Program links people
not m poverty with
those who are poor
BY TODD LUCK
? THE CHRONICLE
Circles Winston-Salem is working to
help those living in poverty by connecting
them with middle- class allies and working
to address systemic issues.
Last year. Circles Winston-Salem start
ed its first class of "Circle Leaders," the
term used for low- income individuals
because they know the most about the bar
riers that keep them in poverty. After 13
weeks of training, circle leaders are
matched with middle-class allies, who sup
port them and help them find ways to
improve their situations. The local pro
gram, which operates out of the Shalom
Project at Green Street United Methodist
Church, is part of a nationwide Circles
effort that began in 1992.
So far, 26 Circles Leaders have gradu
ated from the Circles classes and are still in
the 18-month program. Circles Coach
Carol Wilson said that Circle Leaders are
starting to find employment and raise their
incomes. She said they're starting to deal
with the "cliff effect," in which low
income individuals lose government bene
fits as their incomes rise.
"We're doing what Circles does, which
is address things as they arise and moving
forward," said Wilson.
Along with helping individuals, the
program tries to identify the systemic
issues they face and address them by mobi
lizing program
paticipants and holding Big View meet
ings, which tries to get those outside the
program to help. To address an issue some
had with criminal records preventing them
from getting employment, there was a
criminal records expungement clinic held
at Green Street Church that helped more
than 70 people. There was also a big con
cern over the bus stop near the church
being eliminated under new proposed
Winston-Salem Transit Authority bus
routes. Those in the program attended
WSTA comment meetings and wrote let
ters on the issue. According to the WSTA,
the proposed routes have been altered to
now include service to Green Street
Church.
Crishanna Cannon is 21 years old and
has been in the program since February.
She's been working two to four low-wage
jobs for the last few years, along with rais
ing her 16 month-old daughter. She said
she's formed a bond with her twp allies,
who are helping motivate and support her.
Cannon spoke at a Winston-Salem
Women's Fund luncheon last month about
her experience with Circles.
"Circles has helped me a lot because 1
have become more motivated," she told
attendees. "I'm better at managing my
money and have set goals for myself."
Cannon said education has been a big
barrier in getting a higher paying job and
she plans to go back to Forsyth Technical
Community College in January. She
dropped out of after a semester while try
ing to work three jobs. She plans to major
in Office Administration. She is also now
starting a higher paying temp job.
Denise Terry began the program last
year during a long stretch of employment
after losing her job as a social worker. She
said her two allies, along with giving her
advice and referring her to resources,
helped her deal with her depression and
anger from being unaoie to nna work
despite having a master's degree.
They helped me get my attitude in
check," she said.
She's now a part-time Circles
Coordinator, recruiting allies and resources
for the program, and is now starting her
own business, selling pocketbooks and
eventually costumes she makes herself;
She said that it's a slow climb out of pover
ty as she's had to pay off her past due bills;
deferred taxes and other expenses that
pilled up when she had no income. She
said being able to actually buy the things
she needs feels good.
"I feel part of the world again," she
said.
People interested in being Circle allies,
can attend the weekly Circles meetings
held Thursdays at Green Street Church,
639 South Green St. Dinner is served 6
pjn. and the meeting begins at 6:30 pm.
Terry
I L-JBHHK-J
Wilson
Crishanna Cannon (center) talks about her new job during a sharing activity at
the start of last week's Circles meeting held at Green Street United Methodist
Church.
Giving Tuesday
helps local causes
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Money to help those in
need, scholarship funds for
college students and com
puters for young students
are just some of the local
successes coming out of
this year's Giving Tuesday.
Giving Tuesday is the
first Tuesday after
Thanksgiving, which this
year was Dec. 1, and is a
social media initiative
started in 2012 by 92nd
Street Y, a non-profit cul
tural center in New York
City, as a way to encourage
giving after the shopping
rush of Black Friday and
Cyber Monday.
GivingTuesday.org esti
mates that globally over 1
million donations were
given on Tuesday, totaling
$116.7 million. The hash
tag #givingtuesday had 1.3
million mentions on social
media.
Winston-Salem State
University participated as
did nonprofits as varied as
well as the North Carolina
NAACP, Democracy North
Carolina, Carolina Public
Press, American Lung
Association and New
Winston Museum all had a
push to get donations on
Giving Tuesday. The
Winston-Salem Salvation
Army Commander Major
James Alison got more than
$10,000 in kettle dona
tions. Bell ringers with red
Salvation Army kettles
positioned at the entrances
of major stores like
Walmart or at the entrance
of Hanes Mall are a signa
ture fundraiser for the
organization during the
holiday shopping season.
He said he was grateful that
Giving Tuesday provided
an extra boost to the
Salvation Army's fundrais
ing efforts.
"Black Friday, Cyber
Monday you're buying for
family and friends," he
said. "On giving Tuesday it
gives you the opportunity
to share your resources
with those who find them
selves in need, whose life
and whose situation is not
as good as yours."
It was the Shalom
Project's first year partici
pating in Giving Tuesday,
giving it a big push on its
Facebook page. The non
prom located at
Green Street
United Methodist
Church provides
services to help
those in need like
a clothing closet,
free medical clinic
and food pantry.
Shalom Project
Executive
Director Lynn
Brown said that
tney a gotten several
online donations and
$4,500 through the mail as
of last Thursday.
"I think it's a terrific
concept and probably will
continue to grow in popu
larity, but I think it's still
probably in the incubation
phase in terms of people
really being aware of it and
finding ways to participate
in it," he said.
He said he estimates the
Shalom Project may be
able to raise at least
$10,000 during its year-end
fundraising. He said a com
bination of the giving spirit
of the season and taxpayers
wanting tax write-offs for
the year make December
the perfect month for non
profits to raise money.
The Shepherd's Center
of Kernersville, which
serves the elderly and dis
abled, also kicked off its
yearend campaign with
Giving Tuesday, raising
$6,000.
"While only reaching
$6,000 of the $15,000 goal
for GivingTuesday, the day
was a great way to kick off
The Shepherd's Center's
Year End campaign," said
Shepherd Center Executive
Director Ruth Woosley.
While some used
Giving Tuesday for general
fundraising, others like El
Buen Pastor Latino
Community Services, used
it for specific projects. El
Buen Pastor raised $3,600
to buy six laptops and a
printer to be used by the 25
middle and high school stu
dents in its
tutoring pro
gram.
Other
organizations
saw a tremen
dous increase
in what they
raised over last
year's Giving
Tuesday.
Experiment in
Self Reliance,
which provides a variety of
services to help the eco
nomically disadvantaged,
raised $1,784 and collected
five non-perishable food
items last year on Giving
Tuesday. This year ESR
raised $5,300 and collected
57 non-perishable food
items.
Winston-Salem State
University saw a five fold
increase for it's Giving
Tuesday campaign, "Put a
Bow on it," surpassing its
goal of $20,000. WSSU
had 564 donors give
$35,100 that will go to
scholarships at the univer
sity.
"WSSU supporters
stepped up in a major way,"
said WSSU Chancellor
El wood L. Robinson in a
news release. "Their gen
erosity demonstrates to stu
dents how much we care
about their success. I'm so
pleased we were able to far
exceed our goal. These
gifts enable some deserv
ing WSSU students to
complete their education
and begin contributing in
important ways to our soci
ety."
Robinson
City Hall Holiday Music Series underway
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Traditional and contemporary holiday
music performed by local school choruses
is being presented during the sixth annual
City Hall Holiday Music Series, to be held
the week of Dec. 7.
Participating choruses this year are
Reagan High School, Thursday; and
. Salem College, Friday. Earlier in the
week, Kimberley Park Elementary School
performed Monday; Glenn High, Tuesday;
and East Forsyth High School,
Wednesday.
Mayor Allen Joines is inviting city res
idents and downtown workers to hear the
choruses from noon to 1 p.m. in the lobby
of Citv Hall. 101 N. Main St.
h
Nominations sought for Young Dreamers Awards
SPECIAL TO
TOE CHRONICLE
The Human Relations
Commission is accepting
nominations for the 2016
Martin Luther King Jr.
Young Dreamers Awards.
Nominations are open to
the public and must be
received by Dec. }1.
The Young Dreamers
Awards honor two young
adult leaders who have
made a tangible difference
in the lives of those who
may have otherwise been
overlooked, ignored, or
disadvantaged. The awards
will recognize a man and a
woman.
Nominees must be
Winston-Salem residents
between the ages of 18 and
40 who have done out
standing work in the
Winston-Salem communi
ty that is in the spirit of
how Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr. lived and encour
aged others to live.
There must be a tangi
ble result from their civic
or community work.
Nominees cannot already
hold supervisory or man
agement positions in then
organization. The members
of the Human Relations
Commission will choose
the winners.
Nomination forms are
available online at
www.CityofWS.org or by
calling CityLink at 311 or
727-8000. All nomination
forms must be submitted to
the Human Relations
Department. For more
information, call CityLink
311.
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