Mark your calendars ladies, ’cause here’s the scoop on one of our favorite Holiday events in the QC ~ and one of the most heartwarming celebrations in town: the Good Friends Charlotte Gather & Give Luncheon.
Gather & Give Luncheon
Charlotte Convention Center
Thursday, December 12, 2024
11:30 am – 1 pm
This annual celebration of giving back and being a good friend to the community is attended each year by over 1200 local women, who have gathered to raise funds for the GOOD FRIENDS non-profit, where no local need is too small for attention and support.
GOOD FRIENDS — founded in 1987 by four friends who wanted to give back — has become a philanthropic powerhouse, raising more than $6.2 million and serving more than 3,000 families annually. Multiple generations of women participate in the success of the organization that shows no signs of slowing down.
“Women have strong souls and even stronger hearts,” says Marinn Esch, Good Friends Charlotte Board President. “When powerful women get together, they see the needs and feel the difference they can make collectively. It is thrilling to be in a room with super-charged ladies taking on the challenge of small needs that bring stability back to a family.”
Good Friends clients live on the financial edge, with every dollar stretched for normal household expenses, Esch says. What some might think is a small change can throw a family off balance. The nonprofit receives more than 90 inquiries a day from those looking for a helping hand.
Good Friends Charlotte believes “one small thing” can be life changing. Working in concert with 40 nonprofit community partners in the Charlotte area, grants from Good Friends provide security (door locks and household repairs for domestic violence survivors; safe sleeping for infants and counseling), restore stability (unforeseen medical expenses, past due utilities, rent; air conditioning, appliances, meals for veterans); and share new possibilities (laptops and job empowerment training; summer camp for children).
Last year’s luncheon raised more than $650,000, and Good Friends anticipates exceeding that goal this year.
“It is a day of joy,” Esch says. “When you can be with like-minded women — your good friends — and feel the potential of bringing change to others.”
The 38th Annual Good Friends Charlotte Gather & Give Luncheon, is scheduled for 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Charlotte Convention Center, 501 S. College St.
Individual tickets are $75 per person so that monies raised go directly to the cause. We also love the Hostess option where you invite your friends to attend and sit together (up to five tables of eight seats each). This is how we found out about Good Friends, and it’s a great way to celebrate the season with your girls. Tickets must be purchased by Nov. 27. For tickets and additional details, visit goodfriendscharlotte.org or click below.
MORE ABOUT GOOD FRIENDS CHARLOTTE
In 1987, good friends Catherine Browning, Alice Folger, Sally Saussy, and Patty Norman put their heads together over lunch. Inspired by Good Fellows (an organization of men who have met annually in Charlotte since 1917), they set out to assemble a diverse group of women that would become the nonprofit Good Friends Charlotte.
The women-only philanthropic powerhouse raises funds for those who need help and have exhausted all other agencies and resources. The first event was held on December 8, 1987 at Christ Episcopal Church with a goal of raising $16,000. With 400 women in attendance, they raised $32,000. The organization has continued to grow in size, reach and fundraising prowess, collecting more than $6,000,000 since 1987.
