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Centering Pregnancy Program at Granville Vance Public Health

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If you are pregnant or know someone who is, the local health department offers a program for expectant mothers to get support from health professionals as well as from others who will be giving birth soon.

“Centering pregnancy” has been around since the 1990’s, and it’s a way for those in the low- to moderate-risk pregnancy categories to learn ways to reduce risk factors like high blood pressure and gestational diabetes, among other things.

Granville Vance Public Health Director Lisa Harrison says the centering pregnancy model is “exciting work,” where women come together and learn in a group setting. Women who participate in the program get one-on-one time with health care professionals, but they also join in small-group sessions where they can ask questions and learn from each other.

“It empowers women to be actively involved in their own health care decision-making,”Harrison said in an earlier interview with WIZS.

The Centering pregnancy program does not take the place of prenatal care that women receive elsewhere, and Harrison said it’s designed to complement the care that women receive from their own providers.

Given the health disparities that exist, especially among underserved populations, Harrison said this program offered by the health department is just one intervention to address maternal and infant mortality.

“It’s a way to set mom and baby up for the best outcomes,” she said.

In addition to the small group sessions during pregnancy, GVPH nurses also make home visits once mom and her newborn are home from the hospital. This service offers support to make sure mom and baby have the resources they need, and can connect them to additional resources to help them survive and thrive.

To learn more, visit https://www.gvph.org/clinic/maternal-health-clinic/.

Check for additional details about Centering Pregnancy and a full list of programs at www.gvph.org.

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Vance County High School

SportsTalk: Building A Culture Of Winning At Vance Co. High School

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Vance County High School Athletic Director Philip Weil has been on the job for less than a year but he is working to change the culture at the high school.  Weil and Head Football Coach Aaron Elliott were guests on Tuesday’s SportsTalk. Weil, who came from Las Vegas, Nevada, said he had goals for his first year.  “I wanted to bring new ideas and new projects to the school.  We still have more to accomplish,” Weil said.  Part of what he is attempting to do is build a culture of winning. “It takes a commitment to excellence to build a winning program,” Weil said.

Where does that start?  “It all starts with Coach Aaron Elliott,” Weil added.  Coach Elliot’s Viper squad won the conference championship last season and has the program on solid footing.  That winning culture has already filtered down form Elliott to the women’s basketball and softball teams as they have found success on the court and the field this season.

Weil also said that women’s flag football, coached by Elliott, will begin this May. “It’s probably going to be the next sanctioned sport,” Coach Elliott added.  Sixty-five young women are ready to hit the field for tryouts with the first game scheduled for May 23rd against Southern Durham.  The flag football program is a collaboration between Durham County Schools and the Carolina Panthers.  Durham County reached out to Vance County to become involved in the league.  The 7 on 7 league will likely play four to five games this year with a full season expected in January of 2025.

Elliott is also busy with his usual duties as he prepares the Vipers for the spring football game on Friday, May 3rd at 8pm at Viper Stadium.

When Weil was asked where he sees Vance County High School athletics in five years, he had two word answer: “State titles.”

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Perry Memorial Library

The Local Skinny! Events At Perry Memorial Library 04-16-24

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The U.S. celebrates National Tea Day on April 21, and Perry Memorial Library is hosting a special tea party and book sale to commemorate the beverage that people enjoy all over the globe.  Whether you’re a faithful patron or a newbie to the library, Melody Peters and the staff invite you to join in the fun.

The tea party will be from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, and participants can sample teas from around the world, Peters said – “something other than iced tea,” she said.

Kids will have a chance to decorate some special cups and plates for the occasion – they also can create some cool party hats.

“We hope there will be a lot of activity,” said Peters, who is the library’s Youth Services director.

Whether you like green tea, a chai or a traditional Earl Grey, come have a cuppa at the library and shop for some books at the Friends of Library sale – books and tea make a great combination.

The April Kids Connect STEM program will celebrate Earth Day just one day late on Tuesday, Apr. 23 from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. After a short hike around the library to pick up whatever litter may be lying around the landscape, the group will create bird feeders with cardboard tubes, twine, sunflower butter and bird seed, Peters said.

“We’ll be outdoors in nature and explore outside” the library environs, including a stroll through the Story Walk installation while they’re at it.

This program is geared for elementary school students, siblings of all ages are most welcome to participate, Peters said. No registration is required – just show up.

Visit www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn more about all the programs and services the library offers.

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TownTalk: A Busy Spring For Rebuilding Hope

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When you drive through the Rebuilding Hope campus on April 26 to pick up plates of that delicious barbecued chicken, sides and dessert, you’ll get a pretty good view of the property, which for so many years was the site of the Coca-Cola Bottling Co.

If you choose to park and eat in, Rebuilding Hope founder and director Randolph Wilson said you probably won’t recognize the interior as a place where those iconic green glass bottles were cleaned, filled and capped, but he gives a tip of the hat to the facility that has served its new owners so well over the past seven or eight years.

The fundraiser runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wilson invites the public to stop by and pick up plates; no advance ticket is necessary, but feel free to call 252.438.5132 to reserve plates. Orders of five or more plates can be delivered, he said.

“Just drive up or drive in,” Wilson said. “We’ll sell until we run out.”

At a recent gathering to celebrate the facility, located at 414 Raleigh Rd., and its new lease on life as home to Rebuilding Hope, Wilson said the president of the former owner, Durham Coca-Cola, came to see how the facility had changed.

“He was pretty much blown away,” Wilson said. “There’s not another building in this town that fits this ministry like a glove” the way the former Coke plant does.

The room that once housed the bottling equipment has been transformed into meeting space, complete with projector and sound capability.

The warehouse that used to store pallets of Coca-Cola products ready for distribution now has different areas for plumbing and electrical supplies, tools and hardware.

Trucks can drive through and get loaded with lumber. And there’s a walk-in freezer and walk-in cooler convenient to the loading dock, so deliveries of surplus food items in need of temporary storage can be easily rolled off trucks and into the coolers.

And the garage area behind the main building now is a tool shop and a storage area for shingles and other supplies for the various projects that Rebuilding Hope undertakes.

The summer Servants on Site program uses a lot of those shingles to repair and replace roofs for residents in the area, Wilson said. This year, SOS participants will gather June 24-28 to work and enjoy fellowship with others while doing God’s work in the community.

This year’s deadline to register is May 1, Wilson said. Visit https://rebuildinghopeinc.org/ to sign up your youth group.

The SOS program is an opportunity for youth groups to find out what’s going “in our own Jerusalem.”

Local youth groups are signed up so far, and another group from the western part of the state. There’s room for more, Wilson said.

“(SOS) touches their life in a way they didn’t expect,” Wilson said. “It’s amazing to hear the young people talk about what it means” to participate in the weeklong event.

At a recent meeting in Elkin, he said he heard from the dad of a previous SOS participant, who reported that the experience had been life-changing.

“We also accept volunteers year ‘round to help with projects in the community,” Wilson said. Their teams build more than 100 wheelchair ramps in any given year to allow residents easier access in and out of their homes.

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SaddleRock Farm Hosts “Henderson Spectacular” For Community On April 27

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The folks at SaddleRock Farm are gearing up for the “Henderson Spectacular” on Saturday, Apr. 27, when the property will be open to the public for a host of activities and fun for the whole family.

Farm owner Larry Johnson and his granddaughter-in-law Emily Parker are weaving in a religious theme into all the activities that will be taking place on Saturday, Apr. 27.

The event is taking place just a few weeks after Easter and they want to spread the word, especially about The Greatest Story Ever Told.

Gates open at 11 a.m. and the fun continues until 3 p.m. Come early, Johnson advised, so you’ll have a chance to enjoy all the activities that are in store.

“I’m blessed to be a part of it…I’m glad to have it at the farm – it’s special,” Parker said in a recent interview with WIZS.

“Our farm furnishes the location,” Johnson said, and New Sandy Creek Baptist Church is a primary sponsor for this year’s “Spectacular,” which will feature horse rides and hayrides, inflatables for the kids to play on, puppet shows and much more.

Then there’s the food – think carnival food like popcorn, sno-cones and drinks to go along with all the outdoor fun – “all for zero cost,” Johnson added.

The farm is a for-profit endeavor, providing riding lessons, field trips and birthday parties throughout the year. But it’s important to Johnson to give back to the community, and hosting the event is his way of going that.

“When I bought that farm, I didn’t buy it for the public, I bought it for my family. Not too long after that, God spoke to my heart and said he had provided that farm…not just for my family but for other people. So when we opened in April 2010, we had a pretty big dedication service and we dedicated that farm to the Lord and his work. We do have to make a living – the farm does have to support itself, but it is dedicated to the Lord and every opportunity we have to provide any service that people can learn more about the Lord, we do that.”

SaddleRock Farm is located at 1786 Weldon’s Mill Rd., Henderson.

Spring Street Missionary Baptist Plans Community Event

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Spring Street Missionary Baptist Church is holding a picnic at Henderson Heights on Saturday, Apr. 20 that is free and open to the public.

There will be hotdogs and hamburgers to enjoy, as well as a bouncy house and face painting for the children, said pastor AnTori D. Brown.

The church is located at 511 Orange St., but Brown said Saturday’s event is a way to minister to the larger community.

“We get inside of the church and we want to stay there,” Brown said on Monday’s segment of The Local Skinny! Having programs outside the church building is one way to let people know “that God has fallen in love with them…our objective is to reach the masses by way of ministry.”

The community is invited to join residents of Henderson Heights, the corner of Beckford and Andrews avenues, between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. for a day of fellowship, food and fun.

As revitalization efforts continue in the downtown area, Brown said he wants Spring Street Missionary Baptist to be a “beacon of light” in the community. “We want to revitalize our commitment and spirituality to God,” he said.

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Learn About Child Care Options, Challenges At Upcoming Forums

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N.C. Rep. Frank Sossamon is hosting forums to discuss the topic of child care in the area – choices, challenges and access to licensed child care facilities for working families. Featured speaker at the forums is Ariel Ford, director of Child Development and Early Education at the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.

The first forum will be held Tuesday, Apr. 30 at Perry Memorial Library in Henderson; the second forum will be held Thursday, May 23 at The Grand at Oxford Days Inn & Suites, 913 Martin Luther King Jr., Ave., Oxford.

The public is invited to attend the forum at 6 p.m.; there will be a session earlier – 1 p.m. – for individuals interested in opening a child care site. According to information from Sossamon’s office, North Carolina is considered a child care “desert” when it comes to infant/toddler care, with a statewide average of five families with babies competing for every available slot in licensed child care facilities.

The events seek to raise awareness to the child care crisis in the state and the need for more child care opportunities in North Carolina which support children’s healthy development and learning, allow parents to work and keep businesses running.

Last year, 278 child care facilities closed across the state and the demand for child care far surpasses the supply. A recent survey of North Carolina child care programs from the National Association for the Education of Young Children shows 60 percent of facilities are reporting a staffing shortage and 55 percent are under-enrolled due to the lack of staff. Rural counties in North Carolina are disproportionately impacted.

The child care forums are hosted by Representative Frank Sossamon. NCDHHS. Smart Start, Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, Granville County Chamber of Commerce, Childcare Services Association, local child care centers and others participating.