RALEIGH, N.C., July 16, 2015 – Passage Home and J.D. Lewis Multi-Purpose Center have announced a free invitation to all Raleigh nonprofits. Any nonprofits trying to make Raleigh stronger are invited to set up a booth and share their missions at the August 1 “Building a Stronger Raleigh Together” Family Festival at Broughton High School.

Raleigh is growing rapidly, but so is poverty. More than 70,000 Raleigh residents are currently living in poverty. To help strengthen the city for everyone, “Building a Stronger Raleigh Together” is challenging the community to come together and show their support of breaking the cycle of poverty in Raleigh. Any interested nonprofits are required to bring their own table, chairs and promotional materials to the festival. The deadline to submit interest is July 24. Contact Katie Brown at Angel Oak Creative for more details at Katie@angeloakcreative.com.

“Building a Stronger Raleigh Together” has one request and one challenge for exhibiting nonprofits in return for the free promotion in front of 2,000 citizens. We ask that you help spread the word and promote the festival by engaging with StrongerRaleigh on social media. We challenge each organization interested in setting up a booth to sell a minimum of twenty tickets to all contacts and co-workers. The more people who show up, the more widespread the education that can be provided about our community’s most pressing needs. And the organization that sells the highest number of tickets will be recognized during half time at the All-Star game.

The Family Festival is free from 1:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. and will be overflowing with activities for everyone. Interactive Playgrounds will provide inflatable attractions, a rock climbing wall, yard games and some other surprises. Balloon animals and face painting will be provided by Magic By David. There will also be a rallying of food trucks, including Will & Pop’s, Snowie of NC, and Rogue Tako. All of these activities will pave the way for an All-Star Exhibition Basketball game featuring high-profile former and current NBA players, all with local ties.

For more information, visit www.strongerraleigh.com.

QUOTES:

“Strengthening Raleigh invites all non-profits to participate in our Family Fun-Fest to share their resources in service to our community,” said Jeanne Tedrow, CEO of Passage Home. “Join us by sharing information about what you do to help strengthen Raleigh! Collaborating for good and increasing impact is our shared vision. In that spirit, let us know if you would like to have a table or booth on August 1st at Broughton – it’s all about collaboration!!”

DETAILS:

- Passage Home’s mission statement is to break the cycle of poverty for the communities we serve in Wake County. We do this by connecting families and neighborhoods to resources and opportunities. We prepare people to receive their blessings. By staying true to our values and focus, we continue to lead the charge on poverty in Wake County.

- The mission of the J.D. Lewis Multi-Purpose Center is to service and impact youth through enhanced educational opportunities designed to create a positive leisure, cultural and educational experience that enhances the quality of life.

NEW MEDIA CONTENT:

www.strongerraleigh.com

Building a Stronger Raleigh Together Facebook page:

www.facebook.com/strongerraleigh

Building a Stronger Raleigh Together Twitter feed:

www.twitter.com/strongerraleigh

Passage Home Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/passagehome

Passage Home Twitter feed:

https://twitter.com/PassageHome

J.D. Lewis Multi-Purpose Center Facebook page:

http://on.fb.me/1NLeV8d

J.D. Lewis Multi-Purpose Center Twitter feed:

https://twitter.com/JDLewisCenter

ABOUT PASSAGE HOME:

Passage Home is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community action agency headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1991, the organization fights poverty and homelessness in Wake County by developing people and places, and strengthening communities. Through its network of local corporations, congregations and community organizations, Passage Home focuses on two core services: family self-sufficiency (people) and economic development (places). The nonprofit also strives to improve the community it serves through giving program participants a hand up, not a handout. Passage Home relies on 29 full-time employees, 10 part-time employees and more than 500 volunteers to make its vision a success. For more information, visit http://passagehome.org.

ABOUT THE J.D. LEWIS MULTI-PURPOSE CENTER:

The J.D. Lewis Multipurpose Center was established in 2004 in order to bring the Raleigh community together with programs, activities and life experiences. The programs at the center are designed in order to create a positive legal, cultural and educational experience that enhances the quality of life for those in the area. For more information, visit http://jd-lewis-center.com/.

ABOUT “BUILDING A STRONGER RALEIGH TOGETHER”

Passage Home, the JD Lewis Center and its nonprofit, The B.A.G.S. Foundation are working together along with VIP Community Ambassadors to build a stronger Raleigh. It is a movement spanning five months and three events with a focus on breaking the cycle of poverty in Southeast Raleigh and a fundraising goal of $250,000. The movement is in its inaugural year with the goal of uniting more and more nonprofits together each year as they work to build a stronger Raleigh together. These funds will allow Passage Home, the JD Lewis Center and its nonprofit, the B.A.G.S Foundation to increase their combined impact by 775 homeless and low-income families and individuals. Together they can impact 11,899 people.

(end)