The Local Skinny! N.C. Arts Council Grant Awards

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Local arts programs are getting some financial assistance for 2025 in the form of grant awards from the North Carolina Arts Council.

The Vance County Arts Council will receive $34,728 for a Grassroots Arts Program, and the Embassy Cultural Center Foundation, Inc. – that is to say, McGregor Hall – is the recipient of a $21,000 sustaining support grant, according to information from the N.C. Arts Council.

McGregor Hall is one of 85 new organizations to get flexible funding through an expanded category called Sustaining Support, which more than doubles the agency’s investment in work that promotes stability and sustainability in the arts sector.

Vance County’s $55,728 is part of more than $11.5 million that is being distributed across the state.  A total of 366 grants were awarded to nonprofit arts organizations, schools, after-school programs, municipalities and artists in all 100 counties this year. The grants range from $5,000 to $338,000.

This year’s grant awards significantly increase the N.C. Arts Council’s investment in small and mid-sized arts organizations.

Funding priorities went to projects that emphasize community outreach and audience engagement, connect K-12 students with a variety of artists and disciplines, notably traditional arts of North Carolina, as well as to projects that foster public-private partnerships to weave local support with state and federal funding and those that provide outreach to military veterans and their families.

In Granville County, for example, a project called Military and Veterans Healing Arts will get $10,000 to create a veteran artist-led community based mural project and accompanying educational activities.

The Granville Educational Foundation will get $46,631 for a Grassroots Arts Program, bringing the total in Granville County to $56,631.

“The record number of applications we received this grant cycle signals that artists are inspiring audiences and producing arts experiences that make our state a wonderful place to live, work, and visit,” said Jeff Bell, the Arts Council’s executive director. “I thank Governor Cooper and the General Assembly for championing our arts and culture sector. The arts deliver more than $2 billion in economic impact annually to our state and are a powerful tool to uplift entire communities.”

“The arts are woven into the fabric of our state’s identity, and as I travel across North Carolina, I see firsthand how much the creative sector contributes to the cultural and economic vibrancy of cities, towns, and regions. When the arts flourish, communities flourish,” said Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson.

Franklin County was awarded $55,946 for a Grassroots Arts Program.

In Warren County, the school district will receive $22,965 for its Grassroots Arts Program.

See the complete list of FY2024-25 grant recipients at  https://www.ncarts.org/fy2024-25.

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TownTalk: Tiffany Jones Community Uplift Project

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Tiffany Jones uses her nonprofit Community Uplift Project to do a lot of good in the local area.

In addition to helping parents connect with resources for children who may be on the autism spectrum, the 501(c)3 has food giveaways and has even offered assistance to those struggling to pay bills.

But the bill assistance has been put on hold – for the time being, anyway – because Jones is focusing her attention on a fundraiser to make some upgrades to her office space at 105 S. Garnett St.

She needs to raise $10,000 to pay for contractors and materials to bring the space into code compliance. “We’re shooting for the stars… to upgrade our space…and continue to operate,” Jones said on Thursday’s TownTalk.

One of her passions is being an advocate for children who may have autism spectrum disorder.

“Autism is real, autism is present,” she said, but she wants parents, grandparents and others who care for children to know that there are resources that can help.

Children on the spectrum may be nonverbal or have other challenges when it comes to expressing themselves. Aversions to certain noises, smells or other stimuli they may encounter can trigger strong reactions that may be mistaken for bad behavior, but Jones said autism represents something bigger than just a behavior issue.

“I wanted to make sure I was able to help them,” she said, adding that when she detects stress and worry from parents of children on the spectrum, it just made her want to help them as well as the children.

She suggests that parents observe how their children interact with other children; autistic children often prefer to play in isolation. Watch for particular triggers: it could be something as simple as not wanting to share or not having a particular familiar toy, she said.

Challenges or obstacles that many children can resolve or think through themselves pose problems for children on the autism spectrum.

Autistic children won’t be able to resolve those issues on their own, Jones said. “They have to learn how, by teachers or parents,” she said.

Jones hopes one day to be able to house a training center at Community Uplift Project that helps adults learn more about autism and how to successfully support children on the spectrum.

But that won’t become a reality until she’s got the building issues taken care of. Jones will be at Saturday’s Way to Grow! festival in downtown Henderson to promote what C.U.P. is all about.

There are several different ways to make a donation, including Cashapp, credit or debit card and donating online at www.cuprojectnc.org.

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Duke Energy

TownTalk: Duke Energy and VGCC Foundations Support Small Business

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The Vance Granville Community College Foundation has received a $50,000 grant award from Duke Energy Foundation to support small business growth in the four-county area it serves.

And community college officials have come up with a creative way to make sure that the money is equitably distributed to do the most good.

The VGCC Foundation was one of 21 community organizations from across the state to share in $700,000 in this round of funding, said Beth Townsend, Duke Energy local government and community relations manager. Since it was established in 2020, the program has given more than $2 million in grant funds to small businesses across the state.

Townsend was a guest on Wednesday’s TownTalk, and was joined by VGCC’s Carolyn Perry, director of the Small Business Center, and Kyle Burwell, dean of Business and Industry Solutions, who provided details about how the money would be used.

The VGCC Small Business Center will select grant fund recipients through a series of workshops, one based in each of the four counties the college serves. Each workshop session will be comprised of four evening classes for a total of 10 hours of instruction. The sessions will culminate with a five-minute pitch contest, after which five of the session’s 10 participants will receive a $2,500 award to support their small business.

Workshop dates and locations are as follows:

  • 16–19: VGCC South Campus, Creedmoor
  • 30 – Oct. 3: VGCC Main Campus, Henderson
  • 7–10: VGCC Warren Campus, Warrenton
  • 14–17: VGCC Franklin Campus, Louisburg

Perry said there are just a few requirements to participate – applicants must be 18 years old and must be residents of the county of the workshop they sign up for. Only one participant per household is allowed and anyone associated with VGCC is not eligible to take part, she said.

If you do a little quick math, $50,000 divided by 4 equals $12,500. There will be 20 awards – 5 per county – which means that each grant will be $2,500.

The first three days of the process will involve coaching and developing a plan that will be pitched on day 4, Perry said, sort of like TV’s “Shark Tank.”

VGCC leaders have devised a creative way to help small business owners come up with innovative ways to infuse capital into their endeavors.

“When you start off with some capital,” said Burwell, you increase a business’s survival rate, not to mention provide stability and create additional employment opportunities. She said it’s a way to help businesses learn how to use funding and market themselves, which creates “a true impact for all of our communities.”

Perry said the Number One question she gets from entrepreneurs who seek advice and help from the Small Business Center is “Can you tell me where there are some grant dollars for my business?”

Owners of retail shops, restaurants and other small businesses looking to expand, their business, upgrade technology, improve marketing or downtown storefronts are just the kind of participant VGCC’s Small Business Center is looking for.

“We want to see how creative they’ll be,” Perry said. The timing right before the holidays could prove extra helpful; some small businesses depend on a brisk holiday sales season to boost their bottom line.

“Small businesses remain the backbone of the U.S. economy, and in rural areas, they also serve as the heartbeat of our local economies,” noted VGCC President Dr. Rachel Desmarais. “This monetary commitment enables Vance-Granville Community College to promote the entrepreneurial mindset and support budding small business ideas into real businesses within our larger community.”

To learn more about this program and participant requirements, contact Perry at 252.738.3240 or perryc@vgcc.edu.

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TownTalk: Ducky Derby Coming September 21

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When you bring the family down to this year’s annual Ducky Derby in downtown Henderson, Kimiko Williams suggests you bring a change of clothes for the kiddos – at least a towel – because the water flowing down Garnett Street acts just like a magnet, figuratively speaking, of course.

“When they see that water, the first thing they want to do is dive in,” Williams told WIZS’s Bill Harris on Tuesday’s TownTalk. “They can’t resist getting in that water.”

The 15th annual Ducky Derby takes place on Saturday, Sept. 21 and it’s a fun event for a serious cause, said Williams, who is the program research and development coordinator for FGV Smart Start.

Tickets are $5 per rubber ducky and can be purchased in a variety of ways – online, via QR code, or by contacting or visiting the FGV office.

Of course, the number of ducks that will be poured out of the official cement mixer to float down the 2 ½ block course along Garnett Street depends on the number of tickets that are purchased. Pre-derby activities begin at 1 p.m. at the corner of Breckenridge and Garnett streets. The race begins at 2 p.m.

The first duck to cross the finish line wins for its ticketholder a $1,000 cash prize, Williams said. The second-place finisher gets Chick fil A for a year and the third-place winner gets a $250 Sheetz gas card.

Not to worry, the last duck that crosses the finish line doesn’t go away empty-handed; there’s a $100 cash award as a consolation prize.

Families currently paying for a child or children to be in day care can put their name in the bucket for a chance to win a free month of childcare at a local DCDEE licensed childcare facility.

Organizations or individuals may also be sponsors of the event – become a SuperDuck for $1,000, a Quacker Backer for $500 or a Feathered Friend for $250.

Proceeds from the fundraiser help FGV Smart Start provide supplemental support to families and children.

Williams said state and local dollars have restrictions for their use, but there are needs that those funds can’t be used for.

One program sends teachers into homes to help children gain skills that prepare them for entering school. And when those teachers learn about additional needs – diapers, transportation and more – they want to help.

“A lot of times, we need those unrestricted funds to provide that service,” she said.

Contact Williams at 252.572.0339 or visit (https://fgvsmartstart.org/community/ducky-derby) to learn more.

Call the FGV Smart Start office at 252.433.9110 (x230), purchase ducks online at fgvsmartstart.org or
(https://my.cheddarup.com/c/fgvss-ducky-derby/items?cart

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Perry Memorial Library

Perry Library To Celebrate 100th Birthday

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Perry Library has had several locations during its 99 years and 11 months of providing book-lending services to the area. And now, as library staff and the community prepare to celebrate 100 years, Youth Services Director Melody Peters says she’s weaving a birthday theme into a number of programs leading up to a very special celebration.

Some residents may remember visiting H. Leslie Perry Library when it occupied the columned building across from the old courthouse; others may have gone to the library when it was on Rose Avenue. But 205 Breckenridge Street has been the home of Perry Memorial Library since 2006, and Peters said it will be the site of a 100th birthday party on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will be a bounce house, circus performers, food trucks, and a DJ and live music. The community is invited to come out to celebrate a century of having a library to enjoy, she said.

Other children’s programs leading up to that centennial celebration, however, will include a birthday theme.

Pre-school aged children will get to make pom pom launchers at the kickoff event of a STEM program geared toward kids not yet in school. Participants also will be decorating Play-Doh cupcakes at the first of a monthly gathering that includes hands-on activities for youngsters, Peters said.

Visit https://www.perrylibrary.org/ to learn about its programs and services and to view a calendar of events.

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TownTalk: Bobby West – Grace Ministries

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Grace Ministries has a busy weekend on tap, with an outdoor concert on Friday evening and its annual Family Fun Day on Saturday.

Bobby West invites the community to join in the festivities for both events. The weather forecast is calling for nice weather each day, making conditions just right for what West and others at Grace Ministries has planned.

Texas-based Seventh Day Slumber will bring its Christian rock to the Friday event, West said on Monday’s TownTalk. The gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the concert begins at 7 p.m. Proceeds from the food and beverage concessions will benefit Rushing Water Outreach in Oxford; there is no charge for admission, but donations will be accepted at the gate, West said.

You should bring a lawn chair, but please don’t bring any outside food or beverages, he added.

Seating is first come, first served.

Then on Saturday, come back to Grace Ministries, located on Crozier Street, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to take part in the Family Fun Day. There will be lots of water games, including a slip n’ slide, for the kids to enjoy and hotdogs, watermelon, corn on the cob and more available throughout the day.

Backpacks filled with school supplies will be distributed, and West said he hoped to be able to give away between 150 and 200 by the end of the afternoon’s activities.

This weekend is just the beginning of a busy fall and holiday season for Grace Ministries, West said. They have plans to be at the Show, Shine, Shag and Dine in mid-October, and West said it would be a time for he and others to give out supplies and to pray with those who attend the car show.

They’ll be distributing meals across the area the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and then it’s on to the toy giveaway for Christmas.

“It’ll be here before you know it,” he said.

Grace Ministries helps people and families with its program called New Beginnings, designed to provide support for those struggling with addiction or substance abuse.

Whether facing those struggles or other types of challenges, including financial ones, West said it is the mission of Grace Ministries to offer support.

Eleven women recently completed GED programs at Grace Ministries, and West said the new graduates wore caps and gowns to the ceremony to mark the achievement.

There are 49 people enrolled in the next GED program that will begin soon.

Visitwww.graceofhenderson.org to learn more.

 

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