COURTESY HIDDEN VALLEY OPTIMIST CLUB

The Hidden Valley Optimist Club, founded in 1979 as Charlotte’s second all-Black club, supports youth-oriented programs in its community and across the city.

Optimism is easy to find at the Hidden Valley Optimist Club.

Since its charter in 1979, the Hidden Valley Optimist Club has worked to support youth development causes. Today, they continue their mission and connect the community.
The Hidden Valley Optimist Club, founded by 47 men looking to serve youth, would meet regularly in churches, homes, and schools until they were eventually sponsored by the Providence Road Optimist Club, allowing them to become the second all-Black club in Charlotte.

“The idea was to have some activities in the community, specifically through our youth. All of us at that time had children at home and when we found out about the Optimist Club, we were excited that this was something that would not only help the youth but also help the community and bring us together,” said Thomas Wilkins, an original member and vice president of the board of directors at its founding.

Club membership has increased to 76, and their goal is to reach 84 by September. “The membership definitely has an impact on the scope of the services that the club is able to provide. Each number impacts the life of so many kids each and every year,” said founding member Odell Witherspoon.

The club hosts annual events but also gets involved in outreach wherever they feel their services are needed. Among some of their more consistent community engagement is their involvement at Hidden Valley Elementary School and the Citizens School program at Martin Luther King Middle School. They sponsor families during the holidays, mentor students, and support literacy by donating books.

Last January, several members signed up for training sponsored by UNC Charlotte to become “Tutor Volunteers” to help improve grades 3-5 grade reading proficiency at Hidden Valley Elementary.  They also sponsor activities at Sugar Creek Recreation Center, including track and field, bike safety, and a back-to-school backpack giveaway.

“One of the activities we had was bike safety. We had a group of cyclists come out and show the kids how to repair bikes and then take them on a short ride. We gave away several brand-new bikes too, which usually created some excitement. That was an activity that involved the youth and the community at large,” Witherspoon said.

The club also supports childhood cancer, junior golf, and recently partnered with E2D to donate 25 notebook computers to Ranson Middle School. Additionally, Hidden Valley Optimists support the Boys & Girls Homes of North Carolina and South Mountain Children’s Home, as well as the communication contest for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program.
Their services to the community are unrelenting. In recent years, they have awarded scholarship assistance to a Julius Chambers (formerly Vance) High School student attending North Carolina A&T State University.

Each year, the club holds fundraisers to help accomplish their outreach and program initiatives. In the past, they have held a golf tournament, an annual fish fry, Belk Charity Sale, and the Auto Bell Car Wash gift card program.

The Optimists believe in adapting to the times to continue helping youth and the greater community at large. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, they have had to pivot in order to keep up.

“We've certainly been affected by COVID, but we have still been able to do what we've always done, but in a different way,” said Wilkins. “An example would be the oratorical contest where we would go into a school and teach the students public speaking. But when COVID hit and a lot of the schools were shut down, we couldn’t do it that way. Eventually, we were able to do it by Zoom. Just looking back on history, you have to be able to adjust and keep moving forward. And so, I think the youth appreciate this.”

Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles has named February National Optimist Month and the Hidden Valley Optimists hope it will bring publicity to their causes. Their goal is to help make an impact in as many youths’ lives as possible. The more people who come to recognize their efforts, the more youth they will ultimately serve.

Over the years, the Hidden Valley club has earned Distinguished Club designation and Honor Club. Several members have even been inducted into the North Carolina West District Hall of Fame and have sponsored other clubs in Gastonia, Monroe, and Lancaster, South Carolina.

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