tlbe Charlotte $ost
LIFESTYLES
8A
THURSDAY
June 24,1993
A Noble
Reason To
Pig Out
By Cassandra Wynn
THE CHARLOTTE POST
school." Howard said.
you feel like being greedy next month, you have the
chance to turn your gluttonous activity Into an effort
to help a worthy cause.
Every Tuesday in July, participating restaurants
will give 5 percent of a customer's bill to Crisis Assis
tance Ministry, which gives emergency help to pre
vent homelessness. "Everybody gains," said Angela
Howard, director of development for the agency. "It's
an effortless and a fun way to help."
More than 40 restaurants agreed to contribute to the
program. They were eager to participate, said Ho
ward, because It Is a way to help the community.
"It's the type of thing we want to associate ourselves
with," said Danny Boone, general manager of Golden
Corral on North Sharon Amity. "We absolutely be
lieve In getting involved In the community. We cater
to families. Our weekdays are busy. Any night would
have been good. The program should get good dona
tions from Tuesday night."
This Is the second year that the fund raiser has been
held. About half of the agency's budget comes from
contributions from churches. Other money comes
from donations from individuals, foundations, busi
nesses and grants from federal, state and local gov
ernment.
'We are termed the lead agency for financial assis
tance for the city of Charlotte. We are administrator
of those funds," Howard said.
In 1991-92, $1.1 million was spent on emergency
md. rent and utilities.
In existence since 1975, the ministry has seen the
need for assistance to maintain shelter Increase. In
1990, the need really spiked when Crisis Assistance
helped families 18,000 times. Last year, the agency
provided financial assistance 19,000 times.
"The biggest thing we do Is to prevent families from
becoming homeless by paying the rent, mortgage,
utilities, gas, oil, water before they are evicted," Ho
ward said.
The goal is to help people In financial trouble avoid
having to go to a shelter. "The social and emotional
problems are great with children having to miss
Crisis Assistance operates a clothing and furniture assistance program. 'We take do
nations of clothes and furniture and give them without charge to families that need
them. Many people are working and not earning wages to support their families," Ho
ward said. "Often people are working for no benefits and have no cushion If a child has
a medical emergency or If there is a cut In the work hours. It's enough to push some peo
ple over the edge. They have to dig In their rent or mortgage money to pay for emergen
cies."
For a list of participating restaurants, call Crisis Assistance at 371-3012.
HWmiBiliiyTil
Schwarzenegger, Move Over! Eads Can Lift Weights Too
By Ira Dreyfuss
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON-You don't
have to be built like a pro
wrestler to lift weights. A
chUd can do it. And, experts
say. a child can benefit.
"He wfll become a better
athlete." said Steven J.
Fleck, who heads the physi
cal conditioning program
at the U.S. Olympic train
ing center in Colorado
Springs, Colo.
But to make a child's pro
gram successful, you have
to understand both weights
and children. Fleck said.
Weights won't give a chUd
Arnold Schwarzenegger
muscles. Fleck pointed out
In an Interview. What's
called hypertrophy requires
the spur of the male hor
mone testosterone, which
doesn't kick in untU puberty.
In that sense, chUdren re
spond to weight training
much as women do, said Dr.
Suzanne M. Tanner, an as
sistant professor of ortho
pedics and pediatrics at the
University of Colorado
Health Sciences Center in
Denver.
"It's not a matter of develop
ment - It's a matter of learn
ing to use what you have,"
Fleck said. Weight training
wUl help a young athlete's
nerves learn to get muscle fi
ber on-line and generate the
maximum amount of force,
he said.
If two chUdren are growing
muscle normally at the same
rate, the trained child may
have a competitive edge, pro
vided the training develops
muscles he'll use In his sport.
Fleck said.
Researchers can't predict
how much a child can gain
by weight training, because
the area hasn't been studied
enough yet. Tanner said. 'We
do know that chUdren can
gain," she said in an Inter
view.
Fleck and Tanner note that
athletics, even on the young
level. Is complex, and other
factors such as endurance
and reaction time will affect
performance.
A training program has to
be taUored to a child's body
and mind.
See KIDS CAN Pa£e 9A
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