CHARLOTTE — Twin brothers, William and Foster Harris want to make sure everyone stays up to date regarding COVID-19. The Charlotte Country Day School seniors partnered with the city of Charlotte, and local nonprofits to develop a website. It has COVID-19 resources translated in more than 10 languages.
“We wanted to see a one-stop shop for Charlotte where you could access multilingual resources to learn what is COVID-19, how can you access assistance, both medically, but also if you need food, if you need economic assistance or other forms of aid through this crisis,” said William.
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The website is an extension of a site they launched last year, www.naturalizecharlotte.org, which helps those on the path to citizenship. It was inspired by Foster’s Spanish teacher, who shared her personal story.
Foster said, "I was fortunate enough to be in her class -- the day she came back on campus after her naturalization ceremony so that was a powerful experience."
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Since many immigration processes are on hold, the Harris brothers wanted to help with COVID-19 resources.
They're not the only ones. Refugee Support Services of the Carolinas has a helpline where people can text questions in their native language and get a response within minutes.
Executive Director Rachel Humphries said they've received nearly 60 calls in the last two weeks. The number to the helpline is: 980-263-9334.
"We’ve had questions around where to find basic supplies? Should someone where a mask? Can their children go outside? Is the air outside safe? We’ve also had questions around unemployment," said Humphries.
It's an example of why the work the students are doing is so important.
"This, for me, has been the most impactful high school experience," said William.
The Harris bothers said the city of Charlotte has funded the project and will be helping keep the website going once they leave for college in the fall.