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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4 UCW NOVEMBER 23 - -29, 2016 WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM Community and giving back are consistent themes in our publication. Time and again and without fail, our community steps up to care for its own, to problem solve, to get things done. Hurricane Matthew is just the latest example of how we take care of each other when things get hard. Unfortunately, it is not enough to say "Well done," and move along because there will always be someone in need, someone who, despite their best effort, can't make ends meet, can't provide for their family, can't take care of themselves. This time of year Social media is usually filled with posts about how thankful, lucky and blessed people are. And that is a wonderful thing. We should all count our blessings and be mindful of how much we have and how fortunate we are. And we should not take these things for granted. There are still people in this community and all across this country who are not so fortunate. And organizations this time of year often struggle to meet the needs of those they serve. If you are able and it is in your heart, consider giving back this holiday season. It doesn't take much to change someone's life. While the holidays are supposed to be a happy time of year, many struggle mightily with things like loneliness and depression during November and December. Take a few moments, call or check in on a friend/acquaintance/office mate/neighbor and let them know you are thinking about them. Or take them to lunch or for coffee or just spend a few minutes letting them know you care. If time is something you just don't have or you are unable to "sponsor" someone this season, consider supporting one of the many organizations that are dedicated to helping this community. Drop some money in one of the red Salvation Army kettles. They feed the homeless, while providing a job for the bell ringers, typically lower income. Write a check to one of the many nonprofits in the area. Places like the Care Clinic and Better Health offer health-related services to the community at little or no cost. Or volunteer. Not just during the holidays, but throughout the year. Operation Inasmuch, Catholic Charities, the Dream Center, the Child Advocacy Center, the Guardian ad litem program and other organizations are always looking for help. Drop off some nonperishable food items like canned goods, dried beans, soup mixes or the like at one of the food banks. Second Harvest Food Bank is always accepting donations, but there are other organizations that have food pantries, too. Donate toiletries or hygiene items at one of the many local shelters. Things like a package of socks, a hat and a scarf or a gently used coat or feminine hygiene products mean everything when you need them and don't have them. Donate a toy at one of the many toy drop offs. Toys for Tots is just one way. Support a local toy run that many local motorcycle clubs sponsor this time of year - we have some listed in our Free Wheelin' section. Many organizations have Angel trees that make it easy to give a child a Merry Christmas. Some organizations that support children in our community are the Girls and Boys Club, Fayetteville Urban Ministry, Great Oaks Foundation and Falcon Children's Home. Giving back during this stressful time of year doesn't have to take a lot of time or money and it can change someone's life. Including yours. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly. PUBLISHER'S PEN The Giving Season by STEPHANIE CRIDER STAFF PUBLISHER Bill Bowman Bill@upandcomingweekly.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/EDITOR Stephanie Crider editor@upandcomingweekly.com OPERATIONS DIRECTOR Paulette Naylor accounting@upandcomingweekly.com ART DIRECTOR & GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sara Smith art@upandcomingweekly.com SENIOR REPORTER Jeff Thompson news@upandcomingweekly.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS D.G. Martin, Pitt Dickey, Margaret Dickson, John Hood, Erinn Crider, Jim Jones, Shanessa Fenner, Heather Griffiths BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Keri Dickson keri@upandcomingweekly.com SALES ADMINISTRATOR/ DISTRIBUTION MANAGER Laurel Handforth laurel@upandcomingweekly.com MARKETING/SALES Nicki Hart nicki@upandcomingweekly.com Linda McAlister Brown linda@upandcomingweekly.com ––––––––––– Up & Coming Weekly www.upandcomingweekly.com 208 Rowan Street P.O. Box 53461 Fayetteville, NC 28305 PHONE: (910) 484-6200 FAX: (910) 484-9218 Up & Coming Weekly is a "Quality of Life" publication with local features, news and infor- mation on what's happening in and around the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community. Up & Coming Weekly is published weekly on Wednesdays. Up & Coming Weekly welcomes manuscripts, photographs and artwork for pub- lication consideration, but assumes no respon- sibility for them. We cannot accept responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or material. Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to edit or reject copy submitted for publication. Up & Coming Weekly is free of charge and distrib- uted at indoor and outdoor locations throughout Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, Hope Mills and Spring Lake. Readers are limited to one copy per person. ©2007 by F&B Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or advertisements without permission is strictly prohibited. Laurel Handforth, Santa's helper, has a giving heart for tots. NOVEMBER 24 Showers November 25 Mosty Sunny November 26 Mostly Sunny November 27 Partly Cloudy November 28 Partly Cloudy November 29 Showers THANKSGIVING FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY HIGH 74 HIGH 61 HIGH 63 HIGH 61 HIGH 62 HIGH 62 LOW 49 LOW 38 LOW 38 LOW 41 LOW 44 LOW 44 STEPHANIE CRIDER, Editor. COMMENTS? Editor@upandcomingweekly.com. 910.484.6200 Fayetteville's Weather Forecast