i. The
PIGIT 27
ibrary
Vol. XXXV No. 13
iURSDAY, November 27, 2008
Mike
Grace goes
1-on-l with
Anthony
-See Page B3
Black
Cuban
writes of
struggle
?See Page A3
Urban
League
hands out
awards
Forsyth Co..
Photos by Todd Luck
A line forms outside the Samaritan Soup Kitchen.
Shelters in dire
need of help to
provide services
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Local homeless shelters
are experiencing a record
level of demand this holiday
_ season as the economy con
tinues its downward trend.
Samaritan Ministries
run's a night shelter,
Samiritan Inn. that houses
people for up to 90 days.
Samaritan also runs a soup
kitchen that pro
vides breakfast
and dinner for
those in the shel
ter and serves
lunch to all who
need it. Cathie
Dorgan, soup
kitchen manager,
said that the
demand for the
agency's services
is greater than it
has ever been.
The soup kitchen served
a record-shattering 10,077
lunches in October. The
Samaritan Inn surpassed' its
69 bed capacity for most of
that month, using overflow
mats to accommodate the
additional people.
Darren Barrett has stayed
in Samaritan Inn for the last
two weeks. He says he
receives a federal disability
check but that it is not
enough for him to afford per
manent housing of his own.
He was staying with a fami
ly member, but when that did
not work out, he ended up
on the street. He spends his
days trying to keep warm at
Dorgan
places "tike the Central
Library. He says he is very
thankful that he has a place
to go at jiight, especially
since temperatures the last
two weeks have been the
coldest so far this year.
"If it hadn't been for the
shelter, I probably would've
had to live on the streets,
under a bridge ... so I'm very
thankful," said Barrett.
Dorgan hopes to see a
much-needed surge
of oivinu Hnrinp the
~ * e>- - ? c o
agency's Penny
Campaign,
Samaritan's biggest
fundraiser. The
campaign will col
lect donations at
the Thruway
Shopping Center on
Saturday,
December 6.
"We need to
raise $100,000,
which we realize is a lot of
money, but our costs have
gone up just like everybody
else's," said Dorgan.
The Bethesda Center
runs an Emergency Night
Shelter for both men and
women. Bethesda also has a
day shelter - providing
showers, restrooms, tele
phone access, laundry facili
ties and a mailing address
for those in need. Currently,
the night shelter is also
being used for the day shel
ter. That will change when
the agency's new Kate B.
Reynolds Building opens in
early December.
See Shelters on A7
Photos by K,- :: Walk . t
Jeremy Withers and Katerra Logan carry Samuel Byrd's food to a charter bus.
The Gift of Giving
Clemmons church feeds hundreds
for Thanksgiving
BY T. KEVIN WALKER
THE CHRONICLE
Samuel Boyd's holiday plans give new meaning to the old
adage, Two birds with one stone."
"I am going take it to a butcher," he said, motioning to a large
frozen turkey, "and have them slice it in half. I will eat half of it
for my Thanksgiving and freeze the other half for Christmas."
Living on a tight budget and often having to stretch every
resource to make ends meet, Boyd has learned how to be enter
prising.
Agape Faith Church in Clemmons opened its doors and hearts
to senior citizens like Boyd and hundreds of others Sunday. For
more than two decades, the church's Operation Thanksgiving has
helped to ease the burden of those with the very least.
The church handed out about 350 turkeys and bags full of
Thanksgiving staples like green beans, yams and dinner rolls.
See Thanksgiving on A 7
Ronald Grant with his son , Devon East Grant.
Photo courtesy of N.C Commission on Vohinteerism
Nell Wilkins
Medals go to stellar volunteers
Residents from across North Carolina honored
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Last week, 20 selfless individuals
received the North Carolina Medallion for
Outstanding Volunteer Service.
The recipients, who hail from all across
the state, received their medals at a lunch
eon in Colfax. The medallions are given out
by the N.C. Commission on Volunteerism
and Community Service to recognize indi
viduals, groups, teams and businesses that
contribute significantly through volun
teerism. A hundred nominees were submit
ted. A panel selected the 20 winners.
Nell Wilkins is the first person from
Forsyth County to receive the medallion
since the program's inception in 2006. For
more than 12 years, she has been volunteer
ing at Cancer Services, which provides free
support, advocacy and equipment for those
with cancer.
Wilkins is retired from Greyhound,
where she "did everything but drive" the
bus, Now she rides a public bus for an hour
each Tuesday to Cancer Services to volun
teer. While there, she sanitizes donated
See Medals on A4
Answering the Call
i
WSSU Photo by Gvrett Oarms
A member of the Delia Alpha Kappa Chapter of Phi
Beta Sigma prepares to spend the night outdoors to
raise awareness about homelessness. See the full story
on page A1 2.
i
NAB VETS chapter started in Winston
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Ciat Shabazz never set out
to be a veteran's advocate. Yet
the chair of the newest chapter
of the National Association of
Black Veterans (NABVETS)
Advocacy Council and
Membership Committee has
unwittingly become a symbol
of veterans' rights in the local
sector and beyond.
Though hekunflinching
dedication to/vetftiQ causes
is well known, the origins of
Shabazz 's passion are steeped
in tragedy.
Shabazz first became
involved with veteran's affairs
on behalf of her brother, the
late Harry Smith, in the 1980s.
Smith, a former marine, suf
Photo by Uyk Farmer
Ciat Shabazz and Charisma Brock stand in front of mem
bers of the local NABVETS Council.
fered from schizophrenia and
a host of physical conditions
that Shabazz says were repeat
edly misdiagnosed by doctors
in VA hospitals.
As his custodian. Shabazz
fought for more than two
decades to get the medical
care and veterans' assistance
the government promises all
its soldiers. She founded
H2A2R2R4Y (Helping 2
Advocate 2 Respond 2
Research 4 You), a veterans'
outreach service, in Smith's
honor earlier this year
"We just want to make
sure that the promises that
were made upon their recruit
ment are kept," Shabazz
remarked. "(Veterans) have
faced, and especially during
wartime, so many horrific and
horrendous experiences I
think that's the least we can
do."
Smith Succumbed to can
cer October 1, after a pro
longed illness. Just over a
Sec NABVF.TS on A4
II 1
In Memory of
Charlene
Russell Brown
"Growing and StUl Dedicated to Serve You Better"
Kussell Jfmtiral ffiotre
Wishes to Thank Everyone For Their Support
822 <C?urI Russell Ave.
(?t Martin Luther Kin>; Dr.)
Winston-Salem, NC 27101
(336) 722-3459
F?* (336) 631-8268
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