- [Host] This is a production of PBS Charlotte.

- Just ahead on "Carolina Impact," the area's largest employer finds a creative way to meet the worker shortage issue.

Plus, we explore how music has the power to heal.

And remember those old cigarette vending machines?

See how a local artist transforms them.

"Carolina Impact" starts right now.

(lighthearted music) Good evening, thanks so much for joining us.

I'm Amy Burkett.

The national unemployment rate sits currently at 4.1%, but for people with criminal records, that rate is much, much higher.

According to data from the Bureau of Justice, the unemployment rate of former prisoners is around 30% and estimates show that around 60% of those released from prison can't find work within a four-year period.

"Carolina Impact's" Jason Terzis joins us with what the area's largest employer is doing about that.

- Well, those reasons why run the gamut, from lack of education, lack of job ready skills, mental health, and the stigma associated with having been incarcerated.

One study showed that about 75% of hiring managers said they were unwilling to seriously consider applicants convicted of drug, property, or violent crimes.

And of course, those without jobs and income are more likely to commit another crime.

So how do those people find work, earn a living, and try to become productive members of society?

Well, coming out of the pandemic, Atrium Health here in Charlotte, set in motion a program designed to do just that.

Train and ultimately find work for those people within their system.

- The challenges that individuals are facing as adults are most often rooted in what happened as a child.

- [Jason] Charles Hunt is what you might call part counselor and part teacher.

- Your job and your responsibility is to provide that healing for that little girl and for that little boy inside you.

- [Jason] Imparting knowledge, wisdom, and hopefully, a little perspective.

- That's your responsibility.

To fix and to heal what was broken within you, 'cause nobody else can do it.

- [Jason] His students, though, aren't here to learn math, science, or a trade, but skills to navigate in the game of life.

- I built an amazing life for myself, and then life happened and it all collapsed.

And if I feel like I need to start it over, I have the power to do that.

You have the power to do that.

- It is pretty intense, it's emotional.

You know, a lot of people that have a justice-related background have severe trauma in their history.

- My past is not my future.

My past, not me.

- Don't ever fall into the trap of thinking that because of my advanced age, because of these things that I've experienced, because of my incarceration, because of the relationships that I've messed up in the past, that I can't start over.

- [Jason] Starting over is what this class and program is all about.

- The Restorative Pathways program began in 2021 with a charge from our CEO, Gene Woods, who asked us to become a fair chance hiring employer.

- [Jason] And what that means is giving people a second chance, specifically former prisoners, or as they call them, justice-involved individuals.

- I noticed when I came home, it was very hard for me to get a job or I would get great jobs, but by the time my background check came, they was like, "I'm sorry, Ms. Robinson, we're not gonna be able to hire you."

- We try to emphasize to our participants in this program, you are not your past.

It happened, you served your time, the justice system gave you this punishment.

That is complete now.

And we do feel like employment is a way to help them put that past behind them and really move forward.

- They really were excited about giving an opportunity to have a second chance when everyone closed the door, saying, "No, you can't work for us."

"Oh, there's something that popped up on your background."

"No, we're not gonna take a chance."

- [Jason] Candidate pools of roughly 75 people are first narrowed down by Atrium's partner, local nonprofit, City Startup Labs, to about 25.

- Once we get that information, we have a committee made of our security staff, our legal team, our HR business partners, teammate relations, who we all come together and really evaluate each individual on a case by case basis to decide, will they go forward or not?

By law, there are just some roles and some offenses that we cannot hire as a healthcare organization, and so we automatically screen out those individuals.

- [Jason] Atrium then selects the finalists, who are then registered into the program.

- So we have about two to three cohorts per year, and each cohort has anywhere between 10 to 15 teammates included in it.

- And now I'm at a point where I am okay with shaking this thing up and starting over.

And crafting what do I want the next part of my journey to look like?

What do I want the next part of my life to look like?

- You learn a lot about yourself and how to put your best foot forward.

- Do's and don'ts to do on the job, how to interact with your supervisor, how to approach a supervisor, how to interact with your coworkers as well as the patients, or whoever your customer may be.

- [Jason] Alicia Johnson of Gastonia is just one of the program's many success stories.

She served her time after getting caught up with a not-so-good person.

- I ended up getting charged with conspiracy and I served eight and a half years in state prison.

- [Jason] Thrilled to get a second chance at life, Alicia finished the program and landed a job as a hospitality coordinator.

- I can and I will have a career and be successful.

- [Jason] It's a similar story for Avery Robinson of Monroe.

- I came from a strict household, so when it was time to leave the nest, I just wanted to fly and be free.

So I ended up getting in trouble.

People say, "I never thought in a million years, not you, you would get in trouble."

And I was dating a bad guy.

I was and I got tangled up in his mess.

I did a year and a half in the county and a year and a half in the Department of Corrections.

- [Jason] After completion of the program, Avery now serves as a guest services specialist.

- I check in maternity patients, I help patients in and out of their vehicles.

We give directions.

I shuttle, I've also transported patients home to rehab facilities, from rehab to here.

- [Jason] The Restorative Pathways program is still relatively new, but so far, the success rate, perfect.

Every single graduate has landed employment with an Atrium system, 100%.

- This is one of those projects I told my leader, "Listen, you can take me off every project I'm on.

Let me stay on with the Restorative Pathways because this is hard work."

Not only is hard work, I feel like I'm fulfilling a mission, a life mission to help someone, you know, that need a second chance because everyone does not get a second chance in life.

- My daughters, they're 20 and 11, and their names are Jade and Justice.

They kept telling me, "Mama, I'm so proud of you.

I'm sorry, y'all."

(Avery sobbing) - Such an incredibly emotional story, Jason, but how exciting to see those two women being on such a better path now.

- Yeah, emotional 'cause they've been through a lot and just getting over that stigma and trying to get back into society.

You know, they've paid their debt and it's, you know, they wanna get back to work.

They wanna support their families and it's been difficult for them to get to just that point.

Well, for program graduates, they're all working full-time within the Atrium Healthcare system.

And not only that, but being in such a large organization like Atrium, there is room for upward mobility.

So what happens next in terms of their careers is up to them.

Take Avery for example, who we met within that story, she's hoping to be an X-ray technician someday.

And from a larger standpoint, Atrium is hoping that this Restorative Pathways blueprint can be used by other employers in town, showing that if it can work for them, hopefully, it can work just about everywhere.

- We love these stories of success.

Thanks so much for finding us something a little different this week, Jason.

- Absolutely.

- Well, we're wishing them all the very best of luck.

Next, how do you feel when you hear one of your favorite songs?

It probably makes you smile and usually reminds you of a happy time in your life.

Science has proven that feeling can help medically, too.

Music therapy often results in improving speech and regulating moods.

"Carolina Impact's" Dara Khaalid and videographer, Russ Hunsinger, show us how it can transform liveús, too.

♪ Hello, Hunter ♪ - [Dara] It's a soothing song just for him.

♪ It's good to see you today ♪ - [Dara] Hearing his name and the strum of the guitar, 7-year-old Hunter Gerald lights up as he rocks back and forth.

For Hunter, who's nonverbal, this is his way of saying how good the music makes him feel inside.

- You ready for some more drumming?

- Not really sure if he will ever be able to talk, but we have hopes.

He's defied all the odds so far.

- [Dara] He was born with heart defects, has a rare genetic mutation, and when he was one and a half, had a massive stroke that affected several parts of his brain.

- After his stroke, nobody expected him, one, to live.

You know, he's walking, he is, you know, playing music.

He's vocalizing.

- [Mason] Yeah.

- [Dara] Which are skills Hunter is learning in his weekly music therapy sessions with neurologic music therapist, Mason Swimmer.

♪ Head, shoulders, knees and toes ♪ - Utilizing those fine motor skills to grasp, to play piano, to play the drum, gross motor skills as well.

- [Dara] The American Music Therapy Association defines music therapy as the use of music by a professional to address the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional needs of a client.

♪ Raindrops keep falling on my head ♪ - [Dara] Research shows nearly 2 million people a year get music therapy.

(musical instrument scratching) So when you see Mason teaching little ones how to use new instruments that sometimes make them giggle, (child giggling) just know they're developing in ways that'll help them in other areas of life.

- So when we can connect in a musical space, people are typically enjoying themselves and having a good time.

And so that's where the the growth and the progress happens.

- [Dara] And as he guides hunter in reaching new milestones, like holding mallets for a record time, he thinks about how music pulled him through dark times when he was diagnosed at 15 with osteosarcoma, a cancer that starts in the cells that form bones.

- I spent a lot of time in and out of the hospital.

I never got to experience music therapy when I was sick, but music was my outlet.

I was constantly making music with friends and making playlists, and you know, I found music that helped me realize that I wasn't alone.

♪ Hello, Mason ♪ ♪ It's good to see you today ♪ - [Dara] Which is exactly how he wants his clients to feel, like they're not alone either.

- It gives me a more empathetic approach, to know what it's like to have struggles or difficulties, to be more patient.

Obviously, everybody's own experiences and circumstances are unique to them, but it does give me just an appreciation of being here.

- [Dara] Music therapy isn't limited to traditional clinics.

- Can I try?

- Yeah.

- [Dara] They can also take place at hospitals, nursing homes.

♪ Let's sing hello together ♪ - [Dara] And college campuses.

(tubes clanging) At Queens University, you'll find 8-year-old Ariana Singh once a week, making music with colorful boom whackers, one of her favorite instruments.

- As a mom, you know I love seeing her happy, of course.

And music is her happy place.

- [Chorus] Yay.

- [Nazila] This is just her passion, and so getting to come here and watch her and watch her be so engaged is amazing.

- [Dara] Ariana was diagnosed with autism when she was three years old.

Part of her session focuses on building social skills through musical improvisations.

- Children on the OT spectrum like patterns and they like repetition.

So music therapy allows us to leverage all those elements.

The way we structure and organize within the improvisations.

♪ Let's sing hello together ♪ - [Dara] The program at Queens has been around for nearly 50 years, which means it's evolved as more research and technology has come out.

- What's different now is the growth in our understanding of the neurologic process, being able to look at brain scans and watch the brain light up on scans.

It was not technology we had in the early days, not even when I was a student.

(therapist vocalizing) - [Dara] So now the experience is more enriching for students like Athena Strickland.

- One of the best things about music therapy, for me, is like encouraging everybody to like be able to make music, regardless of their skill level.

- [Dara] And professors like Yu-Ling Chen.

- I just love that moment or sparkle that I don't need to say anything, but I say it in my music.

♪ You are my sunshine, my only sunshine ♪ - You strum it.

- [Dara] Where words aren't spoken, those like Hunter can feel all the joy music brings.

For "Carolina Impact," I'm Dara Khaalid.

- Thank you, Dara.

Experts say music therapy can also help those with cancer, traumatic brain injuries, and Parkinson's disease.

What can you get for $5 these days?

Not much, maybe a small fancy coffee.

How about a piece of art out of a vintage cigarette vending machine?

It's called Art-o-mate.

Videographer Russ Hunsinger explores how this concept started by a North Carolina man has spread across the country and around the world.

(metal clinking) - Oh my gosh, it's so beautiful.

Isn't that gorgeous?

A yellow Spring bird - Art-o-mat is a collaborative art installation project, where we use banned cigarette machines and turning them into functional art delivery devices.

(metal clinking) So people will see this and be like, "Hey, I haven't seen one of those in years."

In many cases, we'll design a machine for venue, we'll work with the interior designers or the architects.

We'll match colors.

We want our machines to be comfortable in a venue.

In each machine, there's anywhere from nine to 22 columns and each artist has their own color.

(metal clinking) - The fun of putting the money in and pulling the knob, it's amazing.

I love seeing the people's reactions and their smile.

(woman gasps) - This thing comes out and lands in someone's hand.

It's a small size that can be carried around.

And I like to feel it's, even though it's a big heavy cold machine, it creates a tangible connection between the artist and the patron.

- It was nice that they took old cigarette machines and turned them into something useful, and then supporting the local art community.

I loved it.

Like I said, this is just amazing that you can do something like this and make us all really, I mean, just such a happy thing.

- Well, this is $5.

So the artist gets 2.50, the host venue gets 1.50, 'cause they usually pay to host a machine, and then our studio gets a dollar.

The money is small, but honestly, once an artist gets into the mix and they figure out how to produce the work, it adds up faster than you would think.

- We have such a wide variety of artists, anything from little kids around seven or eight and all the way up to, probably, gosh, it's probably been about 10 years, but I think our oldest artist we've had was 98.

From people doing this as a fun hobby to professionals, it's amazing to see all the variety, anything you can possibly think of.

Paper mache to jewelry, to paintings, to little 3Ds, where you put your flashlight in.

It's a jellyfish porthole.

This one's a little viewfinder of a little mini drive-in.

This is a artist named Ann Shera.

She makes little clay TVs.

These are little art journals by Debbie Page Harris.

- We have jewelry, paintings, whatever fits in the parameters of our guidelines on our website.

It's got a fit within here.

- I had seen the machine before and I just didn't know anything about it and I thought, I do prints so I can probably do that.

It's a lot of pieces, but that's kind of fun because you can make a lot of different variations of different pieces and do different colors.

And I like whenever somebody tags me online, and you know, it says I got one of your blocks.

The amount that people enjoy it is satisfying.

Just the size of a cigarette pack and you get it out of the machine for five bucks.

And you know, a lot of people keep that as a memento, but some will contact me and they'll, you know, purchase a bigger piece of art.

It's a good way to promote myself.

- It is nice, it's a surprise and a pleasant surprise.

Like I said, this is beautiful.

- Thank you.

- I think it's love gorgeous.

- The artists who become part of this do kind of make it more exciting for me every day because they bring something to the project and make it stronger than what I could have done and I wouldn't want it to be about.

To wrap that up, I just want to work with artists who believe in our concept of people living with affordable art, and then just having fun with it.

- I just love the creativity of the folks in our area.

Thanks so much, Russ, for sharing that story with us.

Clark has estimated, since starting Art-o-mat in 1997, over 1 million pieces of art have been purchased and over a thousand artists have participated.

If you're part of an organization who'd like to host a machine or you're an artist, who'd like to participate, you can find a link to the information on our website at wtvi.org.

Well, wrapping things up tonight, tucked away in the heart of Statesville is a majestic mansion where elegance meets history.

The Historic Sharpe House is an architectural gem, originally built in 1866 for the city's very first mayor, Silas Sharpe.

Our newest "Carolina Impact" reporter, Chris Clark, shows us how this landmark offers a feast for the senses.

Get ready for a taste of royalty in a setting where the past comes alive.

- [Chris] Every detail from the table settings to the meticulously crafted dishes speaks of refinement and luxury.

Not merely a meal, but an experience where the charm of the past meets the standards of modern dining, transporting people to a world of opulence and sophistication.

- I thought it was amazing.

- They are blown away that there's a place that is dressed up and as an elegant to have an event at as what we do here.

- [Chris] The food and ambiance captivate all who enter, but it's the footman and their impeccable service that lingers in conversations.

- You have your assigned table numbers, everybody watch for each other.

- [Chris] Dressed in elegant tails, gleaming gold buttons, crisp vests, dapper bow ties, polished cuff links, and of course, pristine white gloves.

The footman of the Sharpe House attend a guest with grace and precision from the instant they arrive.

- Funnest thing about this is being able to interact with more people, being able to serve them with your heart.

- It's something that they don't get to see very often.

- [Chris] Once a staple on the 18th and 19th century European aristocracy, the role has now faded into history.

Unless, of course, you're a British royal.

The group wasn't originally part of the festivities at the Sharpe House, but one evening Keith Fry stumbled upon a program that sparked his curiosity.

- It was inspired by watching Downton Abbey.

If it weren't for PBS and WTVI broadcasting it, I wouldn't have known about it.

- [Chris] From setting the candles, properly placing forks and spoons, glassware, just so the footman do it all.

- I've had the good fortune to actually go to London and had tea at The Ritz, and I'm very proud to say not one thing different.

So we're on par with The Ritz in London, but not nearly as expensive.

- [Chris] Historically, the role has been filled by young men, teenagers.

Same ones that do this (crowd cheering) are the same age as the young men serving refreshments with hor d'oeuvres and a multi-course meal.

But finding the right young men was a challenge at first.

- Grabbed two bag boys from the grocery store.

One of 'em, I had to take the tailcoat to him, put it on him and say, "You're hired, you're working tomorrow night."

- [Chris] That was 11 years ago and marked the beginning of a transformative chapter in the Sharpe House.

As site manager, Keith faced a dilemma.

Like most historic homes, it needed some love.

Upkeep is expensive.

Ever the problem solver, Keith's solution was brilliant, helping the mansion and his catering company.

- It's a partnership, so to speak, where the house rental money takes care of the fees for keeping up the house.

But accounting did not wanna get involved with food and flowers and whatnot associated with weddings and things.

So my business is known as Crowning Events and so we give everyone a royal term, and we do it in this splendor of this beautiful house.

- [Chris] If you're eager to learn and put in the effort, Keith will teach you the art of etiquette.

- Alex has sensory processing disorder and so when you ask Alex, "Tie your shoes," it takes him a little bit to be able to respond.

It may look as he's being insubordinate, which he is not.

He's just trying to process the information.

But Keith is phenomenal and he understands it.

- [Chris] Children with autism often struggle with communication, social interaction, and focus issues, but something about putting on the footman's uniform changes these young men.

- It's the old adage of clothes make the man.

- The confidence I think is even greater than anything else because he was a very quiet kid when he first started with Keith, and he's completely come out of his shell.

- You know, in my own life, I'm much more like this.

I'm the smiling guy, but when I'm serving and working, I'm more like.

- Although, it may have backfired in Alex's case.

- I never really asked him to do anything very difficult because in my mind, he couldn't handle it.

And then I saw him at the Mother's Day Tea, the one I went to, and he was leading other kids.

And so now he gets a lot more chores at home.

- There is less time for homework, which makes it, you know, a little bit more stressful.

- [Chris] Small price to pay for the opportunity to be part of something so special.

- This place is just an opportunity for us to just learn and just have experiences that'll just shape us for our future.

- [Chris] Fostering skills that serve them for a lifetime.

- My husband and I had already always thought that he would probably be with us forever, but seeing him perform at these events, he's totally fine.

The kid's gonna be able to live on his own, have a family of his own, and flourish in adulthood.

- Obviously, all of these guys get along and they enjoy what they do.

But, excuse me, fellas, this isn't charity work.

If they're 14 or 15 years or older and they got a work permit, they're getting paid for all of this.

Now the guys that are younger, they do get paid, but it's with something that is oh, so sweet.

- Pound cake.

And if anyone knows the Sharpe House, they know what I'm talking about.

It's my mother's recipe.

It's called a double vanilla pound cake.

- [Chris] Keith and the Sharpe House footmen are curators of an unforgettable experience that leaves an indelible mark on the soul.

His goal is simple, yet profound.

- We want them to leave here feeling royal, feeling as though this is gonna be something I'll always cherish.

- [Chris] Be it dinner for 20 at the mansion, or a grand gala for 200 across the street at the Civic Center, every detail is flawlessly executed, creating a memorable experience that lingers long after the last plate is cleared.

For "Carolina Impact," I'm Chris Clark.

- Thank you, Chris, and welcome to our PBS Charlotte family.

Keith's guidance for the footmen extends far beyond the dining room.

They also take care of the grounds with the same meticulous care for trimming the shrubs, grass, and planting flowers, to cultivating a seasonal vegetable garden.

Pretty impressive there.

I've worked with Keith on several projects and he's extraordinary.

The region's very own.

Mr. Carson.

Well, that's all the time we have this evening, thanks so much for joining us.

We always appreciate your time and look forward to seeing you again next time on "Carolina Impact."

Goodnight, my friends.

(lighthearted music) - [Host] This is a production of PBS Charlotte.