Donor Spotlight: Elmo's Diner of Durham

When Elmo's Diner opened in Durham in 1997, co-owner Cammie Brantley knew the local business had immense opportunity to give back to its community.

More than 15 years later, and with a sister location open in Carrboro, the team at Elmo's continues to invest in impactful organizations, including Communities In Schools (CIS) of Durham.

“We feel that by supporting the schools, we're really able to give back to our community in a broad way,” says Cammie, a Charlotte native and former teacher. “When you're supporting the school system, you really are honing in on a huge chunk of the population.”

Cammie and her business-partner husband were some of the original supporters of the disbanded Durham Public Education Network, once the fundraising arm of Durham Public Schools, she says. Their involvement with Communities In Schools of Durham began with the Dine Out for Kids program, an annual fundraising event during which a portion of the restaurant's sales go to Durham's schools. Today, Cammie and the Elmo's team continue to support CIS of Durham through generous donations and participation in such programs.

“I really believe in the work [CIS] does with the Dine Out program and the annual backpack drive and the progress being made in our schools,” Cammie says. Community donors like Cammie and the Elmo's team make the work CIS of Durham does possible. We want to share the stories of our supporters to show our appreciation. Would you like to tell your donor or volunteer story? Email Tamara Omazic, Communications Manager, at tamara@cisdurham.org.