Newspapers / The AC Phoenix News … / March 1, 2002, edition 1 / Page 2
Part of The AC Phoenix News (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
Page 2 March 2002 The AC Phoenix find Blessing Begins New Bevelnpmenf mw begihbs for hth street area anb err new resideiStB For Habitat for Humanity - by Ciare Aitmann A transformation is underway in the Patterson Avenue - 14th Street neighborhood area. Taik began two years ago when Rodney Sumier, President of the Northwest Neighborhood Association, invited Habitat for Humanity of Forsyth County to their meeting. Rev. Mary Peterson, minister of St. James AME Church on Patterson Avenue, hosted monthiy meetings at her church, out of which grew an exciting new project. Habitat Forsyth is now set to begin buiiding seven new homes with 57 United Methodist churches sponsoring the financiai and voiunteer support. Aithough construction on the new homes begins March 8th, Habitat heid its first officiai “Biessing of the Land” Feiiowship Breakfast and Worship Service at St. James AME Church on February 18th. This speciai service united neighborhood ministers, those 57 Methodist sponsoring church ministers, and the ministers of the seven new Habitat homeowners. in addition to the ministers represented, those in attendance aiso inciuded Rodney Sumier, Dr. Monica Lett, the Winston-Saiem Housing/Neighborhood Deveiopment Director, who has been a Habitat supporter, as weii as Ward Miiier, a Habitat Board Member and member of St. James AME Church, and Rev. Mary Peterson, the minister of St. James who opened the doors of her church to host the service and the monthiy meetings of Habitat and the Northwest Neighborhood Association. ivy Steward, Church and Community Reiations Coordinator for Habitat Forsyth, noted that Habitat has a iong-heid tradition of a very meaningfui House Dedication service when homes are compieted, but this marked the first Land Biessing. “it compietes the circie,” Steward said. “The soii where the house wiii stand that is heid and biessed during this service wouid not be there without God, so we thank Him for the iand”. Habitat is in desperate need of and is in constant prayer for, iand suitable for building. The purpose of this Land Blessing service is not only to bring these churches and this community together, but also to focus on the Biblical prin ciples on which Habitat for Humanity was founded. Habitat homes have many sponsors - corporate, businesses, families, “we are grateful for all sponsors, and it is extra special when churches step fonward,” said Steward, “God should be the center of our lives and the church should be the center of the community”. At this Land Blessing were many differences, according to Steward, “gender, denominational, and racial, but we are all one.” Over 100 people gathered for the breakfast fellowship and worship service, and stood on the seven prepared lots to bless the soil, pray for the volunteers and homeowners, and celebrate a transformation of a piece of land in God’s name. “A new beginning” is what Habitat Homeowner Necole Ross has in mind, as she looks forward to construction beginning on her home in a few short days. Necole Ross, a Winston-Salem native and CNA at Forsyth Hospital, and her two sons, a 17-year-old working on his GED and a 4th grader at Kimberly Park Elementary, have lived in their current neighborhood for 12 years. Necole says it is “getting bad now with drugs and shootings. 1 am very excited and my kids are anxious to get their own rooms.” Since her younger son was born, the boys have shared a room and now cannot wait to have their own personal space. Necole looks forward to a new home where her youngest son can get out and safely ride his bike. She is most excited about having a new house she can decorate and hang pictures. “Nice stuff doesn’t look good in a raggedy house,” she said. The new beginning Necole dreams of will change her family’s life and the face of the Hth Street area - an area ridden with high crime and drug use. Necole’s and six other new homeowner’s homes will be a part of the seven house United Methodist Blitz scheduled for March 8-10 in the Hth Street/Patterson Avenue area. Several years ago. Centenary United Methodist Church challenged HabitatForsyth to not only change the lives of the families it serves, but to also make a change in local neighborhoods that desperately needed revitalization. Through this encouragement, HabitatForsyth, along with Centenary and all local Untied Methodist churches, began building on 13th Street and changed that street for the better. Now a few years later the Winston-Salem District of the United Methodist Churches has taken on the challenge of 14th Street. All 57 churches have joined together and raised $360,000 to help finance these homes. The Habitat families Continued on Page 45 TME gj IVl=ne Tk= r^ev^spaper", CZ-orr» m n r» itij Institution An Associate Consultant’s Newspaper Established 1982 Rodney J. Sumier, Publisher Sartia Stover, Managing Editor Ann F. Sumier Gerald Green financial Director Execufive Director of Marketing Asim Razzak, Nikki M. Boulwar^ Kenneth Fox, Rhonda Johnson Advertising Consultants Dr. Linda Bowman-Hopson Education Editor s publication are not necessarily t publisher or staff. (336) 727-1 171 fax (336) 723-1606 e-mail: acphoenix@triad.rr.com those of the Have the AC Phoenix delivered for $25 for 12 issues. Yes, 1 want to receive my AC Phoenix each month. Name Address City Return this coupon to: State .Zip. The AC Phoenix, Circulation Department 2523 Patterson Ave., Winston-Salem, NC 27105 A voluntary payment of $25 per year is requested to defray delivery expenses. Make checks payable to the AC Phoenix. Date:
The AC Phoenix News (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
March 1, 2002, edition 1
2
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75