The Cherry Community Organization: Bridging Legacy with Future

Drive through Charlotte and you might not realize you are passing by one of Charlotte’s most historically significant African American communities. Developed as one of Charlotte’s first suburbs, the Cherry community is half a mile from center city and one of the city’s most unique neighborhoods. 

The Cherry Community Organization has been advocating for the neighborhood since the 1960s, working tirelessly to preserve both community history and affordable housing. Walk through Cherry today and you’ll see a true mixed-income neighborhood. They are proud of their hard-won “density of diversity,” and want other communities to understand what is possible. 

The Challenge

Morgan School is a historic African American school located in the Cherry neighborhood – and a historic building that The Cherry Community Organization has been working to reclaim for years.  With the recent investment of new grants to restore, the group intends to restore and preserve the building as both a national historical landmark and community center, and they needed to share that vision with a wider audience.

There was just one problem—their digital presence wasn’t ready for the spotlight. Their WordPress site was rich in history, but it needed to better reflect their brand, and it needed to be simpler to update. The team wanted new visitors to quickly understand the legacy of Cherry and The Cherry Community Organization, while keeping content fresh and current. 

Our Partnership

The Cherry Community Organization partnered with Porch Light Creative to build a digital foundation that could effectively support and amplify their mission. Together, we tackled three key areas:

Messaging that connects. The Cherry team was very knowledgeable about their long term mission, but needed help conveying that message in a concise and compelling way. We worked together to craft their new elevator pitch: “preserving history and affordable housing in Charlotte’s historic Cherry community.” 

A website that reflects their character. Drawing inspiration from Cherry’s iconic street signs, we designed a clean, modern site using a striking black, white, and red palette that featured photography of both neighbors and historic sites. The result feels both contemporary and authentic to the neighborhood’s legacy.

Tools that make life easier. We moved the website from WordPress to Squarespace, giving them a more intuitive, user-friendly platform. We also helped identify a donation platform that makes it simpler for supporters to contribute.

The Results

The Cherry Community Organization now has a digital presence that matches their impact in the community. Their new website showcases decades of neighborhood legacy while positioning them perfectly for what’s next—including their exciting work at Morgan School.

“Janet (and her team), at Porch Light Creative, took the time to truly understand our unique needs, suggesting solutions that were both innovative and practical. Her ability to guide our busy volunteer communications team with patience, empathy, and clear direction, was invaluable. She is a true collaborator and her training makes everything feel approachable and manageable. Thanks to her expertise and thoughtful guidance, our new online presence is drawing significant interest and helping us to engage in a more meaningful way both locally and nationally. We highly recommend Porch Light Creative for anyone seeking a company that combines their knowledge with genuine care for their clients’ success.”
-Sylvia Bittle-Patton, The Cherry Community Organization