In 1967, the Junior League of Charlotte, Inc. (JLC) made a commitment of $124,000 and 30 volunteers each donating at least 40 hours to this project to establish the Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center (CSHC), the first community speech and hearing center in North Carolina. The vision of CSHC is that everyone in need, regardless of income or other barriers, has access to the speech-language and hearing services they need to build their own pathways to success and to obtain a meaningful and enriched life.
The first therapy session was held at the center in October of 1967. Staff member Louisa Heilman recounted the following memory for an article in The Crier – “I can vividly see this little child when he said his word, ‘fish.’ His little face lit up, and we clapped and jumped up and down and carried on. That one word just makes it all worthwhile.” (The CRIER, 1977)
In 1968, the JLC won first place in the Charlotte Observer’s Club of the Year contest for its work with the Center. And two years after its founding, the United Way of the Central Carolinas took over funding for the Center, and shortly thereafter, the JLC pledged an additional $57,000 to the Center. In the years since, the Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center has continued to grow, providing services to families in and around Charlotte.
Mrs. Thomas Stewart working with children at the Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center.
The JLC is proud to continue supporting the work of the Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center. CSHC has tremendous impact on individuals, families, schools and our community by providing over 100,000 services to nearly 4,000 individuals every year. This year, the placement is under the leadership of Kari Kessell, Chair and Keely Allison, Vice Chair.
