The Leon Levin Foundation has pledged $200,000 over the next two years. This generous donation kicks off MSC's Major Gifts Campaign, which focuses on raising $1 million annually over the next three years to pay for the extra 240 year-round beds now offered to homeless men in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community due to the merger of the Uptown Men's Shelter and Emergency Winter Shelter this past year.
Started in 1980, Mr. Levine and wife Sandra head up the foundation. In addition to the generous gift itself, support from the Levines has served as a catalyst for other large donations, including a $50,000 gift from an anonymous donor who serves on the MSC board. "The Levines have set the pace for the campaign by demonstrating that multi-year support of our mission is critical to providing and maintaining better services for these men," said Carson Dean, MSC's Executive Director.
Leon Levine started Family Dollard Stores in 1959, eventually opening stores in nearly every state by the time he retired in 2003. After retirement, Mr. Levine began his second career: building The Leon Levine Foundation into one of the country's largest and most impactful philanthropic organizations. Always charitable, Mr. Leveine says he says he started the foundation because he felt compelled to give back to the community that had helped him become so successful.
Bringing his talent for spotting promising enterprises and growing them into successful operations, Mr. Levine takes and active role in determining what community needs will receive funding. Directors and staff learn early that every dollar with which they are entrusted must be considered for its best and most effective use. Mr. Levine's sense of expansion and leverage can be seen through the numerous challenges and collaborations he engineers for grant programs, large and small. Combining his talents and vision with this compassion and desire to help his fellow community members, the Levines have improved and continue to improve the lives of thousands in our community.
