton University.



Fans can follow the Combine on Twitter at @NASCARDiversity and @RevRacing.

Below are invitees to the 12th annual NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine: 


First Name

Last Name

Age

City

State/Country

Hannah

Adair

21

Tulsa

Okla.

Jairo

Avila

20

Alhambra

Calif.

Kayli

Barker

18

Las Vegas

Nev.

Nicole

Behar

17

Otis Orchards

Wash.

Abraham

Calderon

26

Monterrey

Mexico

Macy

Causey

14

Yorktown

Va.

Enrique

Contreras

22

San Antonio

Texas

Madeline

Crane

17

Meansville

Ga.

Claire

Decker

20

Eagle River

Wis.

Natalie

Decker

18

Eagle River

Wis.

Juan

Garcia

17

Bogota

Colombia

Ruben

Garcia Jr.

19

Mexico City

Mexico

Ali

Kern

22

Fremont

Ohio

Enrique

Limon

17

Mexico City

Mexico

Mariah

McGriff

20

Vail

Ariz.

Becca

Monopoli

26

Lakeland

Fla.

Erika

Newcome

20

Pickerington

Ohio

Hannah

Newhouse

18

Twin Falls

Idaho

Vanessa

Robinson

25

Las Cruces

N.M.

Dylan

Smith

23

Concord

N.C.

Walter

Thomas

16

Indianapolis

Ind.

Santiago

Tovar

22

Mexico City

Mexico


In addition to drivers, NASCAR Drive for Diversity has successfully identified and developed pit crew members to find employment opportunities within the sport. The NASCAR Drive for Diversity Pit Crew Challenge Tour will host its final Combine of the year at the NASCAR Research and Development Center on October 9, 2015 in Concord, North Carolina.

Posted on by

Editor’s note: During each week of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, The Joey Logano Foundation will provide grants to a non-profit in each of the race markets in a program called “Chasing Second Chances.” Each week, Logano will detail those plans for NASCAR.com.

 

Thanks for your support this week! It wasn’t the finish we wanted, but we made it to the Contender Round and one step closer to the goal! The 22 team will keep pushing forward and focus on finishing strong this week in Charlotte.

 

This Week’s Cause: Domestic Violence

 

There are many causes in October worth mentioning. One of the most visible symbols of the month is pink ribbons for breast cancer awareness. While I think that is an outstanding cause, I wanted to look at an issue that may not get as much attention.

 

For the month of October, Chasing Second Chances is going to bring awareness to domestic violence. Domestic violence affects entire communities. The individual being abused, family, friends and co-workers all feel the reach of domestic violence.   

 

We have worked with various non-profits in this field getting ready for this platform to launch and I have really learned a lot about the difficulty in identifying and helping someone in this situation. My hope is if there is someone reading this that is in an abusive relationship or suspects someone they know is in one, they will have the strength and resources to find and/or offer help.

 

What is Domestic Violence?

 

According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV)…

 

Domestic violence is the willful intimidation, physical assault, battery, sexual assault, and/or other abusive behavior as part of a systematic pattern of power and control perpetrated by one intimate partner against another. It includes physical violence, sexual violence, psychological violence, and emotional abuse. The frequency and severity of domestic violence can vary dramatically; however, the one constant component of domestic violence is one partner’s consistent efforts to maintain power and control over the other.

 

The issue of domestic violence is one that affects every community in our country. According to NCADV nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by a partner in the United States. That is equal to 10 million men and women a year. Of these cases, approximately 95 percent are female victims of male partners. Domestic violence can result in physical injury, psychological trauma and even death.

 

Resources Available

 

If you or someone you know needs assistance, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) or, online go to DomesticShelters.org. There you can find resources in your direct area.

 

The National Coalition Against Domestic Violence website has a lot of information too under resources that can offer help.

 

This Week’s Joey Logano Foundation Chasing Second Chances Partner

 

This week’s charity partner is Dove’s Nest. Dove’s Nest is the women’s program at the Charlotte Rescue Mission, a non-profit in the Charlotte community that has been changing lives for 75 years.

 

In 1992 Charlotte Rescue Mission launched the Dove’s Nest program. The program started in a small house serving 12 women and has now grown to a 120-bed facility able to house women and their children as they go through the recovery process.

The focus of Dove’s Nest is to serve women struggling with addiction, poverty or hopelessness with the goal of returning them to society as productive, self-sufficient citizens. They want their clients to achieve long-term sobriety, find employment and stable housing, and restore and build healthy relationships. Over 90 percent of the women who come to Dove’s Nest have experienced some sort of abuse that has led to their addiction.

Our foundation will be funding the Nurturing Families program at Dove’s Nest. This program includes curriculum and classes used to teach these women and their children how to have healthy relationships since addiction often means for these kids, there has been abuse or neglect at home.

 

Again, the effects of domestic violence have far reaching consequences. Drug addiction can be one. Dove’s Nest has proven to be successful in providing quality care assisting these women to end their addictions and deal with the trauma that led them down the wrong path. We are so proud to support another amazing organization through our Chasing Second Chances platform. For more information on Dove’s Nest, please visit http://charlotterescuemission.org/.