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All photos by Donna Rogers
In the photo above, Sonjia Kurosky, executive director of Samaritan Ministries,
right, scans the crowd right after saying a prayer at the end of a special ceremo
ny during the organization's open house on Sunday, April 12. At top right, a
type of oven is used to heat clothes when homeless men come in to Samaritan
Ministries. This is to kill bed bugs. At left, the John 3:16 room provides a place
for the "guests" at Samaritan Ministries to have quiet time alone or with family
members.
Samaritan Ministries shows
new building to community
BY DONNA ROGERS
THE CHRONICLE
All was bright as
Samaritan Ministries
opened its new building to
the public on Sunday, April
12. The nonprofit that helps
homeless men and hungry
people has been operating
out of the building since
December.
"What a great place,"
one visitor remarked. "It's
open and airy," with plenty
of windows.
The $4.1 million,
20,000-square-foot build
ing at 414 E. Northwest
Blvd. houses an 80-bed
shelter and special features
like a "healing room" for
sick homeless clients, a
computer lab where resi
dents can look for jobs, a
larger kitchen with more
room to store and prepare
food, space that allows
employees, and business
partners who treat and
work with the homeless
men who live there, to have
their own offices, and a
staff break room.
The larger soup kitchen
serves between 350 to 450
lnnrhct to hnnorv
people in the commu
nity each day.
The new dining
area has 96 seats,
compared with 47
seats in the old dining
room.
The building also
has weapons to fight
bed bugs.
"A lot of places
don't prepare for
that," said tour guide
Willis Miller, assistant
director. He said the
nonprofit has several
ways to kill the bed
bugs, which he said have
been a problem in the city.
Men who live at
Samaritan Ministries must
have their clothes treated
when they initially come
into the building. They
must be heated on trays at
120 to 125 degrees for 20
minutes to kill any bugs
that might be lingering on
clothes.
Also, the facility has
dryers to treat the clothes if
the trays are being used.
If treat
ment is
needed in
the bedroom
area, large
outlets have
been
installed to
handle a
heating
appliance to
heat the
beds, which
have seam
less mat
tresses and
metal
frames.
"The great things about
adding these features is the
preventative nature of
them," Miller said.
Also new are the dorm
rooms for people in the
Project Cornerstone pro
gram, which is designed to
help men break free of
addiction issues and start
new lives outside
Samaritan Ministries. Two
Miller
bedrooms are designated
for those men, who attend
classes and gain tobls need
ed to be free of addictions.
"We're very proud of
this program," Miller said.
' "It has about a 75-per
cent success rate. ... We
don't let them go until
they're ready."
Miller spoke of the
expanded space in the
building to offer more
meeting space and the
increase in the number of
televisions, which allow
people greater access to TV
viewing, including in meet
ing rooms.
Another new feature is
a room for the homeless
men to use to meditate.
They also can meet with
family members there.
It's called the John 3:16
room, named alter the John
3:16 Scripture in the Bible.
This is "where they can go
in and have peace and
quiet," Miller said.
Learn more at samari
tanforsyth.org.
City holds inaugural College
Summit to promote Winston-Salem
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONICLE
On Saturday. April 11,
college students from
Winston-Salem State
University, Salem College,
Wake Forest University
and Forsyth Technical
Community College partic
ipated in the inaugural
"College Summit" in the
Biotech Place in the Wake
Forest Innovation Quarter.
The event was designed
to expose college students
to career and community
leadership opportunities in
Winston-Salem, with the
goal of influencing them to
stay in Winston-Salem
after they graduate.
The summit was organ
ized by the College
Advisory Board and the
Human Relations
Commission, both of
which are advisory boards
to the City Council and
administered by the Human
Relations Department. The
Summit included an open
ing session, guided tours of
downtown with informa
tion about restaurants.
recreation opportunities,
and other quality-of-life
attractions, and a network
ing luncheon where stu
dents networked with rep
resentatives of businesses,
community nonprofits and
government agencies that
offer internships and entry
level jobs.
Participating communi
ty agencies included
Forsyth Technical
Community College, the
Winston-Salem Urban
League, the Winston
Salem/Forsyth County
Schools, the Housing
Authority of Winston
Salem (HAWS) and the
Winston-Salem Jaycees.
Participants included
Council Members James
Taylor and Derwin
Montgomery. Jason Thiel,
president of the Downtown
Winston-Salem
Partnership, also addressed
the students.
The College
Summit was sponsored by
Forsyth Technical
Community College, Triad
Intrapreneur and Winston
Salem Transit Authority.
Food sponsors were Bib's
Downtown, Krispy Kreme,
and District Rooftop Bar &
Grille.
The College Summit attendees take a break.
Democrats
frontpage AI
petitive intelligence.
* Second Vice Chair,
Phillip Carter, employed by
Forsyth Technical
Community College in the
Learning Technology
Division and by the
Salvation Army as
Outreach Specialist for
Homeless Veterans.
?Third Vice Chair,
Trent Harmon, who gradu
ates in May from the
University of North
Carolina at Greensboro
with a B.A. in History and
Political Science.
?Secretary, Cam
Choiniere, a self-employed
graphic designer.
?Treasurer: Donald
Dunn, a sales consultant
with a large pharmaceutical
company.
Each officer was elect
ed to a two-year term.
In addition, the record
crowd of Democratic dele
gates to the convention
also elected new members
to the Democratic Party
State Executive Committee
and Congressional District
Executive Committee.
Ellison said in an earli
er news release: "Making
sure that each Forsyth
County citizen's right to
vote is protected is our first
and foremost agenda item.
Further, we look forward to
building a record voter
turnout in the 2016 presi
dential election cycle. We
fully expect Forsyth
County to continue its tra
jectory towards becoming a
Democratic stronghold in
the State of North
Carolina."
For more information
about the voter ID law,
please contact Eric S
Ellison at 336-918-4368 or
email at ellisonlaw@earth
link.net. The Democratic
Party's website is
http://forsy thdemocrats .org
/fd/.
CELEBRATING
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% LEADERSHIP
WINSTON-SALEM
I ^Builda (fetter ^cJuture
FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.
1 . ? t - !
Together, we can do great things.
Apply for our annual Flagship program
to engage with other leaders in the
community, expand your local knowledge,
and help shape the future of the place
you're proud to call home.
or Register for an Information
Reception at 5:30 pm on April 21
AT LEADERSHIPWS.ORG
Early-bird application deadline is
May 15, 2015
2nd Annual Feast of St. I
Benedict the Moor Festival \
Dm ttalghfama.
Saint Benedict the Moor Cathode Church hae had a
praaanca in tha East Winston Community tor nearly 75
yaam. Founded in 1940 aa an African American parish, we
are a diverse, multinational, and inter-cultural church where
all era twelcome
On Apr* 18,2015, SI BanaMct tie Moor Church caMtrate our
Patron Saint w*h a apecU Mm al 9am, totowed by a teeny*
and goapat daw fcom 1030am unB 5 pm. Thata w? be games,
vendors from ad over our area ??) bams tor aMa and
conaumplion indudbig a Hah or aaaaapa daaiar tor only (7.00. Ml
prooMds bentM tw Church. We hope you vrii consider joining
#?fun
Special *er*V* - '? h?gi?? ?? '<?:?? ??
Mulk by "Son ad. of OJ Rudd"
Caribbean and Nnicu food Van*
Virion* Retail vendor*
lire and Polite vehicle*
Will] Health Van
lot. of Kid. Activitia*
With Special appear.ace* bjn
Charity Chccnc
WSSU Hanoi '
' WfU Demon Deacon
rii||ii'c f mm:- *1 I .
I CbrWHao Rapper Unlet Storm"
St. ??ntdlrt the Moor Cath.Hr Chnrch
IS2S 12th St.
Whmton Salem. 771*1
J?MB??I?momm^^?an?nam??_ .
^ , ' " I