NEWS

Children’s Hope Alliance(CHA) Heartstrings Program invites the community, and especially area youth, to attend their National Pickle Day Celebration with Carson Lester. The event will be held at Heartstrings, 153 Frazier Loop, Statesville, NC, from 4-5pm on Thursday, November 14th.

The National Pickle Day event will feature a talk from Carson about how he overcame obstacles to start his own pickle business at the age of 17, and Carson will provide a sampling of his Tasty Pickles chips for attendees.

Carson Lester and his Tasty Pickles

Carson Lester loves pickles! He also has autism and is learning disabled, which made school and life challenging for him. Carson was inspired by a school project about starting a business, and soon started his very own pickle business. At first, he was filled with anxiety when he thought about future employment, but the thought of having his own business and being his own boss gave him hope and motivation. Soon, Carson’s adventure in the pickle business began, and he gained business skills and his confidence grew! Carson even found that his academics and social skills were improving as his business grew.

Carson now has a business that distributes pickles to local retailers including area Food Lions, Davaste’ Vineyards, The Coffee Lodge, DE Turner Hardware, and more! He has also given public talks about his growth as a business owner for many area organizations.

The mission of CHA’s Heartstrings Program is to inspire youth to follow their passions and find purpose in their lives. We are thrilled to have Carson at Heartstrings to talk about his journey and overcoming difficulties, and we hope Carson’s story will inspire others who may be “differently-abled.”

This free event is open to everyone in the community, and we hope you will join us by showing Carson support at this event.

About Children’s Hope Alliance

Children’s Hope Alliance is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering the mental health and well-being of children and families through a wide array of trauma-informed services and programs. Last year, Children’s Hope Alliance impacted the lives of over 7,000 children and families across North Carolina by providing hope, health, and healing through community-based therapy, outpatient therapy, foster care, and adoption services. The CHA Heartstrings Program provides free art and music classes for kids considered at-risk in the community.