Photos by Erin Mizelk for the Wtnston-Sakm Chrome le
Maria McMiller smiles as she leaves the Winston
Salem Rescue Mission Thrift Store with her free
cup of butter peacan Blue Ridge Ice Cream and
cookies.
Ronald Watson, left, enjoys a free cup of "very berry" Blue Ridge Ice Cream, a cool and refreshing treat
provided free of charge by Scott Burwell and Dewey's Bakery at The Winston-Salem Rescue Mission's
Thrift Store. After hearing about the conditions of The Mission's thrift store, operating in an old ware
house on Oak Street without any air conditioning, Burwell generously donated and served Blue Ridge Ice
Cream on Thursday afternoon in efforts to "bless the workers and support the efforts of the entire
Winston-Salem Rescue Mission organization."
Gift
from page A1
"Pat on the back goes so far;
ice cream in the hand goes a lot
sweeter," Burwell said. "Being
able to do this is a super oppor
tunity." Burwell believes in giv
ing back 100 percent, for he
feels that is why God put him
here. Burwell said they would
donate and come out as many
times as Garms needs them to.
The thrift store manager,
Kathy Taylor said water, fans, a
break room with an air condi
tioner, and push pops are often
used to help cool off the work
ers.
"Many of the men that work
here live at the Rescue Mission
for various reasons such as loss
of their job, addiction, or even
prison, which is why they come
to the Rescue Mission and are
put into the Work-Therapy pro
gram: to help them learn valu
able work skills that can help
them get back into the work
force," Taylor said.
Taylor said the proceeds
gained from the store goes back
to the Rescue Mission to help
fund projects such as the Work
Therapy program.
Ronald Watson, who is one
of the workers who just got out
of prison said, he enjoys work
ing at the thrift store, for he usee
to cook in prison. This is hi:
first time working doing manua
labor, such as moving heavj
items and sorting through the
donated items. When asked how
he copes with the heat, Watsor
said, "Once you start working
and moving around, the hea
don't really bother you, for I'tr
glad to give back."
Another worker, Rashac
Bitting, who came from ar
office background, says he real
ized that working at the thrif
store is uncharted territory, but is
enjoying it. Bitting said, "I hac
strayed from my path, but an
now working with the Mission
program to get things together
and priorities straight to get back
on track."
Zollie Willaims, another
worker who completed the
Work-Therapy program and will
be graduating horn the program
on Sept. 25 at the Center Grove
Baptist Church, calls himself an
advocate for seniors. Williams,
who says he is 90 days over
drinking, doesn't have many
trade skills besides the eight
years in janitorial service. He
said he wants to do well and
have faith one day at a time.
Williams, who was brought
to Christ through the program on
Jan. 9, wants to continue to con
nect with the program and show
older people to not quit.
Williams has already moved on
to the next step in the program
and can't wait to see what new
life has to offer.
For more information on the
Winston-Salem Rescue Mission
thrift store contact 336-723
1848, ext. 100. For questions
about the Winston-Salem Rescue
Mission Work-Therapy pro
gram, contact Cecil Gatling at
336-723-1848 ext. 109 or visit
cecil.gat ling @ wsrescue arg.
Photos by Tevin Stini
The Rev. Derwin Montgomery delivers the morning sermon on Sunday July 5, at First Calvary Baptist
Pulpit
from page AI
you pastor live," he said.
"There's a statement in
many pastor and ministeri
al circles that pastors in
developing their sermons,
must in one hand have a
Bible and in the other hand
have a newspaper, in the
sense of making relevant
what is being preached and
taught within the church."
In September, he also
became the director of the
Bethesda Center for the
Homeless, which provides
a day and night shelter for
homeless men and women.
He said his job, church and
appearances as a City
Council member keep him
busy, but they all coincide
with his faith and goal of
helping people.
"It's a task, to say the
least, but the thing for me
that has made it worthwhile
and not as strenuous as it
may look, is that they align,
in my opinion, on my val
ues and my passions," he
said.
He said he still meets
all his responsibilities as a
pastor, preaching every
Sunday, and says he's sup
ported by a great team at
the church. As a pastor,
Montgomery is hoping to
see his church grow in its
outreach to the community.
As a City Council
member, Montgomery said
he took pride in the passage
of a requirement for all city
employees to be paid at
least $10.10, which he said
sets an example he hopes
businesses follow to pay a
livable wage. He said he
expects his constituents
and the rest of the city will
see big improvements with
the bond projects that will
soon be starting. He's also
hoping to pass a mandate
that businesses that receive
city dollars for housing
projects must make some
of their units affordable
housing.
N.C.
S e-n .
Paul
Lowe
Jr., who
re pre -
sents the
3 2nd
District,
is also a
pastor.
Lowe
having led Shiloh Baptist
Church for more than two
decades and can still be
found in the pulpit there
every Sunday. The long
time activist and volunteer
in the Democratic Party has
been a senator for six
months. He said his service
as both preacher and politi
cian come from the same
place.
"For me, it was a sense
of calling and a sense of
duty," he said. 'To me, pol
itics is an extension of
that."
He said African
American pastors have a
long history of public serv
ice, including Adam
Clayton Powell Jr., a
Baptist pastor who was a
U.S. Representative for
Harlem, in New York City,
and Andrew Young, a pas
tor who served as mayor of
Atlanta, a U.S. representa
tive and United States
ambassador to the United
Nations.
Today, pastors like
Lowe and Garland Pierce,
a Baptist pastor who repre
sents the 48th district in the
N.C. House and chairs the
N.C. Legislative Black
Caucus, can be found in the
General Assembly.
"You're still serving
people, just in a different
capacity," said Lowe of
being a lawmaker. "I see it
as an extension of ministry;
the only thing I don't do is
preach a sermon."
During his short tenure
as senator, Lowe has
already co-sponsored a bill
to study the effects of
autonomous (driverless)
vehicles on the state's
roads and highways that
passed the Senate and is
now in the House.
He's currently focused
on the prolonged battle to
reconcile ? the House and
Senate versions of the state
budget in committee. Lowe
described the two versions
as "worlds apart" and said
he is hoping to restore
teacher assistant jobs and
support to museums,
including local ones, that
were cut in the Senate ver
sion.
Lowe was elected by
his fellow local Democrats
in late January to replace
then-State Sen. Earline
Parmon when she stepped
down to take a job as U.S.
Rep. Alma Adams' director
of outreach. Parmon, too,
serves at her church. She
has been an associate min
ister at Exodus United
Baptist Church for 12
years. As a minister, she
assists the pastor in wor
ship and teaches Bible
school and new member
classes. She said during her
time as lawmaker, she was
able to make most church
functions, and she also said
her faith and elected duties
went hand-in-hand.
"In public service,
you're serving the people,
and that's what we're
called to do as Christians:
The Rev. Derwin Montgomery greets members and
guest after morning service on Sunday, July 5, at
First Calvary Baptist Church.
to serve people by provid
ing for their needs, provid
ing assistance in many dif
ferent ways, and public
service is just one of them,"
Parmon said.
The death of Pinckney
made national headlines
last month when a gunman
attacked people at his
church, leaving him and
eight others dead on June
17. President Barack
Obama delivered a power
ful eulogy for Pinckney
during a June 26 service.
Montgomery said he didn't
believe something like that
could happen at his church,
but said that his congrega
tion, like many congrega
tions across the country, is
discussing safety issues
after the shooting.
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very Thursday by Winston-Salem Chronicle Publishing
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