Submitted Photo
Members of the Friends of Winston-Salem stand to be recognized during
Saturday's brunch.
Friends get their
kicks by giving back
BY TODD LUCK
THE CHRONICLE
Friends of Winston
Salem celebrated its 20th
Anniversary with a brunch
Saturday at the Lawrence
Joel Veterans Memorial
Coliseum's Windsor Club.
Sandy Porter and Elaine
Bevels formed Friends as a
woman's social and commu
nity service club. It began
with 12 charter members.
"(Elaine and I) were here
and thinking about, you
know, there are a lot of
women around here that can
help the community, and
help ourselves as well, and
we just called some of our
friends and started Friends,"
recalled Porter.
The Club has 17 mem
bers today, which leaders say
is its membership limit.
New members must be nom
inated by current members
and approved by the group.
The Club holds monthly
meetings at the homes of
members and even takes reg
ular retreats, where they plan
their charity projects.
Members of the close knit
group say they have deep
ened their boivd by giving
back together.
"Over the years it's been
really exciting and really
fun; all your friends and
you've done so many things
together and traveled togeth
er and been through sickness
and death together," said
Bevels. "We've just been
through so much together."
The Club's charity work
has been varied. They have
served as volunteers at the
YWCA Best Choice Center,
ushers at the National Black
Theatre Festival and host
esses at an 1990s event at
the Coliseum that featured
then Attorney General Janet
Reno. The Friends have
adopted the seniorcitizens at
Cherry Hill Apartments,
sponsoring events there like
bineo Darties. cookouts and
holiday programs. Each
Thanksgiving and
Christmas, the Club adopts
a local family. Friends also
awarded an athletic scholar
ship to the Kappa Magic
AAU basketball team>and a
dance scholarship that
allows a local youngster to
take lessons. They also
financially support the
annual scholarships present
ed by the Emancipation
Association of Forsyth
County.
Friends President Sharon
Pratt, who has been with the
group 10 years, said the
group's charity work is what
keeps her active in Friends.
"We stay focused and
we're proactive, and I love
what we're doing as a
group," said Pratt, who was
brought into the group by
her mother, Carrie
Fitzgerald.
Every two years, the
Club holds a large scale
fundraising event. This
year's event - The Shades of
Pink Jazz Brunch - happened
to coincide with the Club's
anniversary. More than 200
attended the Brunch, which
was emceed by Judge Dftnise
Hartsfield and featured the
musical stylings of Galvin
Crisp, Jr. and Herb Stephens
of Class Act. In addition to
the music, attendees were
treated to a pink-themed
fashion show as they dined.
Proceeds from the event
- which came from ticket
rnotos ?y lodd Luck
Herb Stephens and Galvin Crisp Jr. perform.
Twinda McCollum struts
in the fashion show.
Judge Denise Hartsfield
speaks.
sales and a silent auction -
went to WomanWise. a
Forsyth County Department
of Public Health program
that provides free breast and
cervical cancer screenings
for local women.
Linda Lindsay, a charter
member of Friends and 22
year breast cancer survivor,
asked other breast cancer sur
vivors at the brunch to stand
up. More than 15 women did
so.
Lindsay has been an
active advocate for breast
cancer awareness. Over the
years, she's started a support
group, volunteered at Cancer
Services and appeared in the
YWCA's first Sister Speak!
calendar, which featured
breast cancer survivors. She
said she was glad to help
Woman Wise.
"It is heartfelt to do
something for breast can
cer," said Lindsay. "Ever
since I was diagnosed, I've
wanted to reach out and help
other women."
WomanWise's Michelle
Metscher reminded attendees
that early detection can save
lives. She urged them to
check themselves regularly
for strange lumps and/to^et
screened annually if they are
over 40. She said those with
no insurance who meet the
income requirement should
take advantage of the
WomenWise's WISE
WOMAN Clinic, located at
the Heath Department, for
free breast exams, mammo
grams and pap smears.
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/ 1
Another Goal Met
Photo courtesy of M. Johnson
Winston-Salem's Monqiue Johnson holds her Eton University School of
Law degree after the school's recent commencement exercises. Born with
scoliosis and dwarfism, Johnson has faced more challenges than many, but
she has have never been deterred. Although she is less than two-feet tall
and moves with the aid of a wheelchair, Johnson is an acclaimed artist who m**
now has two college degrees (She earned her undergraduate degree from
N.C. A&T State University). Johnson, who has been an inspiration to
many, has been featured in newspapers, magazines and television shows.
She is planning to take the North Carolina Bar Exam later this summer.
I 1
I **
Give one.
Get one free.
A hot meal. A warm "Thank you." That's what it's
all about for the people who deliver meals to our
community's elderly in need
Right now, our Meals-on-Wheels program needs
more community volunteers. Please give us a call
if you can spare arMiour and a half, one day a
week or one day a month, to deliver hot meals
to local home-bound seniors.
There's someone out there just waiting to give
you a hug.
o SENIOR SERVICES 42^ 8jgg
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2895 Shorefair Drive, Winston-Salem, NC 27105 | 725-0907 | seniorservicesinc.org
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