Seen left to right on the stage at the Dale F. Halton Theater at Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, N.C. are the Rev. Madeline McClenny-Sadler, Ph. D, President and Founder of Exodus Foundation in Charlotte, the Rev. Susan Smith Walker, Assistant Executive Director, and the Rev. Reggie Longcrier, Executive Director of Exodus Homes in Hickory N.C. Both organizations were co-recipients of the offering collected during the Citywide Community Mass Meeting honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 18, 2016.
The Citywide Community Mass Meeting honoring the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was held in Charlotte, N.C. on January 18, 2016 at the Dale F. Halton Theater at Central Piedmont Community College. The interfaith event featured keynote speaker Congressman Emmanuel Cleaver II from Kansas City Mo. The Rev. Reggie Longcrier, Executive Director, and the Rev. Susan Smith Walker, Assistant Executive Director of Exodus Homes were invited to be on the program as recipients of the offering collected during the service. The Hickory faith-based United Way agency was one of two programs in the spotlight during the program. Many elected officials were in attendance including Charlotte Mayor Jennifer Roberts and N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper.
Charlotte community leaders including the Rev. Dr. Rodney Sadler of Union Presbyterian Seminary, and Dr. Peter M. Wherry, Senior Pastor of Mayfield Memorial Missionary Baptist Church toured Exodus Homes recently and spent the better part of a day learning how they serve homeless recovering people returning to the community from treatment centers and prison. They were so impressed with the comprehensive array of services at Exodus Homes, and their in-house enterprises Exodus Works, that they invited them to be co-recipients of the offering collected at the Citywide Community Mass Meeting honoring Dr. King. The other recipient was Rev. Madeline McClenny-Sadler, Ph. D, President and Founder of Exodus Foundation in Charlotte that provides mentoring services to formerly incarcerated people to stop the flow of African-Americans to prison.
“It was a great honor to be here today and be recognized for the great work we are doing at Exodus Homes. We are especially grateful to receive this honor on the day we remember the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. because we consider ourselves Dream Keepers.” said Longcrier.
