Fight against homelessness continues
*
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
The rows of bright tents
set up on a grassy patch out
side of the Experiment in
Self-Reliance's Third Street
building served as a very visi
ble sign to bring attention to
an issue that has become
invisible to many people. As
part of its 40th anniversary
celebrations, ESR staff mem
bers and some of the agency's
supporters slept outside last
Thursday night to bring atten
tion to the plight of the home
less.
ESR is part of a consor
tium of local agencies that
works to address the needs of
the homeless. Other member
agencies include local shelters
and social service groups. The
Rev. Ginny Britt, head of the
local homeless council, likes
to tell those who think nega
tively of homeless people that
the homeless are just like any
one else. She said many have
tried to change their situa
tions, but are hampered by a
laundry list of problems.
Homelessness is also a possi-N
bility that many working peo
ple may find themselves faced
with as the economy fights to
regain momentum. According
to The Advocacy of the Poor,
an organization that Britt also
heads, Forsyth County has
more than 33,000 households
with incomes below the feder
al poverty level.
While agencies such as
ESR. which runs a transitional
housing program that helps
the working homeless and
poor, are doing their part,
Britt and others have taken the
fight against homelessness to
the streets - literally. At least
once a month. Britt leads a
team that goes into woods and
under bridges to deliver blan
kets. food and toiletries to the
homeless. The helpers have
^ . ? Photo by Kevin Walker
A w oman uses her dog to help bring attention to the homeless problem at an event last week.
had their work cut out for
them lately. Recently, Light
house Ministries, one of only
a handful of shelters in the
city, closed its doors, giving
those who want shelter one
less option.
Stephen Powell braved the
outdoors last week to take part
in the sleep-in. He works with
homeless people every day
through his church. First
Assembly of God.
"1 think (the sleep-in) will
make people a lot more sensi
tive to the homeless problem,"
he said.
Twana Wellman. the exec
utive director of ESR. said
that was ESR's goal when it
thought up the event. But she
admits that even a tent on hard
earth during fairly moderate
temperatures was several lev:
els above the conditions that
most homeless people face
each day.
"This, what we are doing
here, is like a penthouse com
pared to what it is like for
many people," she said.
Members of the City
Council dropped by the sleep
in to show their support for
the cause. One council mem
ber, Fred Terry, took the
plunge all the way. He slept
out for the night. Terry, who
usually wears nicely-pressed
suits, was unrecognizable as
he showed up at ESR with a
full beard, baseball cap, worn
jeans and unlaced boots. He
carried a bag in his hand con
taining a coat and other items.
ESR staff members, believing
that Terry was a homeless per
son needing assistance, quick
ly offered help. Terry said he
dressed down to make the
point that homelessness could
be closer than any of us think.
ESR
from page A 1
are (ESR is) here I will be
here. Long as it is something
to do with ESR. Twill be here
to support it because they
helped me." said Langley,
who is now working with ESR
to earn her GED;
ESR Executive Director
Twana Wellman is proudest of
the many success stories like
Langley's that mark the
agency's decades of service.
"It is a huge milestone for
us," Wellman said. "It is excit
ing that we have been in busi
ness for 40 years of providing
services for the working poor
in our community."
The agency was founded in
November 1964 amid Presi
dent Johnson 's~sweeping "War
on Poverty" policy. Back then,
the agency was heavily con
centrated on educating people
and helping them obtain job
skills. The agency's hands are
still in those areas today, but
its mission has broadened
greatly over the years. ESR
runs the city's best known
transitional housing program,
which provides a roof over the
heads of people who find
themselves suddenly homeless
as a result of economics or
natural disasters. The program
has been most beneficial to a
group that Wellman calls the
"working homeless."
"The greater problem is
the working homeless. These
may be people who have been
evicted; these may be women
who have been battered."
Wellman said.
ESR's self-sufficiency pro
gram. which has helped Lang
ley and many others, offers
help with child care, trans
portation. counseling and
budgeting. More than 90 per
cent of the clients that ESR
serves are working. Ninety
four percent of them are no
longer on public assistance.
The agency also has a popular
homeownership program that
works with clients to repair
their credit, budget their
expenses, save money and
eventually buy homes.
Perhaps because of its
track record of turning former
welfare mothers into home
owners and putting the pep
back into the steps of those
who were once homeless. ESR
is more popular than ever
these days. Last fiscal year,
the agency served 650 house
holds. With unemployment
high, the agency expects that
number to rise this year. As
ESR celebrates its past suc
cesses, part of its immediate
future is to find ways to con
tinue to pay for what it has
done for the past four decades.
"We can't do as much for
as many and that hurts us,"
said Danny Haire, the
agency's assistant director.
"We have more client requests
and less staff to meet those
needs foe those requests. That
is not a good combination."
ESR is funded through the
United Way. several founda
tions. grants and moneys from
the city and county. The pub
lic money has become harder
and harder for the agency to
obtain, especially the last two
years when both the city and
county have faced massive
deficits. Last year, the county
cut its funding significantly to
the agency.
Haire said to make ends
meet. ESR had to cut two full
lime positions to part-time.
The agency also could not
afford to fill vacancies. ESR is
trying to stop the bleeding.
The agency is constantly look
ing for more sources of fund
ing. In fact, the 40th anniver
sary event was part celebra
tion and part fund-raiser.
Wellman has faith that ESR's
track-record and important
mission will be remembered
by elected officials as the city
and county enter the tumul
tuous budgetary season.
The experimenl that start
ed 40 years ago has succeeded
as far as Wellman is con
cerned. but there are new
mountains that she wants to
scale.
Wellman wants ESR to
stretch its housing wings by
becoming advocates for low
income people throughout the
city.
"I would like to work with
every citizen in the communi
ty to find suitable and afford
able housing." she said.
""What that means for us is to
be a voice for the voiceless."
? i
Marcus McNmill
ROTC to
honor an
A&T senior
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
GREENSBORO - Marcus
T. McNeill, a senior business
marketing major at N.C. Agri
cultural 'and Technical State
University, will he awarded the
George C. Marshall ROTC
Award during a four-day ROTC
National Security Seminar
April 13-16 in Lexington. Va.
McNeill is the Cadet Battal
ion Commander in the Army
ROTC Program at N.C.A&T.
The Lillington, N.C., native is a
four-year Army ROTC Scholar
ship recipient. During the sum
mer of 2002, he completed the
Army Airborne Qualification
Course at Fort Benning, Ga. He
has been selected to enter the
Military Intelligence Branch
and is scheduled to receive his
commission as an Army second
lieutenant in May.
The George C. Marshall
ROTC Award is presented to
the most outstanding Army
ROTC cadet at each university
across the nation offering
ROTC. About 250 cadets
throughout the country will
receive this award. The ROTC
Award and Seminar are intend
ed to be reflective of the values
Marshall portrayed continuous
ly throughout his lifetime - that
of professional excellence, calm
leadership, personal integrity
and selfless service to the
nation. Ultimately, it is these
values that earned him the only
Nobel Prize for Peace ever pre
sented to a career soldier.
Salem College Continuing Studies Students
In Their Own Words...
Bonnie Beattie '05 ? Hometown: Winston-Salem
Major: Studio Art , minor in creative writing
"I never thought I could do this ; not a I Mieve I can do
anything Salem is so much more than a grade and a
degree, it's about discoloring yourself and your potential. It's
about an extraordinary learning environment loith amaz
ing people who appreciate your pasty nourish your present
and promote your future. Its the best plate you can be!"
Aquita Burrus '05 ? Hometown: Clemmons
Major: BSBA, minor in pysc/tology and sociology
"At Salem I have found a 'you can do it' attitude
from staff and students that pushes me. I have also
found a sisterhood of loyalty atul a place to start
a new chapter in my lifts journey. I am giveti
choices that allow me to move at my own pace
while juggling many commitments. *
Information Sessions:
Tuesday, March 16 at 6 p.m. and Wednesday, March 17 at 10 a.m.
Salem College
Continniii g Studies
Call 336.721 .2669,
visit www.salem.edu
or drop in for more
information
Bishop JC & Lady Joyce Hash
&
St. Peter's World Outreach Center
Proudly Presents
Fned Hammond
Radical f on Chm'st
April 4th, 2004 fit 6 pm.
at
^t6pm. |
St. Peter's World Outreach Center
in
Winston-Salem NC
Also appearing will be Lisa McClendon and
the 7 Son's of Soul produced by Fred Hammond
Ticket* may be purchased through all Ticket Master outlets, or by
calling (336) 722-6400, or online at www.ticketmaator.com.
Also, tickets may be purchased at the
St. Peter's World Outreach Center Bookstore.
For more information, call (336) 650-0200.
St Peter's World Outreach Center
- People Caring About People,
God's Way!