Senior Employment Program of Winston
Salem Urban League makes positive impact
I
Clinton
RusstU
If elms
Participation in the program is rewarding and allows
me to enhance my job skills and gain new skills."
- Mildred Clinton
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONICLE
People often think of
the Winston-Salem Urban
League as an organization
that advocates for civil
rights and primarily serves
younger urban clientele.
However, it is a senior
program that the Urban
League operates in 18
counties, which are prima
rily rural, that is making a
major positive impact and
improving the quality of
life for mature adults.
The Senior Community
Service Employment
Program (SCSEP), funded
by the U.S. Department of
Labor and Administered by
Senior Service America,
provides job readiness
training, computer training,
job search skills, paid work
experience and job place
ment services for 230 sen
iors annually. -*>
Seniors benefit from
the skills and experience
gained in host agency
assignments and nonprofit
agencies benefit from high
ly experienced and quali
fied mature adults placed in
their agencies that increase
their capacity to provide
quality services to those
most in need.
SCSEP is highly suc
cessful in achieving the
ultimate goal of empower
ing seniors to develop the
skills and experience to
become gainfully
employed.
Below are three of the
seniors in the Urban
League Senior Community
Services Employment
Program:
?Mildred Clinton, a
widow of a veteran is gain
ing experience and enhanc
ing her skills at Hands On
Northwest North Carolina
as a participant, in the
Urban League Senior
Community Services
Employment Program.
She is a valuable resource
to Hands On, a non- profit
organization that provides
technical assistance for
other nonprofits and also
coordinates senior volun
teer activities.
The host agency assign
ment provides opportuni
ties for Clinton to enhance
her computer skills and
office practices. Her past
work experience includes
38 years as a banking offi
cer. Due to her strong work
ethic she transitioned from
reconciling clerk to
Assistant Manager before
retiring in 2010.
After several years,
Clinton was ready to re
i
enter the job market. She
submitted several job
applications but did not get
a response. She enrolled
in the Urban League Senior
Community Service
Employment Program for
assistance in developing a
professional resume, inter
view skills, job search
training and information on
industry trends.
Clinton says
"Participation in the pro
gram is rewarding and
allows me to enhance my
job skills and gain new
skills. The program helped
to build my confidence to
re-enter the workforce.
The Urban League SCSEP
is an excellent transition
back into the workforce for
persons who have been
unemployed for a length of
time."
She feels that the expe
rience she is gaining will
prepare her for a clerical
position in both the "for
profit" and "nonprofit" sec
tors.
*Morris Russell takes
tremendous pride in his
host agency assignment at
the Fellowship Home.
Through the Urban League
SCSEP, Russell serves as
the House Manager and
provides oversight and sup
portive services for the res
idents in recovery.
Russell is particularly
well-suited for this position
having been a resident of
the Fellowship Home him
self. He has triumphed over
multiple obstacles includ
ing addiction and incarcer
ation due to some poor
decisions.
His life has been com
pletely transformed . To
better prepare for employ
ment, Morris obtained cer
enrolled in the Urban
League Senior Community
Service Employment
Program. Morris was keen
ly focused and took advan
tage of the job readiness,
job search and computer
training while looking for
full time employment.
The wages that Morris
earned through the SCSEP
provided income to cover
his "basic needs while he
worked in the area that he
is very passionate about.
Russell has proven to
be a success story for the
Urban League SCSEP. He
is simply elated that he has
recently landed his ideal
job with RHA Health
Services Inc.
?Rufus Helms enrolled
in the Urban League
SCSEP in December 2014.
After retiring from the
Chesapeake Ohio Railroad
tification as
a peer
. counselor.
He was
hired by the
Urban
League as a
community
educator
with the
POSSE,
program, a
health and
wellness
project that
the Urban
League
operates in
partnership
with the
Forsyth
County
Department
of Public
Health.
He later
as an Operator Switchman
and relocating to Winston
Salem, Helms was looking
for an employment oppor
tunity when he heard about
the Urban League SCSEP.
After his assessment
and Individualized
Employment Plan was
developed he was placed at
H.A.R.R.Y., a veteran's
outreach program ais an
office assistant. In that
capacity, Helms manages
incoming calls, greets vet
erans, and directs them to
the appropriate source for
services. Helms provides a
valuable service to the non
profit which operates with
minimal staff.
He is a welcome face
for veterans who come to
the agency seeking help
with a variety of problems
from getting their benefits,
health care, housing, emer
gency assistance and other
vital services. He is pro
viding a valuable service to
our most deserving clien
tele.
Because of his perse
verance and strong work
ethic Helms is destined to
succeed and obtain gainful
employment.
Seniors who are inter
ested in enrolling in the
Senior Community Service
Employment Program and
nonprofit agencies interest
ed in having a participant
assigned to their agency
should contact the Urban
League.
Employers who are
seeking experienced and
qualified individuals to fill
their staffing needs should
contact Patricia Sadler at
the Urban League at 336
725-5614 or
psadler@ wsurban .org.
Supreme Court
rejects N.C.
appeal on
election law
WASHINGTON (AP)
?The Supreme Court has
passed up an early chance
to review a contested North
Carolina election law that
opponents say limits the
ability of African
Americans to cast ballots.
The high court inter
vened in October to order
that the law remain in
effect for the fall elections
after a lower court ruling
blocking part of the law.
But the justices on
Monday wiped away their
earlier order by rejecting
the state's appeal of that
lower court ruling. The fed
eral appeals court in
Richmond. Virginia had
blocked a part of the law
that eliminated same-day
registration during early
voting in North Carolina.
A trial is set for July in
the lawsuit filed by civil
rights groups, and the issue
of voting restrictions could
return to the Supreme
Court before the 2016 elec
tinnc
North Carolina is
among several Republican
led states that have passed
election laws imposing
photo identification
requirements and reducing
the number of days set
aside for early voting,
among other provisions.
Officials have said the
measures are needed to
prevent voter fraud. But
critics have called the laws
thinly veiled efforts to
make it harder for
Democratic-leaning
minorities to vote.
The next elections in
North Carolina are in
September at the local
^l^yel. The next statewide
contest is the presidential
primary in early 2016.
NORTH CAROLINA'S
I Pre-College Program
I The Center for Mathematics, Science and Technology Education (CMSTE)
NC Mathematics and Science Education Network (NC-MSEN)
2015 Summer Scholars Pre Offline Program
Voted 2nd in the 2014 Winston-Salem Journal Newspaper Readers Choice Awards for
Best Summer Camp
For Middle and High School Students (grades 6-12) who are interested in pursuing careers
in science, mathematics, technology, engineering, and teaching.
? Promoting Excellence in Mathematics and Science Education
? Academic Instruction & Activities in Mathematics & Science
? Field Trip: Atlanta, GA-Atlanta University Consortium Center (Clark Atlanta,
Spelman & Morehouse); MLK National Historic Park; Georgia Aquarium; World of Coke;
CNN Center/Olympic Park; Six Flags Over Georgia
I201S Summer Program Dates:
June 15-26, 2015; 8:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
Deadline for enrollment: Residential - May 8,2015;
Program onht-no trla - June 5, 2015
Payment Options are available
For further information about the program and online enrollment please refer to the
website: www.wssu.edu/ncmsen and select Summer Scholars or call 336-750-2995.