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Two wonderful organizations based right here in Rutherford County - Leadership Rutherford and Mosaic Hope - are coming together the second weekend in April for two unique events you will not want to miss.
Perhaps you have heard of Leadership Rutherford, or have even been a participant yourself. Some twenty-five years ago, various leaders from around our county came together to form the first cohort, and for two and a half decades now, Leadership Rutherford has been fulfilling its mission: To create an annual program that identifies, engages, and empowers diverse community leaders to use their skills and energy in service to benefit Rutherford County, North Carolina.
Each August, a new class begins its journey through a 10-month program in which participants meet monthly to get a "behind-the-scenes" look into the inner-workings of day-to-day life in Rutherford County. From "Government Day," to "Economic Development Day," - to many more! - the Leadership Rutherford cohort discovers the leadership challenges facing our county, and the opportunities to help shape our county's future.
Further, in a concerted effort to 'shape our county's future,' every year Leadership Rutherford chooses a project to help make our community a better place to live. This year, the class of 2025 has chosen to partner a local non-profit organization called Mosaic Hope. What began a few years ago as the vision of Executive Director Emily Wood, Mosaic Hope exists to "equip and mobilize the community to wrap around children, families, and social workers in the foster care system with immediate assistance, ongoing support, and accessible resources." (www.MosaicHope.org)
If you've ever taken up the task of being involved with the foster care system in any capacity, you know the challenges foster families - and especially the children themselves - face on a day-to-day basis. Here in Rutherford County, there are simply not enough families to care for the children in need. The turnover rate for social workers is high, and the DSS worker who do continue to stay and work are overwhelmed. Children and teens often enter foster care with few or no belongings.
While our Leadership Rutherford class couldn't begin to address all these issues affecting local foster families, we're bold enough to believe we can make a dent...and that is where you, dear reader, become part of our class's story. In an effort to support foster families who receive that "moment's notice" phone call - yet themselves do not have immediate adequate resources to care properly for these children - our Leadership Rutherford class of 2025's audacious goal is to raise $50,000. In partnering to fund this project, Mosaic Hope plans to build a "foster closet" - a building large enough to house the donations they receive from our community... donations which are now limited in scope to a modest space donated by a local church. Additionally, part of the new space would serve as a boutique area where children and teens - again, who have often come into foster care with little more than the clothes on their back - can, with dignity, "shop" (for free) for a few items they can call their own.
How can you be involved in this effort? A weekend of events Friday, April 11 and Saturday, April 12 provides a wonderful opportunity. An Art Gallery will be on display the afternoon of Friday, April 11, from 3-8pm in the Isothermal Community College (ICC) gymnasium (286 ICC Loop Road). This event - organized by our wonderful 11th graders in Leadership Rutherford - features artwork produced by students from some 16 different schools around Rutherford County. All the artwork - some of the pieces incredibly impressive - have been created and donated specifically for this event, and all proceeds go to help raise money toward our $50,000 goal for Mosaic Hope's foster closet.
Consider also joining us Saturday, April 12, for an event we're calling Mosaic Masquerade. The black-tie event, graciously hosted at Creekside Farms in Bostic (368 Robinson Creek Road), will feature an evening which includes a cocktail reception, dinner, dancing, a silent auction, and a cork-pull. You'll hear from guest speakers, including the founders of Mosaic Hope, and in the end we're sure you will be as eager to support the work they are doing in our community as we are in Leadership Rutherford. While our corporate sponsorship deadline for this event has recently passed, individual tickets are still available for this event at $75 per person.
To secure your tickets, to donate to a wonderful cause in absentia, or to learn more about this event, search "Mosaic Masquerade" on Facebook, or email our board at leadershiprutherfordnc@gmail.com.
Thank you - ahead of time - for joining us for a weekend of marquee events. Through the wonderful kindness of business partners, every single dime raised will go directly to helping children and families, making our community a better place. On behalf of Leadership Rutherford and Mosaic Hope, we are thankful. Your partnership matters.
