Bike Patrol asking
for blankets, gloves
and caps for the
homeless
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
"the Downtown Bike
Patrol is asking the com
munity to donate new or
gently used blankets,
gloves and knit caps to
help the homeless this win
ter.
The Downtown Bike
Patrol is comprised of 12
officers who respond to
calls in the downtown busi
ness district. Sgt. Terry
Fulk said they've given
blankets to homeless peo
ple who come by their
office for years, but last
year was the first time they
sent out a request to the
community for donations.
The community responded
in a big way, and about
1,500 blankets were donat
ed. After that success, the
patrol is adding knit caps
and gloves to this year's
donation requests.
Fulk said the reason
why homeless people
come by their office asking
for blankets is familiarity.
"We're the people who
have the most contact with
them," he said "On a daily
basis, we'll come in con
tact with a half dozen to a
dozen of the homeless peo
pie. They all know us by
name; we know them by
name."
He said the Bike Patrol
has tried to treat homeless
people as respectfully as
possible even when
responding to calls about
them. He said the patrol
has developed a relation
ship with them based on
trust.
Since the patrol comes
in contact with the home
less population so much,
they have information on
shelters and services they
can refer them to. On cold
nights they do their best to
find them a shelter they can
get into, but some people,
no matter what the weath
er, will refuse to go to a
shelter.
"We don't want people
sleeping out in the public
and we know that's a viola
tion of city ordinance but
the thing is, they do," said
Fulk. "And so the reason
we give them a blanket is
we don't want them to
freeze to death."
Fulk said a few hun
dred of last year's blankets
were donated to shelters
but the vast majority were
distributed by the bike
patrol directly. Many who
receive blankets will come
back for another when their
blanket gets wet or taken
by someone. And it's not
just the homeless, but also
those in need who stop by
the bike patrol office ask
ing for blankets. Fulk said
they've had families come
by for blankets.
Andrea Kurtz with the
10 Year Plan to End
Chronic Homelessness
said that the number of
people who are homeless
in Winston-Salem has
remained steady in the last
five years. The growth in
poverty in Forsyth County
hasn't resulted in a big
increase in homelessness,
but instead has resulted in
more people living "dou
bled up," staying with
friends and relatives. She
said the number of chronic
homeless, which is a dis
abled person who has been
homeless for a year or
more or who's been home
less four times in the past
three years, is half of what
it was in 2010.
Kurtz said the top pri
ority for homeless agencies
and activists is to get the
homeless into permanent
housing, but in an emer
gency situation a blanket
can help them make it
through the night. She said
some churches and those in
Empowerment Project out
reach teams - who try to
find mentally ill homeless
people and steer them to
services- give out blan
kets, but no one does it as
systemically as the Bike
Patrol.
Blankets, knit caps and
gloves can be dropped off.
outside the Bike Patrol
Office at 414 N. Cherry St.
across from the Marriott
hotel; at City Hall outside
the Human Relations
Department, 101 N. Main
St., Suite 109, and at the
Public Safety Center, 725
N. Cherry St.
Photo by Todd Luck
Downtown Bike Patrol's Officer Paul Felske and Sgt. Terry Fulk pose with the
collection box outside the Bike Patrol's office.
IRS warns of South Carolina flood relief scams
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
The Internal Revenue Service is warning consumers to
be weary of scam artists posing as charities that are help
ing with flood recovery in South Carolina.
"Any time disaster strikes, scammers come out of the
woodwork and they try to take advantage of people's char
itable feelings and need to help," said IRS Spokesperson
Luis Oarcia.
It's common after a
disaster for scams to '
emerge with fake char
ities claiming to do I
relief work or scam
artists attempting to impersonate recognized organiza
tions. The scammers may be trying to get money or per
sonal information they could use to steal a person's iden
tity. Scams may involve solicitations by telephone, social
media, website, email or in-person.
The IRS recommends donating to recognizable, well
known charities and being weary of charities that use
names similar to nationally known organizations. Don't
give out personal information to anyone who solicits a
contribution that could be used to steal your monCy-or
identity such as Social Security, credit card and bank
account numbers or passwords. For security and tax pur
poses, donations should be made by check or credit card,
not by cash.
Garcia said that it's common for taxpayers to make
contributions and try to claim it on their taxes, only to then
fmd out the charity wasn't legitimate. Identity theft is also
common as scam artists use a victim's personal informa
tion to get credit cards, loans, new accounts or a tax refund
in their name.
Garcia said that legiti
mate charities that qualify
for tax-deductible donations
can be found using the
Exempt Organizations
Select Check on the IRS
website.
"The bottom line is you
want to make sure they're
legitimate and do your
homework before you send
any money," he said.
The IRS also warns to
be careful of websites and
emails that try to mimic
- legitimate charities.
Garcia said those who suspect they've been
approached in a scam should report it to their local author
ities. Those who suspect they've received fraudulent
emails should visit IRS.gov and search for "report phish
ing" to report it.
The Exempt Organizations Select Check is at
IRS.gov/Charities-&-Non-Profits/Exempt-Organizations
Select-Check.
IRS
AAA Carolinas warn of flood
damaged vehicles for sale
SPECIAL TO
THE CHRONICLE
As cleanup from the
devastating floods through
out the Carolinas contin
ues, there's a new hazard to
consider for used car buy
ers, according to AAA
Carolinas. Buyers need to
know how to avoid pur
chasing a vehicle that may
look great, but could be
secretly suffering from
flood damage.
In many cases, insur
ance companies total flood
damaged vehicles, which
are then sold to salvage
companies. However,
rather than being disassem
bled for parts, some of
these vehicles end up being
purchased by individuals
who restore them to operat
ing condition - with vary
ing levels of expertise.
AAA Carolinas warns car
buyers that flood-damaged
vehicles will often continue
to appear in the market
place for many months fol
lowing a major flood.
"Fresh paint, new
upholstery and that 'new
car smell' can mask flood
damage," said Greg Pence,
auto buying manager for
AAA Carolinas. "While
services like CarFax can be
a good resource for buyers,
the only true way of know
ing whether a vehicle has
suffered flood damage is to
have a certified mechanic
inspect
the vehicle."
The best protection
against buying a flood
damaged vehicle is a thor
ough pre-purchase inspec
tion by a qualified shop
such as an AAA Approved
Auto Repair facility. One is
at 606 S. Stratford Road in
Winston-Salem. Other
locations can be found at
AAA .com/Repair.
As part of the inspec
tion, shop employees will
look for common indica
tors of flood damage.
Tips on how to spot a
flood-damaged vehicle
?Engage your sense of
smell to detect any damp or
musty odors inside the
vehicle.
?Are the windows
fogged up? Has the carpet
or upholstery been replaced
or recently shampooed?
Pull back the carpet at dif
ferent areas and look for
mud, dirt or signs of water
stains.
?Inspect the dashboard
7 underside for signs of
mud and dirt. This is a
particularly hard area
to clean. Look under
the vehicle for corro
sion. It is uncommon
to find corrosion in
newer vehicles and
those that are owned
or sold in southern states.
?Open all doors, hood,
and trunk to inspect for cor
rosion, mud and dirt or dis
coloration on the door
frames, hinges and under
the weather stripping. Pay
special attention to small
spaces and crevices that are
difficult to clean.
?Check all warning
lights, window motors, and
all electrical components to
ensure they are working
properly. While a non
working part alone does
not mean the vehicle was
flooded, it combined with
other difficulties is a cause
for concern.
Another good practice
that can help prospective
buyers avoid flood-dam
aged cars and trucks is the
purchase of a vehicle histo
ry report. While such
reports don't always catch
everything, more often than
not they will indicate when
a vehicle has been in a
flood or been issued a sal
vage title, indicating a
major problem in its past.
\
\\\ Wake Forest* partnership with ^MEDCOST I
Baptist Health
BestHealth"
November community health
seminars, screenings and events
Visit WakeHealth.edu/BestHealth for class descriptions and other events.
Events are FREE of charge and require registration, unless otherwise noted.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 2
Estate Planning Basics
3:30 to 4:30 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country
Club Road, Winston-Salem
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 5
Heart Failure: Diet & Complications
12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country
Club Road, Winston-Salem
Also offered Fri., Nov. 6; Thurs., Nov. 12;
Fri. Nov. 13: Thurs. Nov. 19; Fri., Nov. 20.
Visit our website for times and locations.
Heart Failure: Medications &
Compliance \ 2:30 pm to 3:30 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Clemmons, 2311 Lewisville
Clemmons Road, Clemmons
Also offered Fri., Nov. 6: Thurs., Nov. 12;
Fri. Nov. 13; Thurs. Nov. 19; Fri., Nov. 20.
Visit our website for times and locations.
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6
Common Hand Conditions
Noon to 1 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country
Club Road, Winston-Salem
Love Your Holiday Leftovers
6 to 7:30 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Davie
Medical Center, Plaza 1, Cardiac
Classroom, Highway 801 N, I-40 (Exit
180), Bermuda Run
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 7
Boot Camp: Walking \ 9 to 10 am
Wake Forest Baptist Health Davie
Medical Center, Outdoor Walking
Trail, Highway 801 N, I-40 (Exit 180),
Bermuda Run
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9
Discovering Healthier Thanksgiving
5 to 6 pm
Lowes Foods, 2501 Lewisville
Clemmons Road, Clemmons.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10
Blood Pressure Screening
9 to 10 am
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Clemmons, 2311 Lewisville
Clemmons Road, Clemmons
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12
Yoga for a Healthy Back \ 4 to 5 pm
Sunrise Yoga Studio, 6000
Meadowbrook Mall Court, Suite 1,
Clemmons
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14
Chair Stretches \ 9 to 10 am
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza-Country Club, 4610 Country
Club Road, Winston-Salem
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16
BMI Screening \ 5:30 to 7:30 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Piedmont
Plaza One, Kitty Hawk Room, 1920 W.
First Street, Winston-Salem
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18
Discovering a Healthier
Thanksgiving \ Noon to 1 pm
Lowes Foods, 3372 Robinhood Road,
Winston-Salem
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: Integrative
Therapies \ 3:30 to 4:30 pm
Wake Forest Baptist Health Medical
Plaza - Country Club, 4610 Country
Club Road, Winston-Salem
To register, call or visit:
336-713-BEST (2378) \ WakeHealth.eciu/BettH*alth