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© PCG Inc. <strong>2019</strong>
contents<br />
TA B L E O F<br />
The Love Edition 1st Quarter <strong>2019</strong><br />
20<br />
40<br />
24<br />
FEATURES<br />
ISN’T IT ROMANTIC?<br />
20 Dimple Ajmara and Dr. Vaibhav Bajaj .<br />
by Tracy Morgan<br />
TEAM BERHAN<br />
24 Dreams<br />
by Berhan Nebioglu<br />
26 Vintage classics at Magnolia Emporium<br />
by Kathy Buckley<br />
33 Celebrating Charlotte Fashion Week<br />
by Kathy Buckley<br />
ON THE COVER<br />
Friends at Magnolia Emporium<br />
by Gerin Choiniere<br />
D E PARTM ENTS<br />
STYLE FILE<br />
40 Twinkle, twinkle, fashion star!<br />
by Hade E. Robinson, Jr.<br />
MIND, BODY & SOUL<br />
46 I am the skunk in Pepe Le Pew<br />
by Rev. Tony Marciano<br />
GREAT GETAWAY<br />
48 The horses on Shackleford Banks<br />
by Jessica Annunziata<br />
GIVING BACK<br />
52 Javesca feeds the hungry<br />
by Jessica Annunziata<br />
54 From Allegro Foundation parents<br />
56 Above & Beyond aids mission trips<br />
by Sherri K. Johnson<br />
IN THE CITY<br />
60 Charlotte’s 250th birthday<br />
by Michael Smith<br />
IN EVERY ISSUE<br />
10 credits<br />
12 editor’s letter<br />
14 contributors<br />
Look inside for the contest and to enter to win!<br />
8 | C H A R LOT TE L I VI NG
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PUBLISHER/EDITOR IN CHIEF<br />
CREATIVE DIRECTOR<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
GRAPHIC DESIGNER<br />
GRAPHIC PRODUCTION<br />
FOOD EDITOR<br />
Kathy Buckley<br />
Glen Williamson<br />
Gerin Choiniere<br />
Bill Lands<br />
Spectrum Creative Graphics<br />
Heidi Billotto<br />
CONTRIBUTORS Jessica Annunziata<br />
Heidi Billotto<br />
Daniel Coston<br />
Sherri K. Johnson<br />
Jim McGuire<br />
Rev. Tony Marciano<br />
Tracy Morgan<br />
Berhan Nebioglu<br />
Hade E. Robinson, Jr.<br />
Tracy Sanchez<br />
Michael Smith<br />
PROJECT CONSULTANT Professional Consultant Group, Inc.<br />
DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Mark Vita<br />
Visit charlottelivingmagazine.com and join our email list for updates and information.<br />
Follow us on Facebook @Charlotte Living, twitter @CLTLivingMag or<br />
Instagram @charlottelivingmagazine.<br />
For advertising information please call Kathy Buckley at 704.641.2132 or email<br />
kathy@charlottelivingmagazine.com.<br />
CHARLOTTE LIVING magazine is published quarterly by Charlotte Living<br />
Magazine, LLC, 3739 Havenwood Road, Charlotte, NC 28205.<br />
All contents copyright 2018 by Charlotte Living Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved.<br />
Reproduction in part or in whole without written permission from the publisher<br />
is strictly prohibited. Manuscripts, artwork, photographs, inquiries, and submitted<br />
materials are welcomed and will be returned only if accompanied by a stamped,<br />
self-addressed envelope. However, CHARLOTTE LIVING cannot be responsible for<br />
unsolicited material. All materials received will be treated as intended for<br />
publication and will become the property of the magazine and subject to editing.<br />
Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of Charlotte Living Magazine,<br />
LLC or its employees.<br />
10 | C HAR LOT TE L I VI NG
FROM THE EDITOR<br />
Let Love Keep You Warm<br />
<strong>Winter</strong> is that time of year when the bitter cold can chill you to the bone,<br />
no matter how many layers of warm clothing you have on. The brisk air<br />
whispers the hope of a beautiful snow to children of all ages, and we are<br />
filled with anticipation. I try to control my excitement when the weather<br />
reports show an epic snowstorm is headed our way, only to dwindle to a<br />
dusting as it passes us by.<br />
Charlotte’s weather is constantly changing from rainy and bleak to warm<br />
and sunny, often in the same week. The seasons are usually mild here, but<br />
freezing temperatures will come; and it is a perfect time to snuggle up with<br />
someone you love, whether dog, cat or person. Hugging will keep you warm.<br />
We celebrate love in this issue of Charlotte Living and hope the stories will<br />
warm your heart. The wedding of Charlotte city council member at-large<br />
Dimple Ajmera and Dr. Vaibhav Bajaj was incredibly magical, and it is our<br />
privilege to share the colorful ceremony with you. You may remember when<br />
Dr.Bajaj proposed to his bride-to-be on one knee at the end of a city council<br />
meeting. Now that was romantic!<br />
Romance is in the air when couples dress up in their finest attire and go out<br />
together. Berhan Nebioglu and her models bring exquisite vintage classics<br />
and the latest party dresses to make every occasion special. We are delighted to have Team Berhan<br />
from Charlotte Fashion Week create amazing pictures for our photographer Gerin Choiniere to<br />
capture. I know you will enjoy them.<br />
Love is so much more than romance. We love our friends and families immeasurably. Animals tug at<br />
our heart strings; and who doesn’t love horses? The mighty horses that run on Shackleford Banks of<br />
the Crystal Coast are a glorious sight to behold, so relax and take a trip to the outer banks as you peruse<br />
these pages.<br />
There is a deep sense of love that can only be experienced by helping others. We are thankful for all<br />
the compassionte people who care about our community and give back because they love. Loving God<br />
and loving people will keep you warm from the inside out.<br />
Kathy Buckley, Editor in Chief<br />
12 | C HAR LOT TE L I VI NG
F I N E C A B I N E T R Y & I N T E R I O R S<br />
(704) 375-8322 • www.bistanydesign.com<br />
601 South Cedar Street • Suite 205C • Charlotte, NC 28202
CHARLOTTE LIVING CONTRIBUTORS<br />
JESSICA ANNUNZIATA is a former restaurateur with<br />
20 years in hospitality. Always a consummate storyteller,<br />
she has decided to follow her true passions: travel and<br />
writing with her new venture, Eat Sip Wander LLC, a food<br />
& beverage tourism company. Jess is a serious lover of<br />
Champagne, music, books, and finding undiscovered far<br />
off places.<br />
HEIDI BILLOTTO writes about food and restaurants in<br />
Charlotte, teaches cooking classes and has a successful<br />
catering business. Heidi is married to guitarist and vocalist,<br />
Tom Billotto. The two often work together providing<br />
“food and mood” at parties and events. Be sure to check<br />
out Heidi's blog at HeidiBillottoFood.com.<br />
RICHARD PATTISON is a founding partner of Taylor<br />
Richards & Conger and has been a student of men’s<br />
clothing for nearly four decades. With his business associates,<br />
he has created a nationally recognized men’s<br />
store that has consistently achieved Esquire Magazine’s<br />
coveted Gold Standard Award of Excellence.<br />
CASS BRADLEY is a commercial/editorial portrait and<br />
wedding photographer with clients across the US and<br />
internationally. She has been published in many magazines,<br />
including Southpark Magazine, Carolina Bride and<br />
Grace Ormond Wedding Style. Cass spent 17 years in the<br />
corporate world and made the decision to leave it nine<br />
years ago to open her studio, BlueSky Photo Artists, and<br />
hasn’t looked back.<br />
HADE ROBINSON, JR. a.k.a. Carolina Style Guy on<br />
WCNC/NBC’s Charlotte Today is Personal Stylist & Sales<br />
Manager at Nordstrom SouthPark. He serves on the<br />
Board of Advisors to the International Fashion Style<br />
Academy and is a Certified Judge with the Miss America<br />
Organization. Hade is well known for his style expertise<br />
and hosts fashion shows and events in the city.s<br />
MATTHEW PAUL BROWN is Managing Partner |<br />
Founder of Reside Realty. Matthew likes to say his<br />
company is about relationships. “Giving back is our<br />
greatest gift,” says Matthew, and he centers his articles<br />
around the Charlotte community, philanthropy,<br />
travel and home.<br />
TRACY SANCHEZ is a creative, artist, and visionary; and<br />
fashion styling is second nature. After spending 20 years<br />
in the corporate real estate industry, she decided to follow<br />
her heart and start a career in styling. Tracy puts a fresh<br />
yet classic twist on fashion, pulling inspiration from ’70s<br />
icons and current fashion leaders. She has extensive<br />
experience with styling weddings, commercials, fashion<br />
shoots, personal styling, and shopping.<br />
SHERRI K. JOHNSON is a seasoned PR pro, content<br />
strategist and self-proclaimed word nerd. Her 25 years<br />
of public relations experience combined with a love of<br />
writing form the foundation of her business, The<br />
Content Shop. In her free time, she enjoys adventure<br />
travel which has kick-started her next career as a travel<br />
writer. She is a big fan of the em dash and Oxford<br />
comma enthusiast.<br />
MICHAEL SMITH is President and CEO of Charlotte Center<br />
City Partners, which facilitates and promotes the cultural<br />
and economic development of the Charlotte region’s<br />
urban core. His background blends corporate and nonprofit<br />
experience.<br />
REVEREND TONY MARCIANO is the Executive Director<br />
of the Charlotte Rescue Mission (CRM). Located in the<br />
shadow of Bank of America stadium, CRM provides free<br />
Christian residential recovery programs for people struggling<br />
with addiction, poverty and hopelessness. He is also<br />
available able to speak to your group.<br />
DEBORAH WILLIAMS is the owner and president of<br />
Professional Consultant Group Inc., serving clients in<br />
hospitality, transportation, aviation, food, wine, packaging,<br />
real estate, media, health & beauty, fashion, and<br />
multiple medical specialties since 1994. Her love of<br />
marketing, media and helping others achieve their goals<br />
is the passion that drives her company. She lives in<br />
Charlotte with her husband, J.D.<br />
14 | C HAR LOT TE L I VI NG
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TRADITIONS TO TREASURE<br />
Council Member At Large Dimple Ajmera Weds Dr. Vaibhav Bajaj.<br />
TEXT BY TRACY C. MORGAN<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY<br />
BHOWMIK DAVE PHOTOGRAPHY<br />
As a female admittedly over a half-of-a century<br />
old, I have been to my fair share of weddings –<br />
but never Indian. Truly 180 degrees from witnessing<br />
a walk down the aisle to the familiar<br />
Wagner’s “Bridal Chorus,” this ceremony began<br />
as a party in the street, more formally known<br />
as a “Baraat,” or groom’s parade.<br />
It’s also likely I’ll never experience a wedding<br />
as culturally unique. The bride, city council<br />
member at-large Dimple Ajmera and groom,<br />
Dr. Vaibhav Bajaj, wanted a “traditionally<br />
untraditional” Baraat and Jain ceremony.<br />
The big event took place Sunday morning,<br />
November 4, 2018.<br />
Prior to the meticulous wedding planning<br />
was the proposal. Bajaj set the bar high for<br />
many a groom-to-be. Somewhat shy, the dentist<br />
took the podium at the July 23 Charlotte<br />
City Council meeting. Typical issues such as<br />
ordinances and zoning were not on his agenda.<br />
Bajaj softly spoke into the mic asking Dimple to<br />
be his life partner. The “motion” unanimously<br />
passed and immediately went viral.<br />
In “tradition,” the Baraat was incredibly festive<br />
and colorful – stunning, sustainably<br />
crafted costumes were worn by the bride,<br />
groom, wedding party, family and friends.<br />
Dance and live entertainment were along the<br />
route as the Baraat Parade followed Bajaj and<br />
his groomsmen from the Bank of America<br />
Financial Center to Founders Hall.<br />
“Untraditionally,” the wedding was sustainable<br />
and culturally diverse. The Baraat included<br />
The bride on her chariot – a<br />
sustainable pedicab – leaving<br />
the morning Baraat ceremony<br />
and celebratory luncheon.<br />
Right: Exchanging of the rings.<br />
20 | C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G
TRADITIONS TO TREASURE<br />
an Irish band and African drums. Both guests,<br />
uptown visitors, residents, and, most touching to<br />
me, even the city’s homeless experienced great joy<br />
and danced in the streets of uptown Charlotte. As<br />
an East Charlottean and former District 5 City<br />
Council representative of our most culturally<br />
diverse community, it was the inclusive, sustainable<br />
wedding Dimple and Vaibhav had desired to<br />
fulfill one of their seven vows: “We will live our<br />
lives by high morals and principles, and always<br />
take the justified steps.” ■
The bride and bridesmaids perform a surprise welcoming<br />
dance at the groom’s parade.<br />
Right: Mr. and Mrs., the couple returns for the evening<br />
reception in their third costume, all designed by<br />
renowned, sustainable fashion designer, Premal Badiani.
Dreams<br />
TEXT BY BERHAN NEBIOGLU<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JIM MCGUIRE<br />
Style, grace and creativity keep Berhan Nebioglu in the forefront of Charlotte fashion at age 70.<br />
This elegant and extraordinary fashionista shares her dreams with Charlotte Living.<br />
Each of us has a dream of the things we want to do<br />
in life and the life we want to live. “Team Berhan,”<br />
my ten top models dedicated to fashion, style and<br />
elegance, is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.<br />
Each year during Charlotte Fashion Week, Team<br />
Berhan is part of the show, both training the new<br />
models and walking the runway. It combines my<br />
lifetime passion for style, elegance, dance and<br />
theatrical productions.<br />
I believe that every person has dreams – not the<br />
ones you have in your sleep at night, but those you<br />
have in the daytime when you imagine what the<br />
future will be, or wish it to be. As a young girl I was<br />
filled with dreams. As I grew older, my childhood<br />
dreams became my guides during both happy and<br />
difficult times that have led me to the sense of satisfaction<br />
that comes with seeing your dreams<br />
fulfilled.<br />
I still remember the best thing about my days in<br />
elementary school was the window in my schoolroom,<br />
the one I would stare out every day. Looking<br />
out the window my mind would run free imagining<br />
I was in the movies, dancing in shows, falling in love<br />
with someone like Troy Donahue or Rock Hudson,<br />
dressing like Audrey Hepburn in style with the most<br />
sophisticated outfits, beautiful jewelry, purse, shoes<br />
to match and a hat. My teacher would call my name,<br />
but I heard nothing but the music and images of my<br />
imagination.<br />
My teachers wanted me to concentrate on the lessons<br />
and instruction, but the fantasies I saw while<br />
looking out the window were much more real than<br />
the blackboard. They called to me in a stronger voice,<br />
and held me in rapt attention, while my teacher<br />
seemed a distant distraction.<br />
In high school, dance and theater were my two<br />
favorite subjects, but I struggled through math, as<br />
numbers remained an unfathomable mystery to<br />
me. I spent hours looking through Vogue and other<br />
fashion magazines, less focused on the name of the<br />
designers than the fashions themselves. My father<br />
was an architect, and I think his love of art and<br />
design had rubbed off on me, as I loved things visual<br />
– paintings, dance, and theater.<br />
My dreams began to come true after I moved to<br />
Charlotte in my late twenties. With two children to<br />
raise, I made the time to become involved in art,<br />
dance and fashion, squeezing classes into my<br />
already packed schedule. I secured a job at Barbizon<br />
Modeling School, and through my studies and passion<br />
for dance began to meet people in the Charlotte<br />
art, design and fashion scene, which was a small<br />
24 | CHAR LOT TE L I V I NG
community in the 1970s. The top group of models at<br />
that time were called Manikins, the top photographer<br />
was Ron Chapple, and disco fashion shows<br />
were all the rage sponsored by local stores like Taylor,<br />
Richards & Conger and Coplon’s.<br />
I wanted to become a part of the emerging artistic<br />
scene and community in Charlotte. Although my<br />
background in dance was ballet, I found it provided<br />
me with the foundation for quickly picking up and<br />
learning other dance forms; and I began to teach<br />
dance – disco, country, belly and ballroom at Spirit<br />
Square, which continued for 15 years. My interest in<br />
dance was matched by my interest in theater, and<br />
combining the two I began to produce theatrical<br />
dance productions for various dance clubs in Charlotte.<br />
While I enjoyed working for a small commuter<br />
airline at the airport, I really<br />
wanted something<br />
closer to my field and<br />
ended up opening a small boutique at Latta Arcade,<br />
which migrated over time to Over Street Mall, and<br />
then back to Latta, spanning almost 30 years of<br />
Center City’s evolution from a Ghost Town to a happening<br />
scene.<br />
When I turned 70 in 2017 I wanted to begin a new<br />
chapter in my life. I closed the boutique in Latta, an<br />
emotional moment, but I was looking forward to<br />
many new adventures. While I had been involved in<br />
Charlotte Fashion Week, created by Rita Miles, for<br />
almost four years, I wanted to become more<br />
engaged in the training of young<br />
models who, like me at that age, are full of hopes and<br />
dreams. I saw in them myself at their age, and<br />
wanted to help them achieve their dreams, as they<br />
have much of their lives in front of them. Team<br />
Berhan is the culmination of that effort, to teach the<br />
teachers who can carry on the traditions and pass<br />
the knowledge that builds self-confidence within<br />
young girls. In the end you realize that life is not only<br />
about your fulfilling your owns dreams but helping<br />
others achieve theirs.<br />
After 40 years of being in love with my life long<br />
partner, I have a special dream to fulfill in<br />
<strong>2019</strong> – a candlelight dinner overlooking<br />
the bay in Porto Fino! My father always<br />
said that life is a stage; you enter, you<br />
perform, and then you exit. My dream<br />
is I will be dancing<br />
off the stage.<br />
Team Berhan
TIMELESS TRADITIONS<br />
VintageElegance<br />
Transcends Time<br />
arin<br />
26 | C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G
TIMELESS TRADITIONS<br />
FASHION STYLING BY BERHAN NEBIOGLU<br />
TEXT BY KATHY BUCKLEY<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GERIN CHOINIERE<br />
LOCATION MAGNOLIA EMPORIUM<br />
ALittleRomance<br />
After all the holiday celebrations with the ones we love,<br />
the cold winter air inspires warm and fuzzy feelings<br />
of nostalgia. Magic happens when we dress up in our<br />
finest and favorite attire to enjoy cherished memories<br />
and bright dreams of the future.<br />
’Tis the season for love, so put on your warm coat and<br />
meet for a little romance or for dinner with friends. It is<br />
always a treat to shop for unique gifts and treasures at<br />
Charlotte’s local gems such as Magnolia Emporium in the<br />
city’s Gold District. Cheers to love in <strong>2019</strong>!<br />
C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G | 27
TIMELESS TRADITIONS<br />
So Pretty in Pink<br />
Claire Woodrow<br />
28 | C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G
TIMELESS TRADITIONS<br />
Impeccable Style<br />
C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G | 29
TIMELESS TRADITIONS<br />
TheShop Around theCorner<br />
Old movies are full of romance, glamour and<br />
sophisticated style. One of my favorites is The<br />
Shop Around the Corner with James Stewart<br />
and Margaret Sullavan. When our friend<br />
Berhan Nebioglu dressed her models in her<br />
own vintage clothing, the little shop around<br />
the corner in the Gold District was the perfect<br />
setting for our fashion shoot.<br />
Charlotte Living would like to thank our gracious<br />
host, Magnolia Emporium owner<br />
Randolph James, who made the day a true<br />
pleasure. Also special thanks to Zenia McCants<br />
for makeup, and Team Berhan, pictured above<br />
left to right: Jarin Simmons, Nicole Matheny,<br />
Fiona Geraghty, Claire Woodrow and Alex<br />
Fernandez. Magnolia Emporium is located at<br />
307 Lincoln Street in Charlotte. Visit magnoliaemporium.com.<br />
30 | C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G
TIMELESS TRADITIONS<br />
Alex Fernandes<br />
C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G | 31
TIMELESS TRADITIONS<br />
Baby,It’s<br />
Cold Outside<br />
32 | C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G
ELEGANT ENTERTAINING<br />
Alex Fernandes, Nicole Matheny, Rob McDowell, Rita Miles, Berhan Nebioglu, Jarin Simmons, Olivia Aldridge and Fiona Geraghty<br />
Celebrating Charlotte FashionWeek<br />
Hostess BerhanNebioglu Delights Guests with a Festive HolidaySoiree<br />
One of the highlights of 2018 for Charlotte Living<br />
was our experience with Charlotte Fashion Week in<br />
September. Fashion contributor and friend, Hade<br />
Robinson Jr., brought us together with Charlotte<br />
Seen/Fashion Week Director Rita Miles to collaborate<br />
on the program, models and future editorial. We<br />
were delighted to have our Fall Fashion issue distributed<br />
at the week’s events and decided to showcase<br />
the top models in this edition of Charlotte Living.<br />
It was my pleasure to serve as a model judge with<br />
Hade and Krystal Batts from Nordstrom, and my<br />
new friends Berhan Nebioglu and Wesley Mancini.<br />
We dressed up for three nights of fashion with cutting<br />
edge designers and models of all ages, sizes and<br />
colors. The models rocked the runway, and I had a<br />
ball laughing and getting to know my fellow judges.<br />
After Fashion Week, I met with Berhan and Hade<br />
to create our upcoming fashion features. We spent<br />
weeks coordinating the details of four different<br />
shoots, but working with real pros makes my job a<br />
breeze. Berhan trains models in the fine art of posing<br />
and walking a runway. Her hands are exquisite in<br />
every movement, and “Team Berhan” knows they<br />
are learning from the best with Berhan as their<br />
teacher. This issue is full of their beautiful pictures.<br />
Berhan is the epitome of elegance, with every<br />
detail from head to toe artfully displayed. She is<br />
petite and gorgeous; and her remarkable style, along<br />
with her bright personality, raise the bar for fashionistas<br />
everywhere. When I asked Berhan where we<br />
could photograph an elegant party with the models,<br />
she kindly offered her Uptown condo for the shoot.<br />
Although it was only October, Berhan had fully<br />
decorated her home in glorious holiday splendor.<br />
What I thought would be a fast and furious photo<br />
shoot with five models turned out to be a fabulous<br />
party with wonderful people, food, music and fun!<br />
When I asked Berhan what clothes the models<br />
would be wearing, she simply said, “mine”. Our dear<br />
and talented friend Zenia McCants joined in the fun<br />
and made up the models to perfection.<br />
The party was elegant, and the beauties from<br />
Team Berhan were exquisite wearing her fabulous<br />
party dresses. The food was scrumptious, the delicious<br />
drinks were age-appropriate, and our friend<br />
Benjamin Rene Clayton treated us with a powerful<br />
rendition of “O Holy Night” before dinner. When it<br />
comes to elegant entertaining, Berhan does it best!<br />
CHAR LOT TE L I V I NG | 33
Jarin Simmons with<br />
Wesley Mancini &<br />
Benjamin Rene Clayton<br />
34 | CHAR LOT TE L I V I NG
ELEGANT ENTERTAINING<br />
An evening of good friends, good food and a lot of fun!<br />
Great food is essential at every party, and Berhan hired private chef Marcus Cuffee to cater a wonderful feast<br />
with hors d’oevres, two kinds of lasagna, salads and desserts that were to die for! Marcus is a graduate of the<br />
Culinary Institute of America and owner of MTC Events. For more information or to book your next event<br />
contact Trevonne Cuffee at www.mtceventsllc.com.<br />
CHARLOTTE LIVING would like to thank our most<br />
gracious hosts, Michael Gallis and Berhan Nebioglu,<br />
for a glorious evening of holiday fun in celebration of<br />
Charlotte Fashion Week. It was by far the most excellent<br />
photo shoot ever, and the companywas sublime.<br />
Special thanks to Zenia McCants for makeup and<br />
Berhan for the models’ dresses, jewelry and fashion<br />
styling.<br />
Thank you to Rita Miles, Rob McDowell, Wesley<br />
Mancini and Benjamin Rene Clayton for joining us.<br />
Charlotte Living is thrilled and grateful to have Team<br />
Berhan make this a special edition to remember.<br />
Thanks to Jarin Simmons of DirectionsUSA, Olivia<br />
Aldridge of Carolina Talent, Fiona Geraghty,<br />
Nicole Matheny and Alex Fernandez.<br />
Pictured at right: Michael Gallis, Fiona Geraghty,<br />
Kathy Buckley, Nicole Matheny and Berhan Nebioglu<br />
CHAR LOT TE L I V I NG | 35
Olivia Aldridge
Fiona Geraghty
ELEGANT ENTERTAINING<br />
And a good time was had by all . . . Cheers to <strong>2019</strong>!<br />
Rob McDowell, Berhan Nebioglu, Wesley Manini and all of the guests enjoyed lively conversations, delightful drinks and a delicious dinner served on a glorious table.<br />
38 | CHAR LOT TE L I V I NG
ELEGANT ENTERTAINING<br />
Nicole Matheny<br />
C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G | 27
STYLE FILE<br />
Twinkle,Twinkle,<br />
FashionStar!<br />
Pictured above: Fiona Rose in Dress the Population dress; Jarin Simmons in ALC<br />
dress & Natasha bag<br />
I<br />
t’s the season to be fashionable, and this year will not disappoint with all the glitter and glitz that makes it all magical.<br />
TEXT BY HADE E. ROBINSON, JR. PHOTOGRAPHY BY GERIN CHOINIERE STYLING BY JUSTIN SMALL & HADE E. ROBINSON, JR.<br />
40 | CHAR LOT TE L I V I NG
STYLE STYLE FILE FILE<br />
Brooke McIntyre<br />
Pictured above: Nicole Matheny in Eliza J dress; Brooke McIntyre in Alice &<br />
Olivia dress & Baublebar jewelry<br />
T<br />
his year’s trends are all about the fabrics – the shine, the texture and appeal which comes across with the excitement of<br />
the holidays at first glance. Bright sequins, silk embroideries, and luxury velvets all fit for the royal debut for both men<br />
and women going out this holiday season.<br />
CHAR LOT TE L I V I NG | 41
STYLE FILE<br />
Pictured at left: Fiona in<br />
Veronica Beard dress &<br />
Eliza J wrap; Jarin in<br />
Alice & Olivia dress &<br />
Baublebar jewelry
STYLE FILE<br />
The rich royal hues of deep reds, fresh blues,<br />
vintage golds and ink blacks will make anyone<br />
fit for the royal court of holiday dressing!<br />
It’s time to pick out your favorite color, be bold with<br />
the design and show the world that you are the<br />
fashion star for the season!
Team B<br />
STYLE FILE<br />
Charlotte Living would like to extend our<br />
heartfelt thanks to Berhan Nebioglu and<br />
Rita Miles/Charlotte Fashion Week for<br />
coordinating the beautiful models and<br />
last minute details for this excellent<br />
fashion photo shoot.<br />
Thank you, Randolph James/Magnolia<br />
Emporium, for your gracious hospitality,<br />
and Craft Tasting Room and Growler for<br />
the location.<br />
Pictured at left: Brooke in Alice &<br />
Olivia/Mali & Lili clutch; Nicole in Dress<br />
The Population dress, Eliza J cover<br />
5 | C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G
STYLE FILE<br />
Styling by Hade E. Robinson, Jr. and Justin<br />
Small, Nordstrom<br />
Make up by Zenia McCants<br />
Hair by Anthony, Paul Mitchell<br />
Model Coodination by Berhan Nebioglu<br />
and Rita Miles/Charlotte Seen<br />
Team Berhan models - Jarin Simmons,<br />
Nicole Matheny, Fiona Rose, Alex Fernandes<br />
and Brooke McIntyre<br />
All clothes, shoes and accessories are available<br />
at Nordstrom<br />
Pictured at right: Jarin in ALC dress,<br />
Baublebar earrings & Natasha bag; Alex in<br />
Brackish & Bell bow tie, Bonobos jacket,<br />
shirt & pants his own.<br />
erhan<br />
C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G | 6
MIND, BODY & SOUL<br />
TEXT BY REV. TONY MARCIANO<br />
Living Well in the Shadow of Life<br />
I am the skunk in the Pepé Le Pew cartoon<br />
Remember Block Buster stores? I was banned by my<br />
family from going there and selecting the Friday<br />
night video. My family was terrified I would select a<br />
romantic comedy.<br />
One time my wife was busy and sent me. I searched<br />
the store for romantic comedies but couldn’t find<br />
one. I selected an action movie. As I got to the cashier,<br />
a clerk asked me if I found everything I wanted, to<br />
which I replied, “No. I couldn’t find any romantic<br />
comedies.” Three women replied, “Oh, you like<br />
romantic comedies.” I could have used that as a line<br />
when I was in college to get a date with a woman.<br />
My wife and I are opposites. I am the romantic<br />
one. She will tell you she doesn’t have a romantic<br />
bone in her body. This past Christmas, she banned all<br />
Hallmark Christmas movies from being watched in<br />
our home. We both agreed they all had the same<br />
plot. Country girl leaves high school boyfriend to go<br />
to big city where corporate boss sends her to work<br />
on a real estate development project that just happens<br />
to be in her home town. She meets her high<br />
school boyfriend. He is a widower who has a daughter.<br />
While working on the project, her big city<br />
boyfriend shows up and proposes. She has to make a<br />
decision. Will she say “yes” to him or break up and<br />
marry her high school sweetheart, leaving her plans<br />
for life in the big city? It is always a one minute into<br />
the last moment of the movie that she embraces and<br />
kisses the high school boyfriend. I could have told<br />
you that would happen from the opening five minutes<br />
of the movie.<br />
I’m the skunk in the Pepé Le Pew cartoon, and she<br />
is like the cat. We are opposites, and it works. Here is<br />
the problem with romance (I was doing well with all<br />
the female readers until now) – when we first meet<br />
someone, it’s all hormones. They race at 200 miles<br />
per hour. Unfortunately (I say that as a romantic at<br />
heart) they diminish, and we get to the hard part of<br />
relationships. It moves love from a feeling to an act<br />
of the will. That is where we choose to love this<br />
person.<br />
There are days when I come home and want to<br />
hug and squeeze my wife. There are other days<br />
where I come home and sing that country music<br />
song, “I know what I was feeling, what was I thinking?”<br />
If I relied on my feelings, I’d probably have been<br />
married 20 times by now.<br />
When I counsel singles who are asking what to verse I mentioned earlier also says, “A wife of noble<br />
look for in a future mate, I reply, first is character and character who can find? She is worth far more than<br />
second is chemistry. It’s similar to good hiring practices.<br />
You hire for character because technical skills lacks nothing of value. She brings him good, not<br />
rubies. Her husband has full confidence in her and<br />
can be taught. Character can’t. If the character isn’t harm, all the days of her life.”<br />
there, the employment will not be a good experience I may not be watching any Hallmark movies<br />
for the employer. I remind dating couples about the around Valentine’s Day this year. That’s ok. I’ve got<br />
scripture that says, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty the real thing. ■<br />
is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be<br />
Rev. Tony Marciano is the President/CEO of the<br />
praised.”<br />
Charlotte Rescue Mission. The Charlotte Rescue<br />
Someone once said, “Love doesn’t always mean<br />
butterflies in your stomach and chasing someone<br />
Mission provides a free long-term Christian recovery<br />
you think is the one.” Sometimes love is what happens<br />
when you know you can trust someone and be drugs and alcohol. For more information, visit our<br />
program for men and women who are addicted to<br />
yourself with them 100% of the time.” The scripture website at www.charlotterescuemission.org<br />
My wife sent me this romantic card.<br />
46 | C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G
GREAT GETAWAYS<br />
TEXT BY JESSICA ANNUNZIATA<br />
I have always had a distinct but distant fascination<br />
with horses despite my minimal exposure. There<br />
has always been a healthy dose of fear that loomed<br />
just under surface; which I can say positively exhilarated<br />
me. Being completely mystified by their<br />
beauty I was magnetically drawn to them and somewhat<br />
repelled by my own fear.<br />
My fondness, began with Laura Ingles’ and her<br />
dexterity whenever she was on a horse. I was mesmerized<br />
by Liz Taylor's agility with her horse Pie in<br />
National Velvet. The ability to train a spirited one<br />
seemed to be such a mysterious feat—an endeavor<br />
so grand that, once accomplished, there hardly<br />
seemed to be any other bond between man and<br />
beast that is so eternal. Growing up as an only child,<br />
I romanticized that notion and secretly yearned for<br />
that particular kind of kinship.<br />
Fast forward; I’ve been instructed to not get too<br />
close to the wild horses we are about to encounter. I<br />
had taken a few hours drive from Charlotte and had<br />
gotten on a ferry, then a pontoon boat and here I am.<br />
48 | C H A R LOTTE L IVI N G<br />
Shackleford Banks is an enigmatic place with nothing<br />
but shoreline and dunes in every direction. As a<br />
New Yorker, to be standing on a desolate island in<br />
the US on a crisp spring morning my thoughts are<br />
running wild with scenarios and unanswered questions.<br />
Who had walked this beach centuries ago?<br />
Why aren’t there more places like this that are protected<br />
under sanctuary status?<br />
Precaution presents itself and the anticipation<br />
builds. We are in the pursuit of wild horses and I feel<br />
brave out of character. Typical? Not exactly. Will they<br />
get too close? Will they hate my accent? Is this really<br />
a good idea for someone like me, to be doing something<br />
like this?<br />
A few minutes of walking past cacti and wild<br />
grasses I am aware of my own meandering contemplations<br />
which are punctuated by the sound of<br />
crashing waves. I am present enough to notice the<br />
sweet salty air and I make a conscious effort to truly<br />
witness the pristine beauty that surrounds me. As I<br />
pan the horizon; I spot them with a jolt. This is the<br />
purpose of today’s outing but my heart begins to<br />
race and I am surprised by their presence.<br />
I felt honored to be here and that this moment is<br />
pertinent to the very juncture I find myself in. I<br />
believe I was experiencing what I know to be a<br />
“kairos moment.” It is an Ancient Greek term for an<br />
instant when the universe is speaking to you<br />
directly. It is a calling to recognize exactly how the<br />
past has prepared you for how you are being ushered<br />
into what is just beyond the now.<br />
Being only a few feet away from these beautiful<br />
creatures in the flesh made my heart soar and I wait<br />
s truly in awe. As we approached, I noticed four<br />
horses all in seated positions. They were a four-point<br />
compass in perfect formation. Each transfixed in<br />
their perspective directions. I felt we were interrupting<br />
something ceremonial and sacred.<br />
Their musculature was clearly defined under<br />
shiny coats of varying hues of golden brown and<br />
deep mahogany. I am also struck by how docile they<br />
seem to be.
GREAT GETAWAYS<br />
They are heirs of perseverance. They are the<br />
descendants of those who had fought and survived.<br />
We share this sameness. We too are the legacy of<br />
those who have pressed on before us. Their physicality<br />
speaks to how they have endured. I watch as each<br />
powerful rise in breath undulates in time with their<br />
physical domain.<br />
Records indicate their ancestors were brought to<br />
North America by European explorers and colonists.<br />
When Christopher Columbus was bringing supplies<br />
to Hispaniola, it was reported these Mustang's<br />
ancestors were aboard his fleet. A galleon ship was<br />
reported to have gone down off the coast of the<br />
Carolinas that was carrying supplies to the New<br />
World. These horses are non-native, but after so<br />
many generations without human contact, they are<br />
once again considered feral. Aside from population<br />
NEARBY CAPE LOOKOUT<br />
C HARLOT TE L I VI NG | 49
GREAT GETAWAYS<br />
NEARBY BEAUFORT WATERFRONT<br />
control by means of darting, there has no outside<br />
interference. Isolated on a ninemile barrier island<br />
between Beaufort Inlet and Cape Lookout, NC, they<br />
have been on Shackleford Banks which is part of the<br />
Crystal Coast, for hundreds of years.<br />
The history of the island begins in the late 1800s.<br />
It was home to a small group of roughly 500 residents<br />
and was a settlement that became known as<br />
Diamond City. It was short-lived and in 1899 a massive<br />
hurricane devastated the island which caused<br />
its then residents to seek refuge and vacate the<br />
town. The final dwellers left by 1902. In 1933,<br />
another major hurricane took siege and opened the<br />
inlet on the eastern edge of Shackleford Banks,<br />
forever separating it from the Core Banks and the<br />
Cape Lookout Lighthouse. The National Park Service<br />
acquired the island in the 1960s as part of the newly<br />
formed Cape Lookout National Seashore. That year<br />
the horses became protected under government<br />
legislation.<br />
50 | C HARLOT TE L I VI NG
GREAT GETAWAYS<br />
NEARBY BEAUFORT WATERFRONT<br />
There is other wildlife also present on the island.<br />
A whole slew of interesting creatures calls<br />
Shackleford Banks home, including ghost crabs, gray<br />
foxes, otters, dolphins, sharks, blue crabs, and migratory<br />
birds. Information aimed at maintaining and<br />
protecting these incredible creatures is vital to limiting<br />
human interference. A wonderful 501(c)(3)<br />
educational and scientific non-for-profit called The<br />
Foundation for Shackleford Horses whose aim is to<br />
protect and preserve their place on the island. You<br />
can find more information about the organization<br />
here: http://equinenonprofits.com/ directory/foundation-for-shackleford-horses.<br />
They believe in<br />
preserving "History on Hooves" as a significant asset<br />
to the culture of Carteret County, as well as our as<br />
our nation as a whole. Once you see wild horses you<br />
will never forget them. I urge you to seek out opportunities<br />
and situations where you are enchanted.<br />
The ancient Greek Philosopher Seneca once said,<br />
"As is a tale so is life. It is not how long it is but how<br />
rich it is that matters." Fill yours with richness at<br />
every turn. ■<br />
C HARLOT TE L I VI NG | 51
GIVING BACK<br />
participate in helping to<br />
feed others while drinking<br />
great coffee. As<br />
increasing numbers of<br />
people desired also to<br />
donate to the mission, the<br />
Bollingers collaborated<br />
the Hungry<br />
with the Manolakis<br />
family and co-founded<br />
Javesca Feeds, creating<br />
a nonprofit that would<br />
TEXT BY JESSICA ANNUNZIATA<br />
expand the capacity to<br />
end hunger and<br />
Have you ever had to wonder where your next meal is<br />
coming from? Every night, there are nearly 630,000<br />
families in North Carolina that do not have enough to<br />
eat; 169,000 of them have no idea where their next<br />
meal is coming from. North Carolina has the 8th highest<br />
rate of food insecurity in the nation. One in four<br />
children in Mecklenburg County is food-insecure.<br />
malnutrition<br />
worldwide and<br />
locally, through individual and corporate<br />
donations and grants.<br />
For each bag of coffee sold, Javesca<br />
Coffee funds four meals.<br />
The reach is extensive. Aid is offered<br />
through partners in a village in the African<br />
This drove a local pastor to embark on his version of<br />
a revolution. The idea took root after years of mission<br />
trips to Guatemala where Pastor Craig and his wife<br />
Marilyn witnessed extreme poverty. The couple<br />
instinctually knew they could makes strides to<br />
change it. The couple always loved a great cup of<br />
coffee, and while in Guatemala they were served the<br />
best and most intensely rich coffee they'd ever had.<br />
The experience was so profound it led Craig to think,<br />
“Why can we not take the daily ritual of drinking<br />
morning coffee and make it the catalyst necessary to<br />
provide meals for those in need?”<br />
The idea was born, and the Bollinger family<br />
founded Javesca Coffee, creating a socially-conscious<br />
business that would make it effortless for people to<br />
country of Burundi. Prior to Javesca Feeds’ assistance<br />
there was a mortality rate from malnutrition of 2-6<br />
children per month under the age of 7. In this village,<br />
infants are no longer expected to die from malnutrition.<br />
Large-scale food distributions and daily school<br />
meals also take place in Guatemala. In February,<br />
they provided 8,200 lbs. of food to nearly 470 families<br />
in four villages.<br />
People are fed locally through Javesca Feed's work<br />
with the Charlotte Dream Center. The organization<br />
exists to provide hope to the hopeless and seriously<br />
impoverished communities of Charlotte. Chef Jim<br />
Noble's The King's Kitchen restaurant is on a mission<br />
to provide GED classes, job training, and daily feedings<br />
to the homeless and hungry within our city.<br />
Other feedings happen through a mobile food<br />
market that provides for the JT Williams<br />
neighborhood in Charlotte and as well as biweekly<br />
meal gatherings for kids and teens in<br />
Reid Park.<br />
Project 658 is a non-profit that provides<br />
assistance to 130,000 refugees in our area, victims<br />
of domestic violence, and as well the<br />
homeless. Their goal is enhancing lives by providing<br />
immediate assistance such as clothing,<br />
food, medical attention, childcare, and job<br />
training helping to break cycles of poverty.<br />
Javesca Feeds’ major fundraising effort takes<br />
place at an annual Impact Hunger Dinner. The<br />
results of last year's efforts, donations enabled<br />
the ongoing provision of nearly 500 meals<br />
every day for a year. IMPACT HUNGER 2018<br />
will take place on Thursday, December 6th, at<br />
the 658 Center on Central Avenue here in Charlotte.<br />
Chef Luca Annunziata, in collaboration with executive<br />
chefs from the King’s Kitchen and Project 658<br />
will be preparing an extraordinary multi-course<br />
meal to raise funds for <strong>2019</strong>. Please attend and enjoy<br />
an amazing dinner, live music, and silent auction,<br />
to make worldwide change. Purchase tickets at:<br />
www.javescafeeds.org/impacthunger.<br />
It is also possible to lend a helping hand by purchasing<br />
Javesca coffee online at www.javesca.com.<br />
Javesca provides coffee club subscriptions where<br />
you receive a different coffee each month to enjoy.<br />
By drinking your coffee you can feed the world!<br />
“Those who are happiest are those<br />
who do the most for others.”<br />
– Booker T. Washington<br />
52 | C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G
GIVING BACK<br />
The Holiday Season is upon us and I wanted to<br />
share with you what Allegro’s programs have done<br />
for my child. We have been with Allegro for several<br />
months and, in those months, I have seen miracles<br />
occur. For a family without a child with challenges,<br />
or born “normal,” the miracles we have experienced<br />
might not seem like miracles, but they most<br />
certainly are!<br />
Yes, I had the best medical care and did all the<br />
right things in my pregnancy, but my Joshua was<br />
still born prematurely. Due to this, he lives with<br />
intellectual disabilities, autism, and does not<br />
speak. His doctors do not know why he was born<br />
early, or why he was born with disabilities. Joshua<br />
is 7 years old now.<br />
We met Allegro at my son’s school. I went to<br />
observe Allegro’s class one day, as I like to see all<br />
the activities Joshua is involved in first-hand. I realized<br />
Joshua was paying attention and wanted to<br />
try everything! Allegro motivates, inspires, and has<br />
a truly remarkable understanding of how to teach<br />
children with disabilities.<br />
The word MIRACLE that I used in the beginning<br />
of this letter is correct.<br />
Allegro creates miracles every day! Joshua is in<br />
one of Allegro’s school programs and, after what I<br />
witnessed there, we also signed him up for<br />
Allegro’s outreach program after school. He started<br />
making eye contact for the first time in the Allegro<br />
program. It happened last month and his teacher<br />
could not wait to tell us!<br />
Joshua cannot sit down and be still, which<br />
makes learning in a typical classroom environment<br />
impossible. Allegro uses movement to teach<br />
their lessons during weekly school classes. Joshua<br />
can now stand in a line, make eye contact, and he<br />
has been mumbling sounds and trying to communicate<br />
for the first time! That’s something speech<br />
therapy had not helped! He held a pencil last week;<br />
not well, but it was still another first for him.<br />
Allegro’s special props have helped Joshua learn<br />
how to grip.<br />
Allegro is a MIRACLE!<br />
I urge you to give to Allegro so other<br />
children like Joshua can find their own<br />
miracle!<br />
Sincerely,<br />
54 | CHARLOTTE L I V I N G
Click below to watch video<br />
GIVING BACK<br />
Allegro Foundation – A Special Success Story About Brian<br />
▼<br />
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xfYs6EWcvw&feature=youtu.be<br />
www.AllegroFoundation.net 704-412-5229<br />
Allegro Foundation’s Board of Directors<br />
Jason Schugel, Chairman; Kathy Buckley, Secretary; Stephen Walker, Treasurer; Jane Fastje, Chief Operating Officer; Tim Black;<br />
Christine Conte; Donna de Molina; Arlene Ferebee; Bryan Mermans; John C. Muller, Jr., Chairman Emeritus; Priscilla Perry;<br />
Larry Sprinkle; Donnell Woolford; Pat Farmer, Founder/President<br />
Friends of Allegro<br />
Sheila Abraham, Ed.D., Mr. and Mrs. Gary Babcock, Mr. and Mrs. Greg Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Brown, Ms. Marie Calabro, Mr. and<br />
Mrs. Patrick Cummings, Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Cureton, Ms. Barbara Darden, Mr. Alvaro de Molina, Mr. and Mrs. Chip Farmer, Mr.<br />
John Fastje, Mr. Gary Goodson, Mr. Mike Hawley and Katherine Pierce, M.D., Mr. and Mrs. Danny Hellams, Ms. Kim Henderson,<br />
Mr. and Mrs. John Hosmer, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Karlsson, Mr. and Mrs. Ben Knight, Mr. and Mrs. Jim Little, Ms. Nicole Little, Mr.<br />
and Mrs. Tom Marcham, Mrs. Robin Mermans, Ms. Debbie Miller, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Monnett, Mr. Kevin Monroe, Ms. Lynn<br />
Muller, Mr. and Mrs. Clark Neilson, Ms. Heidi Nowak, Mr. and Mrs. Brian Pacheco, Dr. Thomas and Dr. Elaine Pacicco, Mr. Ernest<br />
Perry, Counselor Lorenzo Ravano, Mr. and Mrs. Manuel Rey, Mr. and Mrs. Greg Roderick, Mr. Felix Sabates, Ms. Mimi Sabates, Ms.<br />
Julia Sayegh, Mr. Victor Sayegh, Mrs. Molly Schugel, Mr. and Mrs. Ron Sherrill, Ms. Elizabeth Tanos-Priest, Mr. Josh Toman, Mr. and<br />
Mrs. Nick Trivisonno, Mrs. Anastasiya Walker, Mr. and Mrs. Royallen Wiley, Mr. and Mrs. Phil Witt, Ms. Phyllis Yandle<br />
CHARLOTTE L I V I N G | 55
GIVING BACK<br />
How to Serve Local<br />
and Go Global<br />
BY SHERRI JOHNSON<br />
Daniel and Becca Zeidman volunteered a total of 22 hours serving the homeless through the Charlotte Dream Center and sorting food at Second Harvest Food Bank. “Coach<br />
Daniel” and Becca earned A&B reward to go to Haiti where they led sport camps. While on her global assignment, Becca and her husband connected with a family, and the<br />
Lord laid it on their heart to pay for school uniforms for two children in the family, so they could attend school. Without a school uniform it’s impossible for a child to attend<br />
school in Haiti. Becca says, “I’m not sure why God put this family in our path, but I appreciate the opportunity He has given us to pour into them.”<br />
Have you ever been asked to donate<br />
dollars to help send someone on a mission<br />
trip? Maybe a church member, a<br />
neighbor or a family friend has asked<br />
for financial assistance? Now there’s<br />
a Charlotte-based non-profit that’s<br />
changing this one-to-one proposition.<br />
Above & Beyond, a faith-based<br />
organization with the purpose of eradicating<br />
spiritual poverty, started with<br />
a mission of its own as part of Grace<br />
Covenant Church in Cornelius. Founder,<br />
Michelle Hoverson, had a simple idea<br />
that today has helped 885missionaries<br />
travel to 76 nations serving 13,275<br />
hours at local non-profits. But before<br />
a passport is ever presented, each missionary<br />
earns money by volunteering<br />
locally.<br />
“We wanted to see a paradigm shift<br />
in how mission trips were funded,”<br />
says Hoverson, who after 24 years in<br />
pastoral ministry leading more than<br />
50 outreach trips knew there was<br />
a way to make a greater impact.<br />
“Instead we reward and foster volunteerism<br />
in the missionary’s backyard,<br />
because mission work always begins<br />
at home.”<br />
Serve Local, Go Global<br />
Here’s how it works: Missionaries<br />
who face financial obstacles can earn<br />
funding by volunteering in their local<br />
community at faith-based organizations.<br />
Every volunteer hour is rewarded<br />
with $25 dollars toward their global<br />
mission trip. The average grant is<br />
between $350-450 dollars, or 14-18<br />
hours of service.<br />
56 | CHARLOTTE L I V I N G<br />
Karin Conroy served 24 hours (twice her<br />
required service) serving snacks during<br />
Calvary Church in Charlotte’s community<br />
Vacation Bible School in order to earn<br />
rewards to serve in Jamaica. Karin shares,<br />
“finances caused me to hesitate making<br />
the commitment to serve in Jamaica, then<br />
I found out about A&B’s program. It was<br />
the boost to my faith that I needed.“<br />
After 24 years in pastoral ministry leading<br />
more than 50 outreach trips, Michelle<br />
Hoverson knew there was a way to make<br />
a greater impact and started Above &<br />
Beyond, a strategic response to the<br />
Great Commission.<br />
“Before the recipient leaves their<br />
home base, they have already impacted<br />
lives and prepared their heart<br />
for their mission,” says Hoverson. “We<br />
want them to have some skin in the<br />
game by earning their trip in a way<br />
that will make a difference long after<br />
the trip is complete.”<br />
In Charlotte alone, 385 individuals<br />
have invested nearly 6,000 hours serving<br />
organizations like Samaritan’s<br />
Feet, Boys & Girls Club and Loaves &<br />
Fishes, to name a few. Nationally, more<br />
than 380 local organizations have benefitted<br />
from individuals working their<br />
way toward global mission trips.<br />
“Our only requirement is that they<br />
volunteer where they can freely share<br />
their faith,” says Hoverson. “Our focus<br />
goes beyond one program or one place,<br />
touching hundreds.”<br />
The Multiplier Affect<br />
Traditional giving to fund mission<br />
trips is typically a single gift to one<br />
person for a specific trip. By contrast,<br />
Above & Beyond supports multiple<br />
missionaries as well as tomorrow’s<br />
missionaries for generations to come.<br />
The organization relies on private<br />
donations, which in turn serves as rocket<br />
fuel for several. Every contribution<br />
to Above & Beyond gets invested in<br />
two ways – in a GoToday fund and a<br />
GoTomorrowFund. Fifty percent of every<br />
donation is put in the GoTodayFund<br />
and 50 percent is put in an endowment<br />
fund to grow the investment.<br />
“Our goal is to give today and to<br />
multiply tomorrow, multiplying the<br />
impact exponentially,” says Hoverson.<br />
“We are committed to being smart<br />
stewards of our supporters’ investments.”<br />
Changing Lives<br />
Through the Serve Local Go Global<br />
program ambassadors serve local community<br />
needs before serving people in<br />
other nations. Hoverson has seen the<br />
affect first-hand. “People come back a<br />
better servant here at home and continue<br />
to impact with a renewed heart. I<br />
have seen God change so many people<br />
through the power of a mission trip.”<br />
Daniel and Becca Zeidman earned<br />
their reward to go Haiti by volunteering<br />
at the Charlotte Dream Center, serving<br />
the homeless, and by sorting food at<br />
Second Harvest Food Bank. “I love that<br />
an Above & Beyond reward isn’t just<br />
money given with nothing expected,”<br />
says Becca. “I was blessed to be challenged<br />
to serve in our community, and<br />
through a Haitian family that we continue<br />
to support, we can serve the<br />
people of Haiti, while we serve our community<br />
week in and week out.”<br />
“Eradicating spiritual poverty and<br />
solving problems of the human spirit is<br />
what I’m laser-focused on every day,”<br />
added Hoverson.<br />
Want to Help?<br />
Visit aboveandbeyondmissions.org<br />
to learn more. ■
9 | C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G
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IN THE CITY<br />
TEXT BY MICHAEL SMITH, PRESIDENT & CEO, CHARLOTTE CENTER CITY PARTNERS<br />
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF CHARLOTTE CENTER CITY PARTNERS<br />
Two hundred and fifty years ago, Governor Polk<br />
signed a document that officially recognized<br />
Charlotte-Towne, a new city named in honor of<br />
Queen Charlotte of Mecklenburg. A lot has changed<br />
in the past two-and-a-half centuries, but the values<br />
upon which this city was founded remain true today.<br />
That’s why we are excited<br />
to recognize this milestone<br />
anniversary with CLT250, a<br />
year-long celebration filled with<br />
events large and small that<br />
invite our citizens to share and<br />
commemorate our storied past;<br />
celebrate our city’s independence,<br />
ingenuity, determination,<br />
collaboration, compassion and<br />
resiliency; and imagine a successful<br />
and unified future filled<br />
with hope and opportunity for<br />
all. Thanks to presenting sponsor<br />
Atrium Health and many<br />
other corporate partners, CLT250<br />
is coming to life all across<br />
Charlotte.<br />
You will see recognition of<br />
our history during this year’s Novant Health<br />
Thanksgiving Day Parade. Everyone is invited to celebrate<br />
the official founding on December 3, with cake<br />
at Trade and Tryon and special surprises at all CMS<br />
schools and in all Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library<br />
branches. We will mark CLT250 during the MLK<br />
weekend of events in January. And our commemoration<br />
will culminate in May with Charlotte SHOUT!,<br />
an incredible festival of food, art, music and innovation<br />
that promises to be a defining asset for our community<br />
for years to come.<br />
You will also see CLT250 at many of our beloved<br />
community festivals. And we are encouraging everyone<br />
to get involved. This initiative is a giant invitation<br />
to all Charlotteans: We want you to volunteer, connect<br />
your own events to CLT250<br />
and join the movement.<br />
But CLT250 is much more than a<br />
celebration. It is an opportunity to<br />
pull Charlotte together, to consider<br />
what makes this such an incredible<br />
city and to move forward on a<br />
shared vision.<br />
During the next six months,<br />
we’ll launch ongoing legacy<br />
projects that will add to our commitment<br />
to become a friendlier,<br />
healthier, more equitable and<br />
accessible city, and to create<br />
opportunity for all. These are big,<br />
long-lasting projects and initiatives<br />
that will make a difference<br />
for all of our citizens. And these<br />
legacy projects will create hope<br />
and promise for our shared future. We’re challenging<br />
our government, nonprofits and corporate partners<br />
to complete a legacy project that leaves an indelible<br />
mark on our community for the next generation.<br />
What can you, your school, your neighborhood or<br />
your house of worship do to create a legacy for<br />
Charlotte’s next 250 years?<br />
As we pause to celebrate Charlotte’s incredible<br />
origin story and the values that our founders instilled<br />
in this community, I am energized by the promise of<br />
Charlotte’s future. When our descendants celebrate<br />
this city’s 500th anniversary, I know they’ll pause to<br />
consider the spirit of independence, ingenuity, determination,<br />
collaboration, compassion and resiliency<br />
that inspire us all today. ■<br />
Members of the Croatan tribe, an eastern North<br />
Carolina trtibe that dates back to the Lost Colony The annual "Meck Dec" Day Parade on May 20, 1919<br />
The country’s second largest financial institution,<br />
Commercial National Bank, was founded in Charlotte<br />
back in 1874.<br />
60 | C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G
250Years<br />
IN THE CITY<br />
C H A R LOT TE L I V I N G | 61
Berhan Nebioglu, Proprietor<br />
berhannebi@gmail.com<br />
Available at Magnolia Emporium & Ruby’s Gift<br />
Magnolia Emporium<br />
704.248.6808<br />
307 Lincoln Street<br />
Charlotte, NC 28203<br />
magnoliaemporium.com<br />
Ruby’s Gift<br />
704.900.2389<br />
3204 N. Davidson St.<br />
Charlotte, NC 28205<br />
noda@rubysgift.com