Up & Coming Weekly

November 10, 2020

Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.

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WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM NOVEMBER 11-17, 2020 UCW 15 FTCC finds creative ways to serve students and the community by MARLINA PINEIRO Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Fayetteville Technical Community College has looked for inno- vative and useful ways to serve its students and the community as a whole. One such idea is creating a food pantry to help students in need. The pantry will be on the FTCC campus and, at least initially, will be for FTCC students with demonstrated need. Organizers plan a grand opening for the food pantry on Nov. 17. In the meantime, a collection effort is under way to stock the pantry with nonperishable food items. Monetary funds can also be donated to help provide perishable items for the pantry's clients. Tax receipts will be available for all donations, and donors may be entitled to a charitable contribution deduction against their income taxes if they itemize deductions. Created because of the difficulties faced by many people as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effect on the economy, the pantry is sponsored by FTCC's Student Activities Office and by the FTCC Foundation. Donations are being accepted weekdays between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. at FTCC's Property Control Office located at 284 Hull Road. For more informa- tion, please email foodpantry@faytechcc.edu. FTCC also supports the community by holding blood drives at the campus for faculty, staff, stu- dents and members of the community. The Student Activities Office has sponsored several blood drives this fall to help bolster the local area's blood supply. Blood donations have decreased dramatically since the start of the pandemic, and our communities are desperately in need of donations. All blood donati- ons will be used in Cumberland, Harnett, Hoke and Bladen communities. The blood drives have been successful, which is a testament to the donors—stu- dents, faculty, staff and members of the community. FTCC is currently making plans to hold a virtual graduation ceremony on Dec. 10 for the 2,300 stu- dents who completed their studies in 2019-2020. The continuing pandemic makes a face-to-face celebrat- ion impossible. As a result, FTCC is going virtual to honor these graduates who completed their studies and earned degrees, diplomas and certificates in spite of the difficulties posed by the pandemic. The achievement of students who graduate is parti- cularly notable because of the unusual circumstances brought about by COVID-19, and the staff and faculty of FTCC are extremely proud to honor these gradua- tes. Graduates are being notified through their FTCC email addresses about the details of the virtual cere- mony and ways they can participate. For more infor- mation about the planned virtual graduation ceremony, please email graduation@faytechcc.edu. With a broad range of programs to choose from in both curriculum (credit transfer) and continu- ing education (non-transfer) academic programs, Fayetteville Technical Community College offers members of the community a safe way to remain con- nected to something positive during the challenging times brought about by the pandemic. Strict safety protocols are in place for face-to-face classes, and students can also select the convenience of online and virtual classes. Spring classes begin Jan. 11, and registration is now open. We invite you to start the new year by remaining connected to something posi- tive at Fayetteville Technical Community College. The Student Activities Office and the FTCC Foundation are sponsoring a food pantry for students facing food insecurity. To donate, email foodpantry@faytechcc.edu MARLINA PINEIRO, FTCC Interim Director of Student Activities. Com- ments? Editor@upandcomingweekly. com. 910-484-6200. EDUCATION CAC announces child abuse prevention awareness campaign a STAFF REPORT EVENT The Child Advocacy Center is participating in the 19 Days of Child Abuse Prevention Campaign Nov. 1-19 to increase awareness, commitment and to mobilize the community around child abuse prevention. The focus of activities this year will be pro- viding drawstring backpacks for preschool children in the Fayetteville and Fort Bragg areas that include information for parents about the CAC along with an assortment of story books and coloring books for children. Additionally, childcare centers in the Fayetteville and Fort Bragg areas will be able to access video recordings throughout the month with books that educate children about body safety. The CAC will have links to these stories available on the website CACFayNC.org as well as their social media sites. The CAC is hosting a no-sew Blanket Frenzy competition to remind the public that there is something every person can do to prevent child abuse. Volunteers can par- ticipate in the Blanket Frenzy by contacting Faith Boehmer at Faith@cacfaync.org no later than Nov. 19. Local businesses, groups, churches and individuals are encouraged to participate. "Children that come to the CAC receive a no-sew f leece blanket made by volunteers throughout our community. The need for these blankets is always a high priority as the children love to receive them. We call them 'comfort' blankets as they provide a sense of comfort for the child as they leave the CAC," said Roberta Humphries, executive director of the CAC. The 19 Days of Prevention will also inclu- de the annual Champion for Children Awards. The three categories for nominees to be recognized in are: Agency/ Group, Professional and Volunteer. Beginning this year, the Volunteer Award has been renamed the Frank Pierce Volunteer Award. Pierce, who passed away in February, epitomized the heart of volunteerism as he tirelessly worked to protect children in so many ways, Humphries said. Renaming the award honors his memory as we continue to see others volunteering through action and words to protect the children in our commu- nity from abuse. The CAC encourages everyone in the com- munity to become involved in the prevention of child abuse. The annual 19 Days of Child Abuse Prevention Campaign highlights the importance of abuse awareness, but the aim is that prevention and awareness is a com- munity priority throughout the year. The Child Advocacy Center is using the 19 Days of Child Abuse Prevention Campaign to mobilize community members around the abuse prevention effort.

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