TownTalk: Community Partners of Hope Men’s Shelter 365 Dream Team

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Darryl Jones is walking, talking proof about getting – and giving – second chances in life.

And just in case anybody wonders about the good things that go on at the emergency men’s shelter and Hope House here in Henderson, Jones is a living testimony.

He’s been shelter program manager for just over a month now. But a decade ago, he was one of the first two residents of Hope House, transitional housing that helps men get back on their feet and become productive, contributing citizens of their community.

The men’s shelter and the transitional housing program are part of Community Partners of Hope. Jones was a guest on TownTalk Monday to share his story and to encourage the community to continue to support the efforts of CPOH.

“I went through a time in my life when I needed help, and I reached out,” Jones said. There’s an array of services and resources available in the area – from vocational rehabilitation to mental health providers and job training programs – and he wants the clients CPOH serves make use of them.

“If you apply yourself, you’ll be on the right track to getting back your life,” Jones explained. “You have to stay the course – you have to want it.”

Jones himself is a prime example. He was admittedly in a low place in his life back in 2014, but he stuck with it and was selected among the first two residents of Hope House, which opened in 2015. With a job in food service and things beginning to look up, Jones was asked to come to work as shelter manager.

“Of course, I wanted to give back, so I said yes,” he recalled.

Since its inception, the men’s shelter has been housed in the basement of the Presbyterian Church in downtown Henderson. But renovations have been underway at the former City Road Methodist Church to transform the buildings to be the new shelter home, called City Road Center of Hope.

Jones said the plan is to start moving “stuff” next week in advance of the June 15 move date for those who currently spend their nights at the shelter.

But it’s June already – doesn’t the shelter only operate during the cold winter months?

That was then, Jones said, and this is the new reality. The shelter intends to remain open all year long, achieving a long-talked-about goal.

The 365 Dream Team concept is part of what’s been going on behind the scenes to allow the shelter to expand its operations and be available throughout the cold of winter, the heat of summer, and everywhere in between.

The idea is to get 365 people – or groups, or clubs, churches or other organizations – to donate $365 a year toward the overall operations of the shelter.

He’s overwhelmed by the support, including donations of meals to supplies, snacks and water for the clients, as well as the monetary support. Please keep it up, he added.

“Without you all, we wouldn’t be doing this. You are our backbone and we still need your support” to provide mentorships, internships and being volunteers.

For Jones, the staff and volunteers became like family when he most needed support. “They helped me and I wanted it,” he said. “I wanted to succeed and excel.”

“I’ve got a big place in my heart for them – what they did for me – they believed in me.

Visit www.cp-hope.org to learn how you can help. Make a financial donation, sign up to provide a meal, or volunteer.

Send tax-deductible contributions to:

Community Partners of Hope, Inc.

P.O. Box 1791

Henderson, NC 27536

Please note in Memo Line 365-2024-05

 

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Upcoming Blood Drives

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Kick June off right by donating blood or plasma at several upcoming blood drives.

The American Red Cross has a special incentive to donors who register to help build the blood supply for patients in need. Everyone who comes to a blood drive site between now and June 9 will get a t-shirt featuring the iconic video game Tetris, which is commemorating its 40th anniversary.

Plus, you’ll be automatically entered for a chance to win a trip for two to New York to meet Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov. See RedCrossBlood.org/Tetris for details.

Donors of all blood types – especially those giving type O blood and donors giving platelets – are vital to people counting on blood products for critical medical procedures, according to Red Cross representatives.

Every single donation can help keep the blood supply as stable as possible during a busy time of year when many regular donors may be unable to give. Find a time before your calendar fills up. Visit RedCrossBlood.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or use the Red Cross Blood Donor App to register at a convenient location.

Available June blood drives:

  • Thursday, June 6: 1 p.m. – 6 p.m. Raleigh Road Baptist Church, 3892 Raleigh Rd., Henderson
  • Friday, June 7: 10 a.m. – 2:30 p.m., Creedmoor Community Center, 116 Douglas Dr., Creedmoor

Henderson Rec Players Mark 52nd Year

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The 2024 season of Henderson Rec Players is all set, providing a variety of performances that spans pop culture and American classics sure to please all audiences.

First up as part of the 52nd year of HRP is The SpongeBob Musical, directed by Mark Hopper. Those underwater citizens of Bikini Bottom, featuring that iconic Big Yellow Sponge, must come together to save their world. The show features original music by greats Steven Tyler, John Legend, David Bowie and Cyndi Lauper, among others.

There will be five performances over two weekends July 12-14 and July 20-21.

The second production is the culmination of the Children’s theater Camp, which will be held July 22-Aug. 4. Rising 3rd – 11th graders are invited to participate in the camp to create Alice In Wonderland JR. This production is a fast-paced take on the Lewis Carroll classic. You’ll recognize Alice, the White Rabbit, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, the Mad Hatter, the Cheshire Cat and more live on stage. Jo Ellen Nowell directs this show.

There will be three performances during Aug. 2-4.

The season finale brings Arthur Miller’s The Crucible to the stage for four performances Aug. 22-25. The playwright wrote the script in 1953 as a response to the wave of McCarthyism sweeping across the country. The story takes place during the time of the Salem With Trials in 1692 and 1693. Dustin Britt is the director of this production.

Tickets for each show are available at the McGregor Hall box office Monday-Friday 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. or you can register and pay online at www.mcgregorhall.org/hrppatrons. Call the box office at 252.598.0662.

There also are opportunities to be a patron of the Henderson Rec Players:

  • Cherubs – $125 – 1 ticket for each of the three shows
  • Angels – $250 – 2 3-show tickets
  • Archangels – $350 – 4 3-show tickets
  • Seraphim $550 – 6 3-show tickets
  • Saints – $750+ – 8+ 3-show tickets

Purchase of patron tickets ensures preferential seating for each show. Make checks payable to:

McGregor Hall PAC. Patrons payments should be received no later than July 1 for patrons’ names to be included in the play programs.

Closer Look At Newly Released Fire Study

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Now that the county’s fire study has been conducted and recommendations received, the big question is: What’s next?

Members of the county’s public safety committee and the fire commission got the report, which was conducted by AP Triton, a company that the Vance County Board of Commissioners selected last summer year to do the study amid questions around how the county’s fire services should be structured.

On Thursday afternoon, AP Triton’s Frank Blackley was on hand to offer an overview of the study and the findings and recommendations it contains. A discussion of the full report is on the agenda for Monday’s regular monthly meeting of the board of commissioners.

The study includes 19 recommendations, the first two being keeping the current Vance County Fire Department as it is and having a separate position for county fire marshal.

The study involved getting lots of information from each of the volunteer fire departments as well as making site visits to each location.

In an overview of stations, Blackley’s presentation to the joint committee included bullet points about conditions at the county’s fire stations.  They are noted below:

  • The Kittrell station is inadequate and does not meet the requirements of a modern fire station.
  • Bearpond, Drewry and Epsom have ample space and room to expand if needed.
  • Cokesbury and Wakins are adequate, but do not have room for expansion.
  • Hicksboro’s main station is in fair condition but modified to include one bedroom. The second station only houses a fire truck and has no sleeping rooms.
  • Townsville is adequate, but minimal room to expand.
  • Vance County Rescue Squad’s facility is insufficient and no dedicated (space) for training or meeting and limited space for growth.
  • VCFD main station is shared with EMS. Office space is inadequate for both agencies. The station lacks sufficient space for training and meetings.
  • The Kerr Lake station is in good condition.

The study looked at equipment, including trucks and other apparatus vehicles used by firefighters. Most of the trucks are in fair or good condition, the report states, but most of the tenders/tankers are older models. Maintenance costs make older equipment more expensive to operate, but, Blackley said, the cost of new trucks – and their lengthy delivery times – is prohibitive for many departments.

Blackley’s overview included 6 key findings, which are below:

  • Service demand is heavier around Henderson down into Bearpond. Converting VCFD to volunteer would reduce service in the area with the highest demand.
  • The Communication Center does not apply NFPA recommendations for call handling and dispatching.
  • VCFD has slow reaction times when responding to an accident.
  • There is not an adopted county-wide incident management system.
  • The departments do not have consistent protocols and SOGs (standard operating guidelines)
  • There has been no formal voluntary adoption of NFPA standards

The study also noted a need for the county to develop a formal, written countywide incident management system to create consistency among departments. And Blackley noted a need for adopting National Fire Protection Association standards and to have consistent protocols and standard operating guidelines in place across departments.

The study included a pathway to implement the recommendations, starting with the creation of a Fire and Rescue Services Working Group to develop and prioritize goals.

Blackley said the findings of the fire study can help county leaders address challenges to provide fire coverage to a growing county population, “how to determine what those resources are going to look like and plan for the future.”

At some point , he said, there will be an increase in population because of growth spreading out from the Triangle area.

He also said that the current fire tax rate will not keep up with inflation, noting that without an increase in the fire tax, the fund would be in the red by 2029. The current fire tax rate is 8.9 cents per $100 valuation, and the proposed fire tax rate in the 2024-25 budget is 5.9 cents per $100.

The complete report can be found on the county’s website, www.vancecounty.org.

AP Triton Presents Fire Study To Fire Commission, Public Safety Committee

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Members of the county’s public safety committee and the fire commission received a fire study report completed by AP Triton, which included 19 recommendations for the county’s fire service.

The first recommendation was keeping the current Vance County Fire Department as it is. The report stated that VCFD “is essential to a continued level of service between Bearpond and Henderson and is a vital backup to all departments serving Vance County.”

Other recommendations include having a separate position of fire marshal and possibly merging or increase collaboration between VCFD and the county rescue squad.

The complete report can be found on the county’s website, www.vancecounty.org.

Frank Blackley with AP Triton presented highlights of the 145-page report during the joint meeting of the two committees Thursday afternoon.

Blackley said the findings of the fire study can help county leaders address challenges to provide fire coverage to a growing county population, “how to determine what those resources are going to look like and plan for the future.”

At some point , he said, there will be an increase in population because of growth spreading out from the Triangle area.

He also said that the current fire tax rate will not keep up with inflation, noting that without an increase in the fire tax, the fund would be in the red by 2029. The current fire tax rate is 8.9 cents per $100 valuation, and the proposed fire tax rate in the 2024-25 budget is 5.9 cents per $100.

The study involved getting lots of information from each of the volunteer fire departments as well as making site visits to each location.

The study also noted a need for the county to develop a formal, written countywide incident management system to create consistency among departments. And Blackley noted a need for adopting National Fire Protection Association standards and to have consistent protocols and standard operating guidelines in place across departments.

The study included a pathway to implement the recommendations, starting with the creation of a Fire and Rescue Services Working Group to develop and prioritize goals.

A few representatives from the two committees questioned some of the data points in the study, and Blackley said there were several sources that provided the information, from the individual fire departments to 911 and CAD data to the U.S. Census.

County Manager C. Renee Perry asked Blackley whether correcting those inaccuracies would change the recommendations contained in the study and he said “no, probably not.”

Commissioner Dan Brummitt, who also chairs the Public Safety Committee, said a number of the recpomendations come down to money. “It’s a budget consideration – we don’t have an endless budget…a lot of these things would be real nice,” he added.

“We’ve made great strides since 2006, when another fire study was done. He said many of the recommendations and findings contained in this most recent fire study are issues that were being dealt with already.

 

 

TownTalk: Hawkins Named Vice Dean of UNC School of Social Work

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Robert Hawkins graduated high school in 1981 and he’s pretty much stayed in the field of academia since he left Henderson to attend Appalachian State University as a new undergraduate.

His experiences growing up in Vance County, along with his extensive research in the field of social work and especially the effects of living in poverty, have served Dr. Robert Hawkins throughout his career.

Hawkins will become vice dean of the UNC-CH School of Social Work on July 1 and he was a guest on Thursday’s TownTalk to discuss his new role, his research and growing up in the area.

Although his primary role will be administrator – think of it like being a chief operating officer – in dealing with day-to-day activities, he said he’ll use his research into how people deal with poverty, the effect of poverty on individuals and on society, to inform how he functions as an administrator.

“Poverty is so much more than whether or not you have money,” Hawkins explained. He also wants to learn about people’s lived experiences in poverty and the processes that people go through that allow them to survive in poverty.

“My research is central to what I believe social work research should look like,” he said. “We look to move people to a better place” where they can thrive and rise beyond their current situation.

Hawkins said he would definitely use his own life experiences, as well as his experience as a researcher to help drive his decisions and the initiatives he wants to be involved in.

While the School of Social Work doesn’t make policy, it can be a resource to help policymakers in the legislature. The decisions that are made will be the result of a team effort, he said, adding that he views his role as a service position – a support position – rather than a position of power.

“My job will be to make sure the School of Social Work is doing the best it can and being the best it can be,” Hawkins said. “I will be making decisions with a lot of other people.”

Having faculty members with strong policy backgrounds can help evaluate existing policies and those that are being created, not to influence policy-making but help people understand which policies may be most effective and why.

He was attracted to the newly created vice dean position by the spirit of community and the chance to collaborate in making decisions within the realm of social work – and the impacts that can be felt within the state and maybe across the nation.

The idea of being able to “implement a vision that you’ve created together” is most appealing, he added.

The UNC School of Social Work is ranked fourth in the country, on the campus of one of the foremost public universities in the nation. “Who wouldn’t want to be there?” he said.

The idea of social justice is something that trained social workers have done for decades, Hawkins said. “When we talk about social justice, we’re talking about how people equitably exist in society. It’s the shared human worth of all people – it’s not controversial, or at least it shouldn’t be.”

Talking about social justice is just one of the things that Hawkins said he enjoys about his work. “Social work has given me opportunities that I could have never imagined,” he said. A true social worker is a researcher, someone who can resolve conflict, engage in mediation and who can understand everyday human behavior.”

He said he thinks about this a lot and one area he keeps circling back to is education. He remembers one high school English teacher who really helped him and believed in him and his potential. “That person guided me in the right direction,” he said.

Then, teachers were not so over-stretched, he said, and they could pay closer attention to students’ needs, especially their educational needs.

“Do teachers today have the time to pay that kind of attention to their students? I’m sure many do, but it’s something that we should be encouraging and helping teachers accomplish. We’re not seeing that out in the world right now.”

With family still living in Henderson, Hawkins finds himself in Henderson fairly often. He loves to stop in at his favorite barbecue restaurant (he didn’t identify it, but did reveal that he grew up just a ways from Skipper’s Forsyth’s).

He recalled his childhood, growing up in a house near Satterwhite Point without running water and working in tobacco fields.

In 1980, he said the family was able to move from that house to a mobile home. “This was a big deal,” he said. That move marked a significant economic change for his family. “For me, it wasn’t a step down – it was a step up.”

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Calculating Your Property Tax Bill

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Whether you reach for a sharpened No. 2 pencil and a piece of paper or choose to tap numbers into your phone’s calculator, it’s time to do a little math to at least have an idea of what your tax bill may look like.

Although neither the city nor the county has adopted the new budgets, the recommended budgets have been received. The City Council got a 158-page budget document earlier this month and the Vance County Board of Commissioners got a 138-page budget document on Monday, May 28.

Now comes the time when each body of elected officials has budget work sessions and holds public hearings to hear citizens’ comments about the budget particulars; budgets must be approved before July 1.

The city’s budget includes a property tax rate of 55 cents per $100 valuation; the county’s budget includes a property tax rate of 61.3 cents per $100 valuation.

As both the city council and county commissioners review the budget, it’s possible that some changes will be made before the final budget is adopted.

However, if you’re itching to see what your tax bill could be, you can play around with the current tax rates that are contained in the proposed budgets.

Now here’s where some basic math comes in to play. Consider this scenario:

Let’s say your property is valued at $100,000.

  • If your property is in the county, you will need to use the 61.3 cents per $100 valuation PLUS the fire tax rate, which is 5.9 cents per $100 valuation to get a total of 67.2 cents per $100.
  • If your property is located within the city of Henderson, guess what – you will add the city’s rate of 55 cents per $100 PLUS the county’s rate of 61.3 cents for a total of 1.163 per $100.

But there’s one more important step: You must divide your property value ($100,000 in this example) by 100 because the tax rate is per $100.

$100,000 divided by 100 = $1,000

Using this scenario, county residents would multiply $1,000 by .672 to get $672; city residents would multiply $1,000 by 1.163 to get $1,163.

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