Up & Coming Weekly

February 15, 2022

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.

Issue link: http://www.epageflip.net/i/1451418

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 13 of 24

WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM FEBRUARY 16 - 22, 2022 UCW 13 COVER STORY Joseph "Bear" Dewberry is a man who values community and giving back. Dewberry, who often goes by the childhood nickname "Bear," describes himself as a commu- nity partner. He owns several local businesses and has joined forces with the Fayetteville Chamber and multiple other organizations since moving to Fayetteville years ago. While he's not a native, he considers Fayetteville his home. Dewberry grew up in Georgia in a military family and enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1995. One year later, he was stationed in Fayetteville for the Special Op- erations Combat Medic Course (SOCM). He was away from his family and his new wife, so he went into town. "I went into a small tavern here, and the welcoming vibe was so overwhelming and so overpowering that I wanted to do that," Dewberry said. "I wanted to be that for anybody else to walk through my door." He served 22 years in the Army. Most of that time - out- side of his 14 deployments - he was stationed at Fort Bragg. When he retired in 2017, he knew Fayetteville would contin- ue to be his home. His children were in the local school system, and he had just opened his first bar, On-After Pub & Grub. He said Fayetteville was a place where he could give a helping hand to people who needed help. It's a place where commu- nity and community values are strong. "Every community has its challenges. Every com- munity has its divisions. But Fayetteville, I think, does a bet- ter job of traversing those divi- sions, those caverns that destroy other communities because we are so diverse because the military is such a huge presence because local law enforcement is so supportive," Dewberry said. "I mean, in other commu- nities where you will absolutely fall apart, Fayetteville doesn't." He told Up & Coming Weekly that he wanted to make sure giving back to the community was a core tenant of any of his businesses. So, at least once a quarter, he helps hold a fund- raiser or community event that supports a local organization or a Fayetteville community member. "We've done fundraisers for the care division, domestic violence and abuse. We've done fundraisers for Autism aware- ness. We've done it for breast cancer," Dewberry said. "We've created our own charity called the On-After Children's Christ- mas where every year we link up with schools and counselors and adoptive families and with our family, and each of the kids will get toys and books and food and clothes." Nothing illustrates this need to give back, as well as the fundraiser On-After Pub & Grub helped with earlier this month. e On-After team, along with Cape Fear UPA, raised money to help a local family whose five-year-old son was diagnosed with leukemia. e child's father had to leave his job to help with the treatments for his son. In one day, they were able to raise $7,500. In 2019, On-After was awarded the Fayetteville Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award, and Rep. Richard Hud- son recognized Dewberry at the House of Representatives. "ey have proven to be a reli- able leader in the community and continue to go above and beyond to support the com- munity wherever it is needed," Hudson said during the recogni- tion. Despite this praise, Dewberry says he doesn't consider himself a leader or anyone special, just a good guy. He spoke about a soldier who reached out to Dewberry four years ago and asked for help. Dewberry said he took an inter- est in this man's career and helped him get through some troubles he was having. at same soldier, four years later, has been promoted, is a squad leader now, and is serving as a mentor. "And that type of passing it on is so much more important to me than passing on wealth or goods or services," Dewberry said. "It's passing on knowledge and passing on understanding so that people can help them- selves and then help others." e future is looking bright for Dewberry. His cleaning com- pany, which opened during the pandemic to keep his workers at On-After Pub & Grill paid, is doing well. He is also planning on opening a new pool and bil- liard hall called H8ters. It will be opening in early 2022 off Fort Bragg Road. Outside of his new business, he is currently planning an Au- tism Awareness On-After Poker Run. is year will be the fifth that Dewberry has helped with an annual autism run. He says they partner with several lo- cal organizations to help raise money for the Autism Society of Cumberland County. e next run is scheduled for April 16. "I want to be the butterfly that affects the rest of the world, but through small doings," Dew- berry laughed. "Of course, a big, bearded butterfly named Bear." Making an impact by HANNAH LEE Above: Joseph Dewberry poses with Shari Fiveash, president and CEO of the Greater Fayetteville Chamber at a Greater Fayetteville Chamber event. Below: Joseph Dewberry posses with a group of fellow soldiers during one the many deployments in his 22 year Army career. (Photos courtesy of Joseph Dewberry.) HANNAH LEE, Assistant Editor. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomin- gweekly.com. 910-484-6200.

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of Up & Coming Weekly - February 15, 2022