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Posted: January 13th, 2012 Tonya Jameson

Their mothers gave to the church, but they also helped raise money to help a struggling family. They came from small towns where giving wasn’t called philanthropy, it was called helping out.

They are attorneys, bankers and college students. They are also philanthropists. They joined Valaida Fullwood to discuss her book “Giving Back: A Tribute to Generations of African American Philanthropists” at the YWCA on Wednesday, Jan. 11. Fullwood’s book features nearly 400 pages of profiles and photos of Charlotte-area African Americans. Local photographer Charles Thomas contributed the black & white photos to the project.

YWCA Central Carolinas CEO Kirsten Sikkelee said she was excited to host the event as part of the organization’s ongoing mission to combat racism and to highlight an aspect of African American culture that isn’t always spotlighted. “This is a conversation that the community hasn’t had,” Sikkelee said. 

Along with discussing Fullwood's book, the workshop featured a multi-generational panel discussion about inclusive philanthropy. It was there that this new generation of philanthropists talked about how they never called what their families did inclusive philanthropy.

Panelists discussed what philanthropy looked like to them. It was helping a family pay rent or maybe helping them do their taxes. It was accepting a dozen eggs for payment.

“This whole culture and system of philanthropy developed outside of what we know as organized philanthropy,” Fullwood said.

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Posted: January 11th, 2012 Lee Howard

A dark horse emerged from the gloom last week to fill the vacant District 6 Charlotte-Mecklenburg School Board seat. The relatively unknown Rev. Amelia Stinson-Wesley was appointed over 12 contending for the spot left open after board member Tim Morgan won an at-large position in the last election. PTA mom Stinson-Wesley beat out more familiar names, including Wilhelmenia Rembert, who once chaired the school board.

Begging after dark is forbidden in Charlotte. It’s also against the law to panhandle near an ATM, bus stop or restaurant. While one might argue the local rules are impossible to enforce, Raleigh police in 2011 handed out more than 400 citations for begging without a permit.

The Democratic National Convention Committee last week announced it had invested convention funds in two N.C. minority controlled lenders. The committee deposited $2 million each in non-interest bearing accounts with Durham-based Mechanics & Farmers Bank, an African-American owned bank, and the Latino Community Credit Union.

These people meet via Twitter and social media channels. Then they hit the basketball court. Now, they've launched a commununity service effort off-the-court and offline. They call themselves #SCLThoops.

Posted: January 9th, 2012 Ken Garfield

Xchange Sermons, the faith community’s grand crusade to bring us together, begins again Friday, Jan. 13, in and around Charlotte.

The concept is simple, yet soaring: Clergy of different faiths, backgrounds and color swap pulpits one or more times, showing by their words and deed that God loves us all, equally. This collaboration of Crossroads Charlotte, Mecklenburg Ministries and Temple Beth El is open to every imam, pastor and rabbi willing to take a stand for reconciliation. More than 40 congregations participated last year. In a city, and world, that seems to grow more fractured each day, the hope is that far more will get involved this time around. Clergy wanting to preach someplace new and different – and laity wanting to support the effort by worshiping at a house of worship other than their own – can visit the Xchange Sermons site. The program runs through May.

What an appropriate kickoff: The third season of Xchange Sermons begins at 7 p.m. Friday (Jan. 13) at Temple Beth El at 5101 Providence Road, as the Reform Jewish congregation holds its annual Sabbath service celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The Praise Team from Charlotte’s multiracial Briar Creek Community Church will sing. Briar Creek pastor Dennis Hall will share a prayer for peace. Kevin Vandiver, 24, an African American in his first year at Duke Divinity School in Durham, will implore all to commune with God, together.

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Posted: January 8th, 2012 Amanda Pagliarini

On Jan. 3, Mayor Foxx proclaimed 2012 to be “The Year of Our Neighbors”. The team behind Souls of Our Neighbors (SOON) is treating the mayor's proclamation as a directive. 

The mayor made this announcement on the first day back to work in the new year, as over 300 people gathered to screen “Souls of Our Neighbors”, a documentary on affordable housing. With a 60% local increase in homeless families since 2009, the immediacy of this call to action seems justifiable.

The initiatives SOON has already outlined for the year show an authenticity to the program's name. Rather than look to local government or big corporations, the impetus is being placed on the community; starting with our congregations. (Click here for SOON's website.)

Launching in February,“Beyond Casseroles” will recruit congregations to donate the $3,600 cost to assign a social worker to assist a homeless family. Eight local agencies engaged in homelessness or affordable housing advocacy came together to form the “Beyond Casseroles” coalition. The name came from the hope that our congregations would move beyond food donation to actual real investments that will help to prevent and end homelessness.

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