Photos by Layla Usrms
Merrick Ward stands in front of the Transformed Lives Transitional House for Men on
Stockton Street. ,
Second Chances
Former inmates walk out of Transitional House different men
BY LAYLA GARMS
THE CHRONICLE
Merrick Ward is a man on a mission.
After spending eight years of his life in
prison for drug trafficking, the 38-year-old
Yonkers, N.Y. native was released with a clear
vision of what he wanted for his life.
Ward, a onetime music producer and studio
owner, is now working full time at K&W
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Forsyth Tech. The father of one
dreams of transferring to the film
school at the University of North
Carolina School of the Arts.
Ward also volunteers in the Media
Room at Winston-Salem First, where
he has attended church for the past
several years. He recently purchased a
car and hopes to have his own apart
ment in the next few months. He cred
its the Transformed Lives Transitional
House for Men with playing a valu
able role in his post-release success.
"I've got family. 1 didn't have to
come here, but I'm at the age where I
just didn't feel comfortable going to a
family member's couch," he said. "I
just wanted to be able to get on my
own two feet."
Ward has stayed in the house since
his release in February 2010. The
House is operated by husband and
wife team Stephen and Michele
Powell, founders of Transformed
Lives, Inc., a Christian based commu
miy resource cenier. i ne mouse oners case man
agement and shows residents, all former
inmates, how to reach their goals. Food and shel
ter are provided for a nominal fee of $300 a
month. Residents are held to a strict set of rules,
which requires them to attend church, bible
study and ex-offender support group meetings.
In addition, they must volunteer at the
Transformed Lives Center on New Walkertown
Road and other area agencies. The men are also
expected to honor a nightly curfew and perform
chores around the house.
Stephen Powell, who works closely with the
residents, said the structure of the program is
designed to help the men establish a deeper rela
tionship with God and stay out of prison for
good.
"Ninety-five to 97 percent of people who are
incarcerated are going to come out of incarcera
tion," he said of the organization's motivation to
offer the program. "We can be prepared to help
them be successful, or we can do nothing and
continue to see the revolving door of prison.
This community is very open and has a lot of
opportunities to help people, and 1 think we all
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should be willing to do that."
Ward met Powell, an ordained minister, at
Winston-Salem First at just the right moment.
"God just pointed me in the right direction
because Steve was there that day," Ward said. "I
was going to church and he (Powell) knew that I
was on the right path, so he wanted to help me."
Powell said the house is there to help men
who want to help themselves.
"We try to help them make all the connec
Powell
Simpson
uons mai mey may neea to accom
plish their goals," related Powell,
director of evening operations at
Winston-Salem State University's
Thompson Center. "They have to be
in a place where they want to change
their lifestyle. If they are, then we're
willing to help them."
Bronx native Gordon Simpson
says he can testify firsthand to the
effectiveness of the Transformed
Lives House program. Simpson, 58,
moved into the House, which has
been in operation for four years, in
2009. He spent just one year at the
facility, but says it helped him to
solidify his faith following a rough
period in his life.
"While I was in jail, I went
through a divorce and it just seemed
like I had lost everything I had," said
Simpson, who served 18 months on
a cocaine sales conviction. "It
seemed like there was no hope, but I
believed God had something for
me."
Today, Simpson is gainfully employed as a
cook at Wake Forest University, and says he has
been offered a promotion once he completes his
certification through Second Harvest Food
Bank's Triad Community Kitchen program. He
is newly married and expecting a daughter this
week. Though he has moved away from the
home, he is still a fixture at the Transformed
Lives Center on New Walkertown Road, where
he volunteers regularly. Simpson said it is easy
to give back to a place that has helped him so
much.
"God made a way. 1 refused to go back to the
way I was. It was a struggle, but my spiritual
faith is really high," said the father of one, who
also holds a Bachelor of Arts in culinary arts. "I
came out looking for a new life. I knew that it
was something God got for me, so I didn't give
up."
For more information about the Transformed
Lives Transitional House for Men, call 293
7959 or visit www.transformedlivesws.com.
Museum
from page Al
nity is made of a lot of people doing a lot of dif
ferent things," said Fuller, a veteran museum
exhibit designer who created New Winston's
first exhibit.
Photos from Digital Forsyth, a large collec
tion of local vintage images, line the walls of the
Museum's single gallery. They are used to tell
the story of the city before the towns of Winston
ana aaiem mergea.
Other images are
used to tell the story
of Winston-Salem's
notable Civil Rights
Era, when champions
like the late Rev.
Jerry Drayton
emerged. Photos also
depict present-day
Winston-Salem and
the people and places
that make it great.
The pictures on
display are unla
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available for visitors. Some of the eye-catching
images include ones of legendary brick-maker
George Black holding one of his bricks near a
demolished building; Medal of Honor recipient
Lawrence Joel saluting at a parade in his honor,
Coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines and his
Winston-Salem State Rams celebrating their
1967 NCAA Division II Basketball
Championship; a visit by inventor Thomas
Edison in 1918; and former basketball star
Shaquile O'Neal dropping by Brenner
Children's Hospital during his NBA heyday.
The photos are accompanied by video
excerpts of conversations with those who wit
nessed and made history, people like Drayton
and groundbreaking scientist Anthony Atala.
Nearly 40 local notables were interviewed over
a two-year period for the exhibit.
"It's all the stories of our community and it's
all interesting (because) when it's gone, it's
gone," said Fuller, referencing to the recent
deaths of Drayton and former Wachovia CEO
John Medlin, who was also interviewed.
Fuller conducted the interviews, which were
videotaped by Nick Gooler, a graduate student
in Wake Forest University's Documentary Film
Program. Gooler, who also mans the front desk
at the Museum, said that taping the more than
30 hours of interviews was enlightening.
"It was a lot of information about Winston
that I had no idea about," said Gooler, who
moved here two years ago from Illinois.
The Museum plans to continue adding to its
collection of video interviews, Gooler said.
There are plans to even set up an interview room
in the Museum where locals can make appoint
ments to come by and share their stories.
Interviews will eventually be posted online as
well, according to Fuller.
Fuller wants to expand the Museum's photo
collection by starting its own online digital
archive and inviting visitors to bring in their
own photos to be scanned.
The Museum, which chaiges no admission
and is funded by donations, is destined to
become a resource for local schools, groups and
organizations, Fuller believes, especially with
its close proximity to Old Salem Museum and
Gardens.
The Museum's Board is currently seeking a
permanent director and talking about eventually
demolishing the Museum's current building to
make way for a new, grander one.
The Museum is currently open from 2-5 p.m.
from Tuesday-Friday. For more information,
call 724-2842 or go to newwinston.org.
Majett
from page AI
those months, she said she was optimistic that
she would overcome the disease. Then tragedy
struck. Her son, Monte Evans, was killed by
Winston-Salem Police officers who responded
to a domestic dispute involving Evans and a
woman at a local Bojangles. Police say Evans
shot and killed Sgt. Mickey Hutchens and shot
and injured Officer Daniel Clark before he was
killed.
Shortly after that, Majett was told the cancer
was back.
Still, she found reasons to smile, celebrating
the bonds the tragedy helped to strengthen with
in her family and the relationships she built dur
ing her chemotherapy treatments.
"It got a little tiresome, but for the most part,
1 enjoyed my treatments. 1 still had an opportu
nity to meet and be around different people
everyday," she related. "Since I've been diag
nosed, I've met a lot of really great people. God
has put a lot of wonderful people in my path to
help me and they have been a great help, a great
blessing."
Throughout her ordeal, Majett has remained
faithful, never complaining about the hand she
has been dealt, and even finding the fortitude to
encourage others along the way. She says she
has counseled many newly-diagnosed women,
advising them not to worry, to stay positive, and
above all, trust in God. She credits her own faith
with helping her to see the silver lining in the
heartaches she has endured.
"I draw all of my strength from the Lord,
and I let them know that too," she said. "I've
never questioned why or anything of that nature.
I just know that nothing is too hard for God."
Eighteen-year breast cancer survivor Brenda
Sloan met Majett four years ago, when Majett
was newly-diagnosed. Sloan maintains an email
Breast Cancer Support Group that connects
roughly 80 women.
"We're all looking out for each other
because we're all in the same boat trying to get
to the same place," she explained.
Sloan said she was immediately drawn to
Majett's sunny nature, despite the rough road
she faced.
"We just kept in touch because I thought she
was such a strong person," Sloan remarked.
Evans said her mother, who reared three
children on her own, has always been a pillar of
strength.
"She put the 'S' in superman," said the
mother of two. "...My mom is my everything.
She taught me everything 1 know, from how to
cook to how to be a mother to how to be a
friend. Even when I was a crazy teenager who
didn't care about much of anything, she was
always there for me. She was my biggest critic
as well as my biggest supporter."
The Foundation provided airfare, hotel
accommodations and passes to the three parks
for the family. Majett and Evans held a two-day
yard sale and fish fry on June 15-16 to help raise
money for the expenses the Foundation doesn't
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Azilee Majett (left) and her daughter are
making the most of their time together.
cover, such as ground transportation and food.
The response was far more than either woman
had expected. An influx of donated items to sell,
food purchases and monetary contributions
from community members, churches and
groups made the endeavor more successful than
they could've hoped. By the end of the second
day, both women say they were exhausted, but
rejuvenated by the outpouring of support.
"1 just cried. It was like an overflow of emo
tion," Evans said. "It's amazing how many peo
ple's lives she's touched. It was so completely
overwhelming to me because I know how much
she means to me."
Majett says having the money issue out of
the way has allowed her to focus on the impor
tant things, like which park to visit first.
Sea World is her top priority.
"I think nature is so beautiful and to be able
to see all those big ol' mammals and all that
other stuff up close and personal like that, it's
gonna be so exciting," she said.
Then it's on to Disney World, where Majett
says she will ride everything she can. She's
already making a list of people she wants to pur
chase Mickey Mouse hats for.
"I love rides so I'm going to do quite a bit of
riding," she said.
Majett, who spends much of her free time
playing games on Facebook or reading, says she
still has things she'd like to do, but time and
money are in short supply these days.
"I've always had a dream of being able to
see different parts of the world," she said. "I've
never been on a cruise either, that's something
that I've always wanted to do."
Nevertheless, Majett said having the chance
to travel to a land that she's imagined since she
was a girl is something she's incredibly grateful
for.
"To God be the glory for all of the wonder
ful people that stepped up to help me and my
family to achieve this goal," she said. "Thank
you., thank you... thank you."
To donate to Majett's dream vacation fund,
contact her at asileemajett@yahoo.com or 473
3532. For more information about Dream
Foundation, visit
http :l / vwvw.dreamfoundation.org.
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