Hicks recently made a visit to the Children First/CIS Project MARCH Learning Center at Deaverview. That in itself is not unusual, except that she was bringing along a 15 seat passenger van. “HomeTrust Bank partnered with Children First/CIS last summer to send several students to the NC Bankers Annual Summer Camp Challenge,” says Hicks. “We were impressed with the Children First / CIS program and wanted to find out more about the organization. It was when I participated in a Mind the Gap tour of the facility that I became aware of the emergency transportation need for the summer program. HomeTrust felt that we could make a real difference in the lives of these children this summer by making it possible to have transportation for their summer activities, so we provided the finances to lease a van.”

The Children First/CIS Project MARCH Summer Camp is a 6 week program that engages at-risk youth between the ages of 8-12 years-old living in Pisgah View, Deaverview and Woodridge apartments. This program is free of charge and may be the only program available to these children due to the lack of transportation, caregiver language barriers and challenges, and finances of their caregivers. The children typically go whitewater rafting courtesy of French Broad Rafting Expeditions, visit the Pisgah Center for Wildlife and the Nature Center as well as numerous waterfalls and hiking trails, learn to swim and go on one overnight camping trip. These activities would have been severely limited without reliable transportation. Because of the generous donation from HomeTrust Bank, the children enrolled in the Project MARCH Summer Camp will be able to have many positive summer camp experiences that could shape their futures.

Children First/CIS is a non-profit that advocates and provides innovative programs for Buncombe County’s vulnerable children, while engaging the community in creating a better future for all children. For more information on Children First/CIS of Buncombe County or if you are interested in helping us help the children and their families in our community, visit the website at www.childrenfirstbc.org.