m I Winston-Salem, NC 27101
The Chron
Vol. XXXVI No. 50 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. THURSDAY, August 12, 2010
wssu
accepted
back into
the CIAA
-See Huk*" HH
Program
teaches
dangers
of gangs
?See Pane A3
Piedmont
Circle
residents
reunite
arolina Room
County Ffybfoe tf
>t Fifth Stroot
Teen to
share her
sad tale
in TV spot
BY LAYLA FARMER
I 111 ( HRONK i I
A local tccn is using a personal tragedy to
warn others about the dangers of tobacco use.
Seventeen year-old Destini Donaldson, a
rising senior at Parkland Magnet High
School, lost her father, James Donaldson Jr.. a
longtime smoker, to lung cancer in December
2009. She will share her story with residents
across the state beginning this fall, when a
series of 30-second television commercials
sponsored by the anti-tobacco group TRU
(Tobacco. Reality. Unfiltered) are slated to hit
the airwaves
"1 love it.
It's a way for
her to reach out
to other teens."
commented
Destini's moth
er. Patricia
Donaldson, a
jail ST!)
screener and
lab assistant for
the Forsyth
County
MHHB 1 Department of
Destini Donaldson H e a I t h ' s
POSSE pro
gram. "It's a relief for Destini. because the
more she talks about her dad. the better she
feels, because she can go on and get it off her
chest."
Destini is no stranger to the fight against
tobacco. She has been a member of the local
TRU YAC' (Youth Advisory Council) for
nearly three years, and currently serves as the
group's vice president.
TRU. which focuses on youth outreach, is
known for its no-holds-barred approach to
tobacco prevention. The campaign often uti
lizes real life stories in its commercials to
grab the audience's attention.
"Our strategy since we've been doing the
TRU campaigns has been to feature real
North Carolina people who have been affect
ed by tobacco." explained Barbara Moeykens,
director of Social Marketing for the NC
Health and Wellness Trust Fund, which funds
TRU. "These are the kinds of things that help
teens to realize that this is very real: this is
something not to be taken lightly."
TRU officials found Destini after they
solicited the coordinators at each of its 50
county agencies last spring, in search of new
folks to highlight in the commercials.
Destini s story piqued their interest in part
because her father was relatively young.
Moeykens said.
"Teens ... often think that they'll quit
Sec Destini on A5
Homeless to stage
protest at shelter
' Flic Phioto
Mike Ryan stands in front of the Bethesda Center.
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONIC! E
Former and current residents of the
l> .-*? u <1 .. r..- >u..
OCIIIOUd V Cllltl IWI 1 1 Iv
Homeless say they will stage a
peaceful protest on Saturday to
-bring attention to what the\ see
as major flaws at the facility.
The North Patterson Avenue
Center runs a shelter that houses
up to 1 (X) homeless men and
women each night. It also runs a
J.. . . . .l... :.j..
uay Mtviivi mat pruviucN uijngb
like showers and restrooms.
telephone access and laundry facilities.
Bishop Bennett Alexander is the main
organizer of the protest. Once homeless
himself. Alexander founded Gospel
lixpress for the Homeless, a musical per
formance group made up of
Homeless men and women
Gospel txpress uses its music to
aid and uplift the homeless and
needy.
Alexander said that man\
Bethesda clients have come to
him w ith complaints about condi
tions such as mold and hugs w ith
in the center and of unfair treat
Alexander
ment of clients b\ the Center \
staff
Alexander -said thai he's raised these
See Center on A2
Neigjib or 5 Get Neighborly
National Night Out brings the best out of East/Northeast Winston community
BY LAYLA FARMER
THE CHRONICLE
Members of the East/Northeast Winston Neighborhood Association gathered
at Harambee Park on the corner of Jackson Avenue and 14th Streets on the
evening of Tuesday. Aug. 3 to take part in the 27th Annual National Night Out.
Observed by neighborhood associations across the country . National Night
Out is a community gathering that is designed to increase crime and drug pre
vention awareness, while fostering goodwill between communities and law
enforcement agencies.
"We're all in this together - economically, spiritually, and we need to con
tinue to work together." said Marva Reid. president of the East/Northeast
Winston Neighborhood
Association. "We need to
come together and make the
entire Winston-Salem a bet
ter place, rather than ... iso
lated sections."
This year was the second
time the Association has
hosted the event, which it
opened to the entire city.
The group won an award
from the city last year for
having that largest atten
dance of anv National Night
-
Out event in 'the city. Reid
said.
"What we did was just do
Marva Reid addresses attendees.
it on a grander scale and just welcome everybody." Reid said of the event, which
drew 2<X) people last year.
The three-hour event included a vigil for all those who were killed in
Winston-Salem in the last year; free food and exhibitors from a variety of com
munity organizations.
Elvenia Johnson. Beatrice Lindsey and Joy Adams of Mount /.ion Baptist
Church's Health Ministry were on hand to offer free blood pressure checks and
health information to attendees.
"With our programs, it's a lot of education as well as monitoring, because
we feel that's going to make a difference in people's health." explained Lindsey.
a retired nurse practitioner.
The group holds similar events at the church twice a month, and has lent its
See Night Out on
Wwtos h\ I Id Fwwt
Youngsters throw around horseshoes.
Creative Community Service
Phi Mo h\ Todd I ik k
Sam Gray (second
from right), and a
group of young vol
unteers paint a
mural on the side of
Yodi International
on North Liberty
Street under the
direction of artists
Jennifer ()' Kelly
and Millicent
Greason-Spi vak.
The effort is part of
the Reclaiming
Liberty Mural
Initiative, which
aims to beautify
buildings and pre
vent graffiti by cre
ating works of art /
on the sides of
Liberty Street
buildings.
. <*
Locals learning to fight
back against bad health
BY LAYLA PAR Ml K
THI CHRONIC 'I I
Forsyth Medical Center is
seeking out patients in need of
preventative health measures
that could protect them from
heart attacks and stroke
Armed with a grant of more
than SI60.000 trom the Kate B.
Reynolds Charitable Trust and
additional funds contributed by
the hospital itself, FMC
launched the "Heart and
Wellness Community
Initialise: Improving Access
and Preventative Care for
Disparate Groups" lasl sum
Sec KMC' on \*? Paul Moses works out in the h'Mi .gym.
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