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Food Stamp Recipients
*
Told Xo Look For Work
COMMUNITY RELATIONS AWAKUS
Six finalists were honored in the second
annual Police and Community Relations
Awards. Chosen over 56 nominees for
outstanding service to the Charlotte
community were the following officers:
Pictured from left to right are R. W.
Garnett, I. Harrison, G. E. Avery, N.
Garnes, andG. M. Mowrey. Howard Lee,
former secretary of the North Carolina
Department of Natural Resources and
Community Development was the guest
speaker. The awards are sponsored by
the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community
Relations Committee and Jefferson-Pilot
Broadcasting Company, which donated
the fund for the cash awards. Finalists
were selected by the Criminal Justice
Subcommittee of the Community
Relations Committee. (Photo by Jim
Black Photographers)
Key To Fighting Unemployment
Community-Base Training
Of Disadvantaged Backed
Special To The Post
RALEIGH - During the
current session of the N.C.
General Assembly, a revi
sion of the Employment
Security Commission
(ESC) law was passed.
In addition to numerous
technical changes, the revi
sion affects eligibility for
unemployment benefits,
_ the amount of benefits pav
able and (he duration of
benefits.
One major legislative
shift eliminated the deduc
tion of certain types of
pension incomes from un
employment benefits pay
able to eligible claimants.
Prior to this change, all
pensions or other periodic
payments based on pre
vious employment were de
ducted from the weekly
benefit amount. Effective
July 1, 1981, only those
payments received under
the Social Security Act, the
Railroad Retirement Act
or payments contributed to
by “base period” employ
ers will be deducted. (The
“base period” is the first
four of the last five ca
lendar quarters prior to the
quarter in which a claim
for unemployment insur
ance benefits is filed. Until
the end of June, the “base
period" is calendar year
1980.)
“Under the new legisla
tion, people who have re
tired {(pd have been forced
to return to the labor force
because of inability to live
off fixed incomes are not
penalized during new
periods of unemployment
for earnings from previous
careers,” said Preston
Johnson, ESC finance di
rector and legislative
liaison.
The basic earnings re
quirements for eligibility to
receive unemployment in
surance benefits has also
changed. Effective August
1, an individual must have
earned at least six times
the North Carolina average
Looking For Help
Confused about where to
turn for help? Call Inform
ation and Referral Service
24 hours a day, seven days
a week for information
about services. The num
ber is 373-0982.
HKTIMMA
Man without woman
would be as stupid a game
as playing checkers alone.
County
Programs
Win Awards
Four Mecklenburg Coun
ty government programs
have won national recog
nition In' an annual com
petition sponsored by the
National Association of
Counties (NACo.).
weekly insured wage dur
ing the “base period" to
establish a valid claim.
This figure replaces an
absolute earning minimum
of $565.50 and will be re
calculated annually.
Persons filing claims for
unemployment insurance
benefits who are found by
the appeals referee must
meet a new appeals re
quirements. All persons—
wishing to appeal the
referee’s decision must
provide a written state
ment of the grounds for the
appeal within the stated
appeal period. If this state
ment is not submitted, the
appeal may be dismissed.
Individuals who had been
drawing extended benefit
payments in other states
who file for these payments
in North Carolina are also
affected by the revisions.
The new legislation limits
the period for which these
people can receive extend
ed benefit payments if
North Carolina is not pay
ing extended benefits to its
residents.
“The new law provides
that a person who moves to
North Carolina will only be
able to draw two weeks of
extended benefits if we
have not ‘triggered on’ to
extended benefits in the
state,” Johnson said. “Ex
tended benefits are de
signed to meet the special'
needs of the jobless during
periods of high unemploy
ment. If North Carolina is
not experiencing high un
employment, these bene
fits should not be neces
sary.”
The two-week period of
extended benefit payments
does allow persons moving
into the state a reasonable
period in which to find suit
able employment, he said.
"However, the definition of
‘suitable employment’ for
recipients of extended be
nefits has also changed,”
Johnson said.
According to the new
law, someone claiming ex
tended benefits will be
come disqualified under
the following conditions:
(1) if the commission re
fers the person to work it
deems the individual is
capable of performing; (2)
if the pay will be more than
the individual’s weekly be
nefit amount; (3) if the pay
meets the minimum wage
standards; (4) if the job is
offered in writing and is
listed with the commis
sion; and (5) if the indi
vidual refuses the job and
cannot convince the com
mission that he can get
work in his own field in a
reasonable short period of
time.
For more information on
the impact of these legis
lative changes, contact
your local Job Service
office.
Exdtmg Race Developing
Mrs. Anna Hood Grabs First Place
In “Churchwoman Of The Year” Race
By Loretta Manago
Post Staff Writer
In its second suspense
thrilling week, the church
woman campaign signals a
continuous see-sawing, ex
citing race for first place.
This week, the leading
churchwomen have given
their competitors a taste of
what the race for the finish
line is going to be down to
the final day. To put It
simply, these ladies are
serious,- they mean busi
ness and have every in
tention of walking away
with the crown, the honor
and the 93,000 first prize of
being proclaimed “Church
woman of the Year.’’
Leading by only five
points this week is Mrs.
Anna Hood, member of
Memorial United Presbyte
rian Church. Currently, she
has 415 points. Following
closely behind her, though,
is Mrs. Rena Blake of East
Stonewall with 410 points.
Last week she was leading
the churchwoman cam
paign. With the help of her
committee persons, Willie
Bratcher, Ola Jackson and
Mattie Caldwell
...Ebenezer contestant
Alice Tinsley, Mrs. Black
says she intends to recap
ture first place.
Knocking Sandra Ander
son out of second place is
Mrs. Hazeline Sarter of
University Park Baptist
Church, with 360 points.
Ms. Anderson of Green
Oaks Baptist Church pre
sently holds fifth place,
with 165 points. Showing a
startling plunge for the
Drestigious first place posi
tion is Mrs. Occie David.
Last week St. Luke Baptist
Church contestant had no
The award winners were
selected as "programs
which enhance or expand
County services to citi
zensm" and they will be
used as models by other
Counties across the
country.
Achievement Awards,
NACo President Roy Orr
praised the Counties for
their “special sensitivity to
citizen needs and their ef
forts to strengthen County
government. Bernard F.
Hillenbrand, Executive Di
rector of NACo, said the
award program has been
developed to give national
recognition to progressive
luumy developments
which demonstrate an im
provement ir< County go
vernment’s services to
citizens.
Mecklenburg's four
Achievement Award win
ners are:
-Books Alive in Char
lotte-Mecklenburg - a co
operative venture by the
Public Library and tfie"~
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
Schools encouraging adults
reading to children, and
sponsoring visits by fa
mous children's authors
and storytellers. The
month-long event, held last
November, highlighted the
on-going work of librarians
and media specialists.
Mary Hopper, Public Re
lations Director for the
Public Library, described
the program for the NACo
competition. Arial Ste
phens is Director of the
Public Library of Char
lotte-Mecklenburg
Delores Cherry
...Henderson Grove
tallied points. This week
Mrs David climbed to
fourth place with 245
points
Other scores are as fol
lows: Mrs Helen Single
ton, Antioch Baptist
Church, 80 points; Mrs
Josephine Morris, Walls
Memorial AME Zion
Church, 80 points; Mrs.
Kitty Cauthen, Ben Salem
Presbyterian, 50 points;
Ms Meloney Ashemore,
Little Rock AME Church,
20 points; Mrs. Regina
Polk Gill, Grier Heights, 10
TRENA MARIE KING
....To Attend Spaugh Junior High
In Essence Of Beauty
Trena MarieKing Rates ~
As First-Rate Contender
By Teresa Burns
Post Staff Writer
Goodness is the essence
of beauty. And with that
qualification Trena-Marie -
King rates as a top con
tender.
An 11-year-old Westerly
Hills Elementary graduate
Ms. King will be attending
Spaugh Junior High School
in the fall. As a participant
in the band, the chorus, and
an occasional talent show,
our Leo beauty is looking
forward to both the aca
demics of high school and
the extracurricular ac
tivities.
Her favorite subject is
spelling “Words are easy
to me," she explained. She
enjoys reading and would
like to become a nurse.” I
like helping people,” she
confessed. And that's only
part of the goodness Ms.
King possesses.
She condensed her philo
sophy- of. life into three
words, yet the meaning is
so intense. "To respect
others,” is one way she
believes of living a God
fearing life.
Ms. King is tall with
black eyes and hair and
loves to meet people. She
enjoys being the oldest of
three children She has one
sister Jyatta and one bro
ther Hermie Jr.. Her
parents are Rachel and
Hermie King.
Her mother is her favor
ite person. “She likes to
help people when they are
down and she works very
hard. She aids me with my
homework and attends
Meloney Ashemore
Little Rock AME
points; and Mrs. Oneda
Lewis, Metropolitan
United, 10 points. No points
were earned by the other
participating churches.
These churches have got a
long way to go to keep up
with the leading candi
dates With more contest
ants lining up their stra>
tegies and devising their
own methods of campaign
ing, there's no telling who
will be occupying first
place next week
Churchwomen featured
this week are Miss
Meloney Asheboro, Mrs
Mattie Caldwell and Mrs.
Delores Cherry.
Miss Meloney Ashemore
The youngest of our
churchwomen candidates,
Miss Asheboro is a 1981
high school graduate But
her young age doesn't
mean that she doesn’t know
the meaning of responsi
bility.
While at school, Miss
Ashemore was a member
of the Future Homemakers
of America, Future Busi
ness Leaders of America,
Child Care Club and the
Career Office Occupations
Club Miss Ashemore also
graduated in the top half of
her class.
Pursuing a career goal
as a medical secretary,
Miss Ashemore is employ
ed by Duke Power as a
secretary and attends
King's Business College.
Her involvement in the
community includes parti
cipating in the Miss Hous
ing Authority Pageant and
finishing in second place
See Hood Page 13
events I am involved in,”
Ms. King explained
Donna Summer is at the
top of Ms. King’s enter
__tainment list. Her favorite
“tune, “On The Radio;”
seems to exemplify the di
verse talents of Summer
Ms. King also enjoys
skating, basketball, base
ball, tennis, shopping,
cooking and helping her
mother around the house.
She attends Greater
Gethsemane AME Zion
Church where Rev. George
Battle is pastor There, she
sings on the choir and plans
to join the usher board.
Good grades have al
ways been a part of our
beauty’s agenda. She also
received a band certificate
If Ms King could make
one change in the world it
would be the condition in
Atlanta, Ga., today. “1
would send messages to the
parents and tell them not to
leave children alone I
would also have the police
in special areas where the
children like to play,” she
explained
Surely it is evident that
our beauty is one filled with
concern and consideration
for others With her good
ness revealed, only good
things will she be confront
ed with.
Greene Named
To Research
Council
Dr. Ruth Greene, asso
ciate professor of psycholo
gy at Johnson C. Smith
University, was selected by
the National Research
Council to participate in a
year long Postdoctoral Fel
lowships for Minorities
Program.
Ms. Greene, one of 35
minority scholars to be
selected to participate in
the program, will conduct
research in the area of
psychological aging at
Duke University in Dur
ham.
Scholars, coming from 20
states, the District of
Columbia and Puerto Rico,
were selected in a national
See Greene page 16.
Efforts To
Link Stamps
To Needy
Special To The fosi
KALEIlili - Many food
stamp recipients previous
ly required only to register
with Job Service now will
face loss of food stamps if
they do not actively look for
work, according to the Em
ployment Security Com
mission tESC».
Legislation which be
came effective June 1, 1981
could require yp to one
fourth of the approximate
ly 602,000 food stamp reci
pients in North Carolina to
conduct active job search
or lose their benefits. Ap
proximately 25 percent of
all food stamp recipients
have traditionally been re
quired by the Division of
Social Services to register
with Job Service as a con
dition of receiving food
stamps. In an effort to limit
food stamps to the truly
needy, a portion of those
“who-eegister wUh-Job Ser
vice must now independ
ently look for work or have
their benefits cuts. ‘‘The
real advantage of this pro
gram is that those who are
eager to work will receive
additional assistance,
while those who are dis
inclined to work will be
more readily identified and
penalized." said Janice E
Brown, t^.vj s mod-stamp—
coordinator
"All food stamp reci
pients referred to Job Ser
vice for work registration
will be evaluated for job
readiness," she said.
"Those judged ready for
work will be required to
develop and follow a job
search program for up to
eight weeks each year If
they do not register with
us, or if they do not meet
the goals of their job search
plan, food stamps to their
entire house hold may be
jeopardized
Brown explained that job
search is a totally new
requirement, and that
penalties for non com
pliance are severe and ab
solute "It is extremely
important that people now
receiving food stamps real
ize the strictness of-these
regulations." she said "If
they do not register with as
and, if required, conduct an
independent job search,
their household could lose
food stamps for two
months "
Brown explained that
many people who receive
food stamps will not be
affected by this change
"Many food stamp reci
pients are not required to
register with Job Service
because they are under 18
years of age or over fiO,"
she said "Others are not
referred to as because they
have permanent disabili
ties or permanent employ
ment barriers.”
Among those registering
with Job Service, some
automatically will be
exempt from the job search
requirement because they
live too far from potential
employers or because they
are migrant seasonal farm
workers away from their
home base. Of the remain
ing registrants, only those
judged ready and able for
work will be required to
begin job search. Job Ser
vice will refer those people
not immediately ready for
employment to training-;