Enloe students have raised $1.67M for charity since 2004. Who they’re helping this year
Students at Enloe High School are using their considerable fundraising influence to help reduce Wake County’s homeless population.
The Student Council organizers of the Enloe Charity Ball want to present a check of at least $170,000 on Saturday to CASA, a non-profit group that provides affordable housing in the Triangle. The donation will help CASA’s King’s Ridge development, a new 100-unit community in East Raleigh that will provide housing for people escaping homelessness.
“The Enloe Charity Ball is such an example of no matter what is going on in the world, we have youth who really recognize the importance of taking care of our neighbors,” Erin Yates, director of King’s Ridge, said in an interview.
Since 2004, students at the East Raleigh magnet school have raised $1.67 million to support local non-profit groups. Last year’s Charity Ball raised $180,000 for Neighbor to Neighbor, a Raleigh nonprofit that runs a variety of programs, including after-school mentoring for students and the creation of community-based businesses.
Malone Bridgers, Enloe’s student body president, said it’s “insane” how student council members over the last four years have raised almost $500,000 through the Charity Ball.
“That number is mind-boggling,” Bridgers said in an interview. “It’s powerful. But also, it feels kind of weird to say, it feels like it’s been normalized because the people before us on the Student Council have done it.”
On Saturday, the Enloe Student Council presented CASA with a check for $186,000 — $16,000 more than the ball’s goal.
CASA serving families near Enloe
CASA was among 27 groups who submitted a letter of interest in the highly competitive process to be the beneficiary of this year’s 19th Enloe Charity Ball.
One of the attractions of CASA’s application is that King’s Ridge will serve families who live by Enloe and will attend the school, according to Bridgers. King’s Ridge is only two miles from Enloe, which is located on Clarendon Crescent off New Bern Avenue.
“Just living or going to school at Enloe, we see a lot of homeless people on New Bern so, you know, it’s something that’s on the forefront of people’s minds,” Bridgers said. “We were just really, really inspired by their impact.”
That impact comes from how King’s Ridge’s opening in early 2025 will reduce Wake County’s homeless population by 10%.
King’s Ridge to help people escape homelessness
King’s Ridge is the most ambitious project ever launched by CASA. With a construction budget of $26 million, King’s Ridge will provide a mix of one, two and three-bedroom units for individuals and families.
King’s Ridge will provide housing to as many as 150 people who are now living on the streets or in shelters, according to Yates. The model is based on the belief that finding stable housing is key to breaking the cycle of poverty.
“The changes that CASA is making in people’s lives are so immense,” Mimi Sonawane, the Student Council vice president of public relations, said in an interview.
The community will have two medical clinics and partnerships with 32 groups to provide a variety of services. Residents will have a case manager to determine what services they might need, such as help with substance abuse or finding a job.
“King’s Ridge is meant to be everything someone could need,” Yates said. “Not only are we creating beautiful homes for our families in Wake County, but we’re providing them all the tools they need to make the right choices for their lives.”
Enloe High students volunteer with CASA
Enloe students have been raising money in multiple ways, including caroling and holding competitions to see which class can collect the most money. Teachers have been inspiring their students by offering to do things like dye their hair green based on how much money they raise.
Enloe students have also been working with CASA to sort the household items that will be provided for each resident. CASA wants to provide every resident with a fully-stocked apartment when they move in.
Students have made “welcome home” signs to hang on the front doors when residents arrive. Other students are crocheting potholders for the residents.
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A group of students welcomed some future residents when they toured King’s Ridge in November. Tears were streaming down the faces of residents as they saw their future home for the first time, according to Yates.
Meeting the residents was also special for the students, according to Penny Choy, the Student Council vice president for service.
“It was one of our coolest volunteering opportunities,” Choy said. “Our students came and served refreshments and got to actually talk to a few future tenants and give tours.”
Yates said it’s been inspiring being around the Enloe students this year.
“The Enloe students have been so exceptionally excited and hopeful,” Yates said. “It really helps us when we see the future believes in our neighbors.”
How to donate to Enloe Charity Ball and CASA
Go to enloecharityball.org for more information on the Enloe Charity Ball. Tickets are sold out for Saturday’s Charity Ball, but donations are still being accepted.
Go to casanc.org/donate for information on how to donate to CASA. Donations will go toward things such as covering rent for King’s Ridge residents while they’re getting settled in.
This story was originally published December 11, 2024 at 1:11 PM.
