Up & Coming Weekly

Boys & Girls Club: Teaching a Positive Life by ASHLEY YOUNG With a mission to inspire all youth to become productive, responsible and caring citizens the Boys and Girls Club of Cumberland County strives to be a place where kids can be themselves, have fun with other kids their age and participate in structured activities, including basketball, softball, fl ag football and a game called “quickball.” “It’s an after school program for youth ages 5-18 that teaches health and life skills, character and leadership development education and career development, sports, fi tness and recreation and the arts,” said Don Williams, Chief Professional Offi cer for the Cumberland County Boys and Girls Club. Along with physical activities the club also implements a daily program called “Power Hour” which is a homework and tutorial enterprise to encourage kids to stay focused in school. Other programs include “Passport to Manhood,” for male children 11-14 years old, which encourages them to use responsibility and reinforces positive behavior, and “Street Smarts” which teaches kids to resist gangs and violence and resolve confl ict in a peaceful manner. The Boys and Girls Club was started by two gentlemen in 1968 because of the need for kids to have something positive to do after school, with juvenile crime on the rise. The club has been in service now for more than 42 years and four are open throughout Cumberland County. Their hours are from 2 p.m. until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday during the school year, and 7:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. during the summer. Parents can make their children members by fi lling out an application at any Boys and Girls Club. The Cumberland County Boys and Girls Club welcomes kids of any gender, religion and race to come out and join the club. Scholarships are given to the kids so their membership is free. Many of the kids who spent their early years at the Boys and Girls Club have gone on to achieve academic success and many have joined the military. Donors and volunteers are welcome and with a faculty of one staff member per 20 kids, volunteers are needed. “I think it’s a great program that really helps kids and the community and there is so much kids can gain by being part of a Boys and Girls Club. I’ve been involved for 21 years,” said Williams. The Cumberland County Boys and Girls Club is located on 3475 Cumberland Road in Fayetteville and can be reached by phone at (910) 425-3852. For more information please visit ccbgc.org. Ashton Woods: It Takes a Village by ASHLEY YOUNG Sixteen years ago the Cumberland Interfaith Hospitality Network recognized the need for temporary housing for homeless families and their children in our community. In 1997, the Cumberland Interfaith Hospitality Network along with The Women’s Center of Fayetteville and many private citizens created a dream which became the reality of Ashton Woods Transitional Housing Village. The village is a small community of 20 homes located on the corner of Bragg Boulevard and Old Shaw Road that was created for homeless families who need more time to get back on their feet than traditional shelters allow. The Women’s Center of Fayetteville led in fundraising efforts and accepted the property deed. Nearly half a million dollars was raised and the property of Ashton Woods was purchased. The Cumberland Interfaith Hospitality Network helped in funding efforts and secured other grants and donations towards this program. They also coordinated volunteers, managed the Ashton Woods property and worked with the families in need. Through this they were able to get hundreds of volunteers in the local community to help restore the homes and build a security fence around the village in order to prevent crime. Church youth and adult groups cleaned out and painted homes to prepare them. The City of Fayetteville provided funds to the Fayetteville Urban Ministries to help assist with the electrical, plumbing and HVAC repairs on eight of the houses. Ashton Woods offi cially opened in June of 1998. Families who live within the Ashton Woods community are provided with a two bedroom home and may live there for two years. The families are responsible for paying utility bills including water and sewer, heating, water heater and electricity bills. Rent of the houses is subsidized during the families’ stay in order for them to work on specifi c goals to help increase their wage earning potential. These goals include completing GEDs and college, earning certifi cate programs, such as forklift driving, getting certifi ed nursing assistance, etc. Subsidy is provided due to the fact that each family is expected to obtain employment, while accomplishing these goals, however payment for part time jobs is often limited, yielding around $200 per week, which is not enough to pay traditional rent. WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Volunteers from Cape Fear Studios work with students at Ashton Woods on an annual art show. Each family that lives within Ashton Woods participates in an intensive care management program which establishes a savings requirement to help prepare them for the move to permanent housing at the end of their stay. A spending budget is established to verify that all household income is being used to pay residents monthly utilities, pay debts that are owed and save remaining income for permanent housing goals. “Our organization has a professional team which works with each family establishing goals, tracking progress, verifying their fi nancials, bank statements and daily household expenditures,” said Denise Jiles, Project Director of the Cumberland Interfaith Hospitality Network. There are also services and support offered to children who have experienced signifi cant trauma due to their family’s housing instability. Also a fully functional library with over 2000 reading and reference resources, computers, tutors, and educational activities are provided so each child has the support necessary to continue their education and establish goals to keep them on the right track. Another program for the kids is that every 18 months in the Ashton Woods program, kids choose a community project that they work for in order to make a positive difference. Last year they chose the Cumberland Community Foundation where they raised resources for painting the Cumberland Community resource room. The children worked throughout the year to obtain paint supplies and other needed materials. “I believe this is one of the best programs for families experiencing homelessness in our state. It has been an essential part of recovery in the lives of hundreds of homeless children and their parents. I am proud to be a part of developing self suffi ciency in the lives of so many and hope that the impact we have continues to help our community in reducing dependency on public programs and eliminating homelessness one family at the time,” said Jiles. For more information, visit www.cumberlandihn.org/AshtonWoods.htm. Branching Out, Making a Difference by DR. SHANESSA FENNER Great Oak recognizes and wants to address the socioeconomic issues among inner city male youth in educational achievement, juvenile incarceration, and joblessness and access to opportunities. “Great Oak held a two-week leadership and development summer camp in June,” said Bobby Washington, executive director of Great Oak Youth Development Centers. “It entailed a theory being taught in the morning followed by a fi eld trip or other community service event in the afternoon.” Washington added that the youth were shown business plans and taken to various businesses that have been planned and executed. The camp also focused on teaching the youth about successful teamwork, respect for themselves and others, and how to bring out a positive self-image. The culminating activity of the camp consisted of the youth creating a business plan and presenting it to others. Great Oak provides services to students aged 6 to 18. Parents, educators, or community offi cials must refer the students. The mission of Great Oak Youth Development Center is to provide a foundation for achievement and success among male youth within targeted communities by directly providing educational assistance, mentoring, leadership and skills training and cultural awareness activities. The defi cit is more pronounced and alarming for America’s black males. The programs offered are Effective Black Parenting, Men and Boys Unity, Mentoring, Leadership Academy, Parental Involvement, Summer Leadership and Entrepreneurs’ Camp, and Reading Buddies. Great Oak was recognized by the governor for North Carolina’s Volunteer Service Medallion Award and recognized by the Fayetteville Business and Professional League as the Social Entrepreneur of the Year. “It is our goal to expose the boys to education and cultural events,” said Washington. “We always work a college or university fi eld trip in when we take an extended fi eld trip.” Great Oak is a charitable nonprofi t organization that relies on donations for a substantial portion of funding to run their program. Applications may be requested in person, via email, telephone, or USPS. For more information call 822-2226. JULY 7-13, 2010 UCW 9

• Cover