SALISBURY, N.C. (WBTV) – From Partners In Learning: Partners In Learning celebrates Giving Tuesday and pledges to continue its impact in the community. Providing high-quality inclusive early education to all children is the core foundation of our organization.

Founded in 1996, founders like Dr. Shirley Ritchie recognized the need for inclusive early education services for children with special needs in Rowan County.

Partners In Learning was created to provide families and children with safe, welcoming, and supportive early education and care. One of the critical aspects of inclusion involves immersion in the community. It is essential to the children we serve to be active in our community and have the opportunity to experience all that Rowan County has to offer.

After 25 years of service to Rowan County at our founding location, Partners In Learning is expanding and moving to a new location on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Avenue. With the community’s help and very generous donors, we have launched our Partnering For Our Future campaign to raise $8 million.

This Giving Tuesday, Partners In Learning invites the community to take part in the giving movement. Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving that harnesses the collective power of individuals, communities, and organizations, to encourage philanthropy and to celebrate generosity worldwide. Following Thanksgiving and the widely recognized shopping events, Black Friday and Cyber Monday, this year’s Giving Tuesday will take place on November 30, and kick-off the giving season by inspiring people to collaborate and give back.

This year’s goal for Giving Tuesday is to raise $5000 to fund our educational supply room. Our educational supply room provides, teachers, students, and families with supplies needed to meet children’s academic and adaptive needs. Partners In Learning is a community impact organization. One of the many ways we impact our local community is through Family Support that we offer at Partners In Learning and throughout our county and surrounding counties. Funding helps us provide family support events where children with special needs can gather together and have much-needed support.

Tonya Correll, the family support specialist, says, “This also allows them to feel less of the stigma they often encounter when out in the community individually with their children. There is strength in numbers. These events help families with a child with a new diagnosis learned from other parents who might have a child with that same diagnosis they have been living with for years. Families of children with special needs often can feel isolated, by providing a network of support, we help them to make lifelong friendships.”

Cassie Karriker, our early intervention director, supports accommodations within our classrooms to insure every child receives and inclusive educational experience. “As a part of the inclusive classroom we have to have adaptive materials and equipment in the classroom to support all children. Whether that is chiars, spoons, stools, visuals, cups, weighted vests, or any other adaptation that is needed to insure that a child has every opportunity to be successful. Without the funding for these materials, we would have to depend on families to provide the modifications needed. In addition, families of children with special needs already have to pay for different therapies and support their children may need. Partners takes away that stress for our families,” Karriker said.

“The community’s generosity has blessed our community impact organization. Giving Tuesday is another opportunity for our donors to support us and those who have not given in the past to help make a difference during this season of giving. There is no magic amount; every dollar counts,” said Executive Director Norma Honeycutt.

Those interested in joining Partners In Learning’s Giving Tuesday initiative can visit www.epartnersinlearning.org or text PILFUTURE@844-952-4348.