The threat of a deadly illness and its accompanying loneliness were more oppressive than the North Carolina heat in July of 2020. We were confused, angry, even hopeless; and everyone was suffering, especially our children.

Personally, I had just gotten the wind knocked out of me with the news of my own canceled undergraduate graduation. COVID-19 stole my final opportunity to say goodbye to my college friends and professors. I was truly afraid to lose people that I loved. I had one of two options: lay down and give up or make something of a terrible situation. And, so, The Chloe Project was born.

After witnessing first hand the effects of an unstable living situation on two young members of my family, I realized that numerous factors, beyond sheer will power, affect success in education, and ultimately life. If schools truly have the goal of equipping students with the tools for success, then we must level the playing field. My senior year of high school, I submitted this idea to the local NAACP chapter for which I won a college scholarship. From then on, I moved through my undergraduate degree with this idea at the forefront of my mind, learning from a variety of applicable experiences along the way.

I had imagined that this idea would come to fruition later in life, maybe post-retirement, but COVID-19 made the need for a program that used community members to bolster education all-too relevant and all-too important. During the first year of my Master’s degree, I jumped in head first – fundraising, recruiting college student volunteers, and making connections with elementary schools. The Chloe Project successfully supported over forty elementary school students at Polenta Elementary School from 2020 to 2021. I spent the 2021- 2022 school year reevaluating, planning, and finishing my degree.

Now, The Chloe Project is preparing to rise to an entirely new level during the 2022-2023 school year. We will continue to provide our mentoring services and book donations, while expanding to Wake County schools. We plan to grow our volunteer team significantly and create a “Village” model of school support that can be implemented anywhere in the United States.

I am so appreciative of the enormous amount of support that friends of The Chloe Project have provided. Each of the students that we serve are incredibly grateful as well. Thank you  for being a part of our Village!