File Photos
Some of the members ofWSSU's Grandparenting program with WSSU's Ambassador
Molelekeng Rapolaki, second from left.
All They Want for
Christmas Is ...
WSSU grandparents group hopes to personally
present President Obama with holiday gift
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
A group of grandmoth
ers, part of a Winston-Salem
State University (WSSU)
program foT grandparents,
are anxiously waiting for a
unique holiday gift - a trip
to the White House to pres
ent a gift to President
Obama.
The seven grandmothers
have created a very special
quilt for the President and
they hope they can present it
to him in the near future.
They have requested to
meet the President through
U.S. Sen. Richard Burr's (R
North Carolina) office earli
er this year. So they anx
iously wait, pray and sew.
"This quilt is special
because it is filled with love
and prayers," said Shirley
Smith, a local grandparent
participant in WSSU's
Grandparenting Program
who coordinated the creation
of the quilt.
The full-bed-sized-quilt
is like a tapestry, with the
seals of every U.S. state and
the District of Columbia,
according to Smith. She
said the grandmothers felt
motivated when the
President caught their atten
tion in a unique way when
he announced he was run
ning for president.
"Back when President
Obama first announced he
was running for President,
and we learned he was raised
- and had a special relation
ship - with his grandmother,
we then knew he would be a
special person, even when
many thought he didn't have
a chance," Smith said.
The grandmothers met
and started praying and
WSSU's Dr. Lenora Campbell.
knitting. They prayed
throughout the entire 800
hour sewing process. It
took, eight months. The
quilt is just about finished.
"Anyone raised by their
grandmother has special
insight into people and the
world," Smith said. "I envi
sion this quilt as something
the President can use to
cover himself to relax under
a tree or something. It has
enough prayers in it to cover
him in love and work for
him in blessings," she said.
WSSU's Grandparenting
Program is affiliated with
WSSU's School of Health
Sciences and Division of
Nursing. The program was
initially funded in part by a
four-year $730,000 W.K.
Kellogg Foundation grant
received by the university in
2003 and funds from
Georgia State University.
Currently, the program is
funded by the NC
Department Health and
Human Services. The funds
are used to maintain a school
readiness program to pro
vide academic support,
health care and other assis
tance families where
grandparents are the primary
caretakers of children.
Two years ago^ the
grandparents created 1 3
hand-sewn quilts that were
auctioned to benefit
orphaned children who are
victims of AIDS in Lesotho,
Africa.
"Many of the grandpar
ents who are making these
quilts could very easily sell
them to use the revenue for
their own situations," says
Dr. Lenora Campbell, asso
ciate dean for the Division
of Nursing and project direc
tor ' of J WSSU's
grandparenting Program.
"It's inspiring how they look
beyond their circumstances
to help others they don't
know - whether for school
supplies for children in
another country or providing
inspiration for the President
of the United States."
Kok Art's Saw
- ? . 1
Am Council Photo
Arts Council of Winston-Salem and "Forsyth County grant recipients hold a check for
SI.S25 million - the amount the Council awarded to 42 arts and cultural organizations
and 19 individual artists for the 2009-2010 grant period. It is the largest amount ever
awarded by the Arts Council in an annual grant cycle.
7 rrr
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CUSSES
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TA.N'GLEWOOI)
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Nov 1 3 - Jan 3
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for information call
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Make the holiday meal your
erowning achievement.
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