Ministers from page AI Union Baptist Church has also provided hotel rooms for some Alder's Point residents and provided them food and clothing. Alder's Point is a senior cit izens complex in Happy Hill. The fire there displaced about 100 people. The Minister's Conference held several meetings in the days after the first fire. Local churches amassed a large amount of donated goods to give away to victims on Tuesday. It took volunteers all day Monday to sort through them. Hundreds of paper shopping bags filled with toiletries were assembled. And what didn't fit in the bags filled tables and racks including clothing of all types and sizes, linens, food - and extra toiletries. Approximately 150 vol unteers from 25 churches participated. Volunteer Pat Bitting wore her Happy Hilt Reunion tee shirt as she checked off the displaced residents who came through the doors of the church. The Alder's Point fire hit home, because Bitting lived in Happy Hill in the 1960s. Her brother. Will "Rock" Bitting, is one of the founders of the Happy Hill Reunion. ' "My heart just goes out to those who have been dis placed," said Bitting. "At Photos fcyTodd Luck Above: Volunteers serve food. Right: Fire victim Annie Green. any time I could find myself without, whether it's because of a fire, whether it's because of job place ment, whatever. 1 could be in the same position." Many volunteers pre pared and served residents a delicious meal that included fried chicken and green beans. Others helped resi dents navigate the many sta tions the church had set up for them. There was a station where medical volunteers checked "their blood sugar and blood pressure. Church counselors were on hand for those who needed to talk to someone. But before all that, dis placed residents got a sheet to fill out, listing on the back their needs or all the things they lost. If fire took all their possessions, they were instructed to write "every thing." ~ - Annie Green appreciated the help. She lost everything in the Alder's Point fire., escaping with only the Clothes on her back. "That's an awful feeling. That's a sad feeling, 1 was out there lost and had no ptaye to go at the timeV* said Gree.n. She's currently staying in a hotel room provided by the Red Cross while preparing to relocate to Chesterfield Apartments, where many of those displaced by the. Alder's Point fire will be staying until their apartment building is rebuilt. She left Tuesday's event with linens and several bags of necessi^ ties - things that most of us take for granted. "I thank God for this." she said. A concert will be held to benefit those displaced by the fires this Sunday at 4 p.m. at Mt. Zion Baptist Church at the corner of Martin Luther King,". Jr. Drive and File Street. Mentors 'from paxe A 1 Children are matched with a "big brother" or "big sister" who has similar interests, and the two are asked to get together once a week to talk, interact and just spend time together. "We'd love to get into churches, businesses and civic organizations to explain the need for more male volun teers," Sing said. "All they need to do is to commit for a year to do one activ ity a week ... however you like to spend your free time, we have littles who like to do that too." While the agencies typically are referred more young boys than girls, volunteers are more often female, Sing says. The organizations are hopeful that the 100 Men campaign, which has been utilized by other BBBS agencies r across the country, will help to get more men interested in giving back by becoming mentors. "We'd love to have 100 (men sign up) here," Sing remarked. "... the number is unlimited, because the need is unlimited." Each of the three Triad organiza tions will host its own recruiting events to support the 100 Men campaign. Sing said the Forsyth County outlet is focusing on events that might appeal to men, such as a tour of the Winston Salem Police Department, slated for later in the campaign. "1 think it's just (a matter of) get ting the word out,'' Sing commented. "Usually, when we have a big push (for new volunteers) ... people will respond." While the program is designed to benefit the children, the adult volun teers also have much to gain from the interaction. Sing believes. "In my opinion, (volunteers) will get more than they give," she said. "When you have somebody asking you for advice and looking up to you, you're really helping somebody to" grow, and it's helping your own growth." Winston-Salem resident Frank Thomas can readily attest to the per sonal rewards he has gained from being a big brother. Thomas, the director of custodial services at Wake Forest University, signed up to become a "Big" last spring. While he admits he was a little hes itant to get involved at first, Thomas, a 45-year-old father of three daughters and an ordained minister, says he is glad he finally took the initiative. 'Tart of my apprehension was I'm too busy, my plate's too full. Well, that's a cop-out for some of us," he remarked. "What's an hour a week? Not to mention the long lasting impact you could have on a young man . maybe even keep him out of the penitentiary or the cemetery." Thomas and his little brother, Ja'Kishe. 11, have made the most of their time together, going bowling, to the movies and even the Opening Night of the Winston-Salem Dash's season. "It's been great," he said. "...We are going down that road to doing some things that I was never able to do with my daughters - guy stuff." Thomas is so sold on the idea of mentoring, that he works to recruit new volunteers to BBBS and the First Tee, a golf mentoring organization he also is involved with, all the time. "Every chance I get when I talk to friends of mine or acquaintances, I drop hints about either Big Brothers Big Sisters or First Tee," he declared. "It doesn't take anything to volunteer but time and an open attitude." For more information about Big Brothers Big Sisters Services inc., or to volunteer, call (336) 724-7993. -r^-- -lyi . -y" . ?? ; ..1 > ' nil' n|