Newspapers / Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.) / Jan. 29, 2015, edition 1 / Page 4
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Careers 1 ? L _ J ? i ? SECU highlights foster Mds Through a project known as the NC Heart Gallery, State Employees' Credit Union (SECU) members will soon see a few new faces in their local branches - the beautiful smiles of some of North Carolina's foster children eligi ble for adoption. SECU is partnering with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services - Division of Social Services (NCDHHS - DSS) to promote foster care and adoption with the hope of finding permanent homes for foster youth in the state. Through a seven-month campaign that began the week of Jan. 12, branches in SECU districts are displaying exhibits featuring pro fessional portraits of some of North Carolina's eligible foster youth on a rotational basis. The NC Heart Gallery displays include biographies on each child, along with foster and adoptive parenting information. SECU's partic ipation and goal is to promote adoption of foster kids and encourage North Carolina citizens to become foster or adoptive parents, with the Credit Union advocating for children who deserve the love and stability of a forever fami ly According to statistics provided by NCD HHS, North Carolina had 9,954 children in fos ter care at the end of November 2014, and approximately 500 age out of the system each year without a permanent family. City of W-S Photo Winners Dara Silver (left) and Annika Archie hold their awards. With them are (from left) Human Relations Commissioner Michael Clinton, Human Relations Department Executive Director Wanda Allen-Abraha, Commissioner Chairperson Nora Baker and Commissioner Sonny Haynes. Two receive 'Dreamer' honors CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT Annika Archie and Dara Silver have been awarded this year's Martin Luther King Jr. Young Dreamer Awards by the Winston-Salem Human Relations Commission. The honor recognizes outstanding, emerging or proven young adult leaders who live in the city and have produced a meaningful result in community inclusiveness and race relations. The award is intended to encourage young adults to participate in philanthropic, altruistic community involvement that is in the spirit of how Dr. King lived and encouraged others to live. Archie is a consistent spokesperson and advocate for some of our community's most vulnerable populations. In her pioneering role as Supporter of Health with FaithHealth at Wake Forest Baptist Health, she assists patients and families who are struggling to meet some of their most basic needs upon discharge from the hospital. She has helped people access safe housing, food, medications, health insurance and any number of basic needs that help people live healthier lives. Annika has also lived through many of life's challenges, which have given her the strength and wisdom to make a difference in the lives of others who may currently experience similar challenges. Silver has worked tirelessly to ensure that all cultural groups are represented in the Arts Council of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County, where she serves as director of Member Services and Grants. She goes beyond the call of duty to ensure that the Arts Council's granting c6mmittees are diverse and reflective of the community; she personally contacts groups and individuals to tell them of grant deadlines; she remains open to help applicants through the process; she looks for opportunities to include all artists and arts groups at i,the table where decisions are made. In her work she works diligently to promote an arts community that is free of bias and dis crimination. The Commission sought nominations for the awards late last year. Commission members reviewed all the nominations and selected the winners. Huffman joins shelter. CHRONICLE STAFF REPORT Angie Huffman has been hired as the director of development at the Bethesda Center, filling a position that had been vacant for three months at the county's largest home less shelter. " I believe that devel opment i s work ing col labora tively with community members and sharing stories," said Huffman. "I look forward to learning so much more about the Bethesda Center, sharing and telling our story to further the successes of those we serve and make our community more aware of the needs of the homeless in our community." Over the last 15 years, Huffman has worked as director of development for several community organi zations, most recently the Paul J. Ciener Botanical Garden in Kernersville. where she raised awareness and funds. At Bethesda, she will work to develop new fund- <s ing sources while leading many of Bethesda's existing fundraising efforts, includ ing this year's Take the Lead Winston-Salem danc ing event. Huffman Project hears Johnson Dr. Valerie A. Johnson, Mott Distinguished Professor of Women's Studies and director of Africana Women's Studies at Bennett College in Greensboro, was the first speaker at the Faculty Research Seminar hosted by the Anna Julia Cooper Center at Wake Forest University. The seminar was held on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 5:30 p.m. in the Benson Center building on Wake Forest University s campus. Dr. Johnson present-j ed her working paper, "To Dance With A Stranger: Self-Defense As Choreographed keality." Melissa Harris-Perry was the respondent for Dr. Johnson's presenta tion. Harris-Perry, host of MSNBC s "Melissa Harris-Perry," is founding director of the Anna Julia Cooper Project on Gender, Race, and Politics in the South. Named for the foundational black feminist intellectual,1 activist, and educator of the early 20th century, the Anna Julia Cooper Project supports related programs, courses and research. The project moved to Wake Forest when Harris-Perry was appointed to the Presidential Endowed Chair in Politics and International Affairs at Wake Forest University. The Anna Julia Cooper Center hosts a monthly seminar series for Piedmont-Triad area faculty members whose research and teaching interests focus on gender, race and politics in the South. M __ a _ ? m ? _ a _ ? _ Johnson tunas 10 neip doosc mm North Carolina has awarded $205,000 to 26 employers across the state to help them invest in building the skills of their workers, including in Forsyth County. The NCWorks Incumbent Worker Training Grant program assists businesses with reim bursements for the cost of training programs, provided such services meet state requirements. Each business applies for a grant through its local workforce develop ment board, which reviews the application and submits its recom mendations for evalua tion to the N.C. Division of Workforce Solutions. After the latest round of applications, the state awarded $205,000 in grant money to 26 busi nesses, benefitting more than 475 workers. The ; employers are also contributing more than $238,000 for worker training. ^ The list includes Haywood Industries in Clemmons (12 employees to be trained, $4,766 grant). "These grants can cover the costs ofi instructional courses, training for certification j exams, or skills assessments directly related to training." said Commerce Assistant Secretary of; Workforce Solutions Will Collins. The money for the program is made avail able to the states through the federal Workforce Investment Act. The N.C. Division of Workforce Solutions is a part of the N.C. Department of Commerce. For more information about the division, visit www.nccommerce.com/work force. Collins l Nielson exec: Use economic power wisely SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE African-Americans are responsi ble for $1.1 trillion in consumer spending each year, creating a pow erful economic force that cannot be ignored. v Cheryl Pearson-McNeil - senior vice president for strategic alliances and community engagement at Nielson, a multinational consumer ratings firm - delivered that bit of information Tuesday as she spoke during the Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation at North Carolina Central University in Durham. She urged the students, faculty and staff gath ered to become more "con scious con sumers." "As African Americans, we don't tend to , believe in our individ ual power and sometimes not even our collec tive power," Pearson-McNeil said. "We tend to take what we do for granted. But that's a lot of power, and it's something that can't be ignored and shouldn't be given away." Social media is another area where African-Americans have a growing influence, especially among the coveted consumer demographic - ages 18 to 34. "Black Twitter is so powerful right now," Pearson-McNeil said, referring to now-iconic hashtags, such as #blacklivesmatter and #icantbreathe. "Can you imagine if Rosa Parks had had access to Twitter that day on the bus when she just didn't feel like moving to the back? She could have had a couple of thousand people waiting for her at the courthouse." She urged students and others to shop at businesses that employ peo ple from diverse ethnic and minority backgrounds, as well as those that See NCCU on A10 i I mjvu rnoio Cheryl Pearson McNeil speaks. j I R
Winston-Salem Chronicle (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
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Jan. 29, 2015, edition 1
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