MOVING ON!

It is almost here!

After a year and a half of planning, recruiting, and renovating, we are moving to our new offices in the Midwood Cultural and International Center (MICC) at 1817 Central Ave. The old Midwood High School has been undergoing a major overhaul and will be ready soon to welcome International House, along with seven other international, cultural, and civic organizations, to a wonderful new campus full of energy, excitement, and the promise of a better experience for the many clients of MICC tenants.

In preparation for the move, International House will be closing at end of business on Tuesday December 18th. We will spend the last two weeks of 2012 packing up our belongings and wonderful memories here on Hawthorne Lane and setting up our new offices in the MICC.   Packing boxes are already starting to pile up around our desks, and our staff is busily wrapping up the logistics of moving files, phones, computers, and furniture to Central Ave.

Our first day of business at the new location will be Wednesday January 2nd, and we will have a "Welcome to Midwood!" open house on January 27th from 5 to 7 PM. So please plan on stopping by for music, cultural performances, refreshments, and a first hand look at the future of International House. We think you will be very impressed!

Watch the latest FOX News story about the Midwood Center ! >>   

We know you've been meaning to do it, but if you haven't gotten around to making a contribution yet to our Capital Campaign, we hope you will do so very soon!

Our relocation to the Midwood International & Cultural Center is one of the best things to happen to International House in a long time, but it is not without cost. We need the support of all of the many, many people who have been touched by International House through the years to make this move possible. 

Please click on the link below or send your check soon, so that a donation to our capital campaign can be part of YOUR year-end giving.

AND, many thanks to the many generous donors who have already stepped up and made their campaign gifts. CLICK HERE to see a list of these exceptional supporters of International House!

Together, we can make a world of difference!
More Information >>

All Language Conversation Hours participants and guests are invited to join us for our pot luck style supper to celebrate all the different cultures represented by this great program.

Please bring a specialty from your native country to share with friends and experience food, music and culture from all over the world! This will be the last pot-luck party at International House on Hawthorne Lane, so please join us to make this an unforgettable evening!

When: December 6, 2012

Where: 322 Hawthorne Lane

Time: 7:00 to 9:00 PM

 

All conversation hours for 2012 will end on Friday, December 7th. Regular sessions will start again on Monday, January 7th at our new location at 1817 Central Avenue. Please keep an eye on our website for further announcements and feel free to contact Gail Johnson at gjohnson@ihclt.org or 704-333-8099 for additional information.

Come and enjoy dances from around the world, meet the tenant organizations, and enjoy some exotic treats and refreshments. Please keep an eye on our website and the next newsletter for updates and more information. You won't want to miss this one!

Our ESL class series will start on January 28th and will take place every weekday at International House on 1817 Central Avenue.

Monday - Thursday
11:00am - 12:00pm 

Tuesday & Thursday
6:00pm - 8:00pm

Cost: $50 (includes textbook)

Questions or to register:
Call 704-333-8099 or email: gjohnson@ihclt.org
Click Here for more information.

The first day of the next Citizenship Class Series will be Sunday, January 27, 2013. Classes will take place for six consecutive Sundays until March 3rd. Learn more about US history and how to prepare for the Naturalization interview.

January 27, 2013 to March 3, 2013

Time: 
Sundays from 2:00pm - 5:00pm

International House is seeking volunteer tutors for our English Tutoring Program (ETP) and Citizenship Tutoring Program (CTP). The following training sessions are scheduled to take place at International House at 1817 Central Avenue:


Scheduled tutor orientations (tutors only need to select one orientation time):

Sunday, January 20- Citizenship Tutor Orientation A: 2-3pm
Wednesday, January 23- Citizenship Tutor Orientation B: 6-7pm

Wednesday, January 23- ESL Tutor Orientation A: 12-1pm
Wednesday, January 23- ESL Tutor Orientation B: 7-8pm

CALLING ALL FRIENDS OF INTERNATIONAL HOUSE...

Every organization experiences a time of critical passage and transition. For International House, our upcoming move to the former Midwood High School and the creation of a multi-tenant campus to be known as "Midwood International & Cultural Center" will soon be one of OUR defining moments!

Critical passages call for teamwork. We need "all hands on deck" to help us navigate the waters ahead and sail smoothly into our new home port. If International House has been a part of your life, or if you simply believe in the great work we do every day that changes lives for the better, then we hope you will join us. Maybe you have enjoyed one of our many free conversation hours. Perhaps you have been blessed with new friends as part of our monthly International Book Club or Doorways group. Or maybe you have enjoyed our "Who's in the House?" series, attended our free "Children's World of Play" or now have a life-long relationship with someone from overseas that you hosted in your home. Consider how International House has given you a better understanding of this colorful planet of diverse peoples and cultures.

Many of you know what it is like to be new to this country. Or perhaps your parents and grandparents came to the United States in search of the American Dream. If so, then you probably know how important it is for International House to continue to provide ESL and education classes, legal services, and other resources to Charlotte's vulnerable immigrant and refugee families. You can appreciate the challenges faced by these new arrivals who only seek a "hand up", not a "hand-out", in order to become self-sufficient, engaged citizens. Consider how International House makes a difference in the lives of almost 2,000 low-income immigrants every year.

If these reflections move you to action (and we hope they do!), then we urge you to make a gift to International House now. Now, more than ever before, YOUR support is needed. Endings and beginnings are intertwined. We hope you will help us end the year well as we gently say "goodbye" to the old Staten House and move into a bright beginning at our new home at 1817 Central Avenue.

 
Thank you so much for all that you do, and continue to do, for the many, many people who are touched by the programs and services we offer here at International House!