Photo* tn LjyU Farmer
Anita Dean (second from left), poses with her granddaughter, Danielle Maness, Art Green, as Santa Claus, Shirley
Gaither and Bobby \1osley.
Gospel Station serves as a
holiday angel for local folks
B> LAVLA FARMER
THE CHK( >N K LE
While many in the local
community anxiously await
ed Christmas last week, the
approaching holiday' only
served to tighten the knot in
Elease Smith's stomach.
Smith, a single mother of
five. wa? laid off from her
job last year
"I was getting unemploy
ment at first and the unem
ployment stopped.''
explained Smith. who
worked for 12 years as a
supervisor in Wake Forest
University's food court
Since that time, she has been
try ing to piece together a liv
ing off the income she makes
from various temporary jobs.
This holiday season.
Smith couldn't afford to put
anything under the tree for
her children, who range from
eight to college age.
"I was struggling because
I had two daughters in col
lege and the tuition
had to be paid,"
related the longtime
Winston-Salem resi
dent. "I've been
thinking about this
for the past two
months like. 'Lord,
how in world am I
going to find some
thing for my kids?'"
Last week. Smith
got the answer she'd
been praying for Anita
Dean, a popular 1340 The
Light deejay, responded to a
plea Smith had written to her
and invited Smith to come
and take advantage of the
AM Gospel station's annual
toy giveaway
"That's a blessing right
there." Smith said, gesturing
to the grocery bags full of
toys for her kids. "God sent
an angel. She (Dean) is an
angel."
Smith's family was one
of nearly 30 families that
benefitted from the toy give
away. which Dean, the long
time host of "Anita Dean's
Praise and Worship
Program." on Sunday morn
ings. has organized for the
past eight years. The station
had previously hosted drives
in conjunction with other
organizations, but Dean,
whose on-air career spans
more than two decades, said
she wanted to come face to
face with the people she was
helping, so she started her
own drive. She solicits
potential recipients of the
drive to write letters and tell
her their stories. Then, the
giveaway bags are carefully
packed to suit the children in
a specific family
"It's a personal thing to
me," Dean said of the give
away. "I know exactly where
these toys are going I get to
interact wrth the families I
read their letters. I know
their pain."
Hollie Atkins of
Greensboro was laid off
from her job at a Hardee's
restaurant six months ago
and has been living with her
mother until she gets back on
her feet
"It's been a struggle with
no money." said Atkins, a
London
Hollie Atkins I right) with her son. Jacob and fiance, Brian Hinkins.
mother of three. "It takes
everything we have just to
pay the bills It's been hard."
One of Atkins* mother's
coworkers told her about
Dean's toy drive and Atkins
didn't hesitate to
transcribe her
letter
"It's been a
real blessing."
said Atkins, who
attended the
giveaway with
her two year-old
son, Jacob, and
fiance. Brian
Hinkins. "It's a
relief - a big
relief."
Dean's daughter, Tonya,
has helped her mother with
the last four drives. The day
of the giveaway is always
poignant, she said.
"It's just rewarding to see
the people come in and hear
their testimonies and see
how grateful they are." she
related. "That makes me feel
good because they feel good
about what she's doing."
High Point resident
Renee London, a former
cook in a daycare, has been
out of work since 2007. She
spent much of the last year
caring for her four children
and her sister, who was ter
minally ill. London did not
know about the giveaway,
but says she had prayed that
she would find a way to pro
vide something for her chil
dren this year. A friend wrote
to Dean on her behalf.
"I did not know what she
was doing, but I thank God
for her." London said of the
friend.
London says she had
approached several organiza
tions that do toy drives, but
was told she was too late to
take advantage of their pro
grams. When she got the call
from Dean last week, it came
as a total surprise.
"I'm stunned." she said
with a laugh after the give
away. "I'm bout to cry."
Like London, many of
the people Dean encounters
through the drive have faced
extreme hardships over the
last year. Dean says know ing
what they have been through
makes her even happier to
give.
"It's just heartwarming to
hear their stories." she said
"It's just something that I
love to do. It's something
that I'm going to do until the
day I die."
The New Year has arrived;
1 and so have the
new Clinic Hours at the
Forsyth County
Department of Public Health
All Wednesday Evening Clinics have
been changed to
Thursday Evening
Please call 703-3100
For Hours, Schedules and
Appointments
The Forsyth County Department of Public Health is located at
799 Highland Avenue, Winston-Salem, NC,
visit us online at www. forsyth.cc/publichealth
Ihxiakt K Huk
UMtiiPTer
lagal Hrtp For Your 0*M Probtom*
DONALD R. BLIE,
At tome* A! Law
www.donaldrbuie.com
The La? Office of
Ikmuld R. Butt ? a
tedrrail) designated
Debt Relief A|?ki
under Tide II I mud
Slate* Cod* Section
52*tai. We help people
file for bankrupto
relief under (he
bankrupto code.
Km Initial ( onsultation j 1 IflO
Slop Krpussrviioti & KomiuMirr / /J"l?jVo
81) West 5th Stn*t
The Downtown Middle School
"A Public Charter School"
SCHOOL OF CHOICE
Tuition Free!
ACCEPTING /APPLICATIONS FOR
SECOND SEMESTER-GRADES 5-7
Express Enrollment Hotline
Call M.ke Smith (336) 988-0224
msmith@dtms.org
Rep. Larry Womble
NC House of Representatives
71st District
Tel (336) 784-9373
Fax (336) 784-1626
E-Mail: LWistm@aol.com
Home Address
1 294 Salem Lake Road
Winston-Salem. NC 27107
Terrence S. Hines
Attorney at Law
X West Third Street. Suite 245
Winston-Salem. NC 27101
Office: 336-724-9733
Email: Tem. Tern HinesLa* com
Weh: Terry Htnesi.aw com
Practice areas: speeding tickets and
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Seasons *
Greetings
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ATTORNEYS AT LAW
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