YMCA

Henderson Family YMCA Changing Pay Structure; Planning Annual Campaign

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By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer for Hire

Under the leadership of CEO Paul Ross, the Henderson Family YMCA recently underwent a voluntary association audit and assessment aimed at uncovering ways the organization could better respond to the unique socio-economic challenges of the local community.

The YMCA’s Membership Committee began reviewing membership structure and pricing last spring to determine if the organization was meeting the needs of the local area. Upon contacting the YMCA of the USA, the parent company of the organization, Ross discovered that auditing assistance provided by an outside team of YMCA professionals was available.

The Henderson branch took advantage of the offer and a team of five professionals recently met with a focus group of YMCA members, parents with children in after-school care, community leaders and Henderson Family YMCA staff members. “This team looked at what services we offered and how we were meeting the needs of the community. This was not about how healthy we were financially, but how we do business,” said Ross. “They looked at everything; nothing was hidden or held back.”

According to Ross, the team recommended approximately 25 areas for improvement upon completion of their review, with the majority being smaller, internal items. The team’s two major findings included the need to reexamine membership structure and pricing to be more affordable for the population and the need to hold an annual fundraising campaign.

The YMCA had already begun to address the need to reexamine membership pricing prior to the audit and have since reduced the initial joining fee by half and are adding additional membership structures.

In addition to the previous individual and family categories, the YMCA will offer a young adult membership for ages 13-26 and a senior membership for individuals 65 and older. Ross reports that the young adult membership fee will be a savings of approximately 20 percent off the individual fee, with the senior fee being a 10 percent savings.

The new monthly membership structure and pricing includes:

Young Adult (ages 13-26): $38.50

Individual (ages 27-64): $48.50

Senior (ages 65 and older) $43.50

Family: $67

Aware of the socio-economic challenges of the community and the Tier 1 determination of Vance County, the YMCA’s previous individual and family dues have not increased in four years. “We have held membership dues steady since 2014. We are trying not to burden the community with membership price increases,” said Ross.

The second recommendation made by the audit team encouraged the YMCA to begin an annual fundraising campaign. Ross reported that the Henderson branch is the only YMCA in North Carolina that has never held an annual campaign. As a non-profit organization, funding in the past came predominantly from collected membership dues and as gifts from community benefactors.

Ross explained that other communities comparable to Henderson’s size typically raise between $50-$100K in funding through their annual campaign. This money is often designated for scholarships and financial assistance for members in need. “The YMCA is in the planning process of our first annual campaign now,” said Ross. “Our staff will be trained by outside YMCA staff with experience and we will be kicking off the campaign this fall.”

As Ross stated, reaching out to the community for support and donations is part of a larger need for the YMCA to focus more externally and “move past just our four walls.”

Ross believes that making monthly dues more affordable and offering discounted membership structures combined with funds raised in the annual campaign will help the YMCA reach its overall goal of making fees, programs and facilities more accessible to the public.

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(The Henderson Family YMCA is an advertising client of WIZS.  However, this is not a paid advertisement.)

9 SVHS Students Earn Masonry/Carpentry Certifications

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Congratulations to nine Southern Vance High School students who recently earned masonry/carpentry certifications.

Each has earned his/her certification in Core Curriculum and Green Environment in masonry/carpentry under the direction of teacher Ben Arrington, according to a press release from Vance County Schools.

They are shown in the accompanying photo and include, seated from left, Cody Patton, David Vargas, Haudtavis Cordell and Jaylen Shearin. Others, standing from left, are Jhaiiheeim Wilkins, Miliak Hudson, Tremecia Smith and Logan Boyd. Jesse Gupton also received his certification in both areas, but was unavailable for the photo. Arrington is standing at far right.

They earned their certifications through the National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER).

Two VGCC students are first apprentices in new HVAC partnership

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— courtesy VGCC

Two VGCC students are first apprentices in new HVAC partnership

Jared Akers of Franklinton and Cyrus Jover of Henderson, both students in the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology program at Vance-Granville Community College, recently became the first participants in the college’s new apprenticeship partnership with Youngsville-based Frigi-Temp.

The apprenticeship model involves a combination of formal education with on-the-job training at Frigi-Temp, a commercial HVAC and refrigeration service provider and licensed mechanical contractor that has been serving central North Carolina since 2001. The program takes approximately four years for an apprentice to complete. Not only are apprentices paid, but their college tuition is free.

Akers and Jover were already enrolled in the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology program when Frigi-Temp CEO Cory Thornton spoke to VGCC students about the new opportunity to become apprentices. Akers, a South Granville High School graduate, said that the program appealed to him “because it meant I could go to school and get experience in the field at the exact same time.” He had looked for apprenticeships before and was thrilled that VGCC had started the program.

“I went into the HVAC field because I researched, on websites like austinductcleaning.us, and found out that it’s a growing field with a large shortage of technicians, so the opportunities are really wide-open for younger technicians,” Akers added. “Frigi-Temp is a quality company, outstanding in customer service and awesome with their employees, so I’m very glad that this is the first company I get to work for. The experience so far has been amazing.” He said that in just one month, he has learned a great deal through hands-on experience.

Jover had already worked in the HVAC field for almost four years before he became an apprentice, but he had only worked in residential installation. He jumped at the chance to gain a new type of experience. “Commercial HVAC is fun and opens me up to a whole new world of possibilities,” Jover said. “It’s something new every day. Frigi-Temp lets their apprentices become immersed in many different specialties, not just one type of service.” Jover is originally from the Philippines, where he earned a college degree in Biology before coming to the United States seven years ago, at age 20. Here, he found that the HVAC field had numerous job openings. He enrolled at VGCC, first as a part-time and then a full-time student. Now, he is done with almost all of his classwork and spends most of his time working at Frigi-Temp.

Both apprentices sometimes work a full 40 hours per week at the company while continuing their studies.

Students interested in enrolling in the Air Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Technology program can contact program head Wesley Smith at smithw@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3214. Employers interested in partnering with VGCC on apprenticeships are encouraged to contact Ken Wilson at wilsonk@vgcc.edu or (252) 738-3259 for more information.

–VGCC–

(VGCC is an advertising client of WIZS.  This is a press release from VGCC.  It is not a paid advertisement.)

News 02/09/18

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News 02/08/18

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Multiple Projects on the Henderson-Vance Downtown Development Director’s Plate

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By: Kelly Bondurant, Freelance Writer for Hire

Demolition, banners and a full-time contract were just a few of the items Downtown Development Director Kaine Riggan presented to the Vance County Board of Commissioners at Monday night’s meeting.

As Riggan stated during Wednesday’s WIZS TownTalk segment, he reminded the commissioners what a resource the Downtown Development Commission (DDC) is to both the City of Henderson and Vance County and updated them on current and upcoming DDC projects.

Downtown Parking Lot

The demolition of the former Abagayle’s Book Store building has left a space that, along with the potential clearing of a vacant lot and adjacent two-story building, could create room for a parking lot. Located across the street from the Henderson-Vance Chamber of Commerce, this lot could provide additional parking for downtown patrons.

Banners

In the past fiscal year, the Vance County Community Foundation awarded the DDC a grant of approximately $1,800 to improve the appearance of the downtown area. According to Riggan, while the grant was originally earmarked for new light pole banners to decorate Garnett Street, the reactions from the community were less than enthused about the prospect.

The positive community reaction from the large banner placed over the vacant Abagayle’s building before demolition led the DDC to request that commissioners allow a modification of the grant money for additional downtown window signage.

Riggan has big plans for the first banner location. “The banners will be used to add a little life. I’m getting permission one by one to do more signage. The first one [banner storefront location] is one owned by the Embassy Cultural Center Foundation,” said Riggan.

The first banner, located at 113 N. Garnett Street, will feature the McGregor Hall Performing Arts Center located at 201 Breckenridge Street in Henderson. According to Riggan, the current plan is to hold a photo shoot with Daniel Hendley Photography to capture local images and local people for this banner project.

“The curb appeal, the drive-by of it-you want it to appear lively and vibrant,” Riggan said.

Downtown Associate Community/NC Main Street Program

While Downtown Henderson is currently considered a downtown associate community, the DDC’s goal is to become a part of the NC Main Street Center once again. The Downtown Associate Community Program is an initiative of the NC Main Street Center and is the process through which NC communities become affiliated with the NC Main Street Center to receive additional downtown revitalization resources.

“Being a downtown associate community is like an internship into being a main street community, which is a 2-3 year process. Being a main street community opens you up to new grant opportunities,” Riggan explained. Riggan stated that downtown was formerly a main street community, but unfortunately lost that distinction and is currently hard at work to get back to that level of support and grant opportunities.

Part-Time to Full-Time

Part of Riggan’s presentation to the Board of Commissioners addressed the need to move the downtown development director’s contract from part-time to full-time. Riggan stressed that making his contract full-time could potentially shorten the process of transitioning to a main street community from three years to two years.

Future Goals

Another area of interest of the DDC is taking advantage of historic tax credits and low income tax credits to encourage more people to live in the downtown area. Riggan sees great potential in the upstairs space of some of the downtown businesses and is impressed by the living spaces that already exist in the area.

 

Traffic Light at Montgomery and Chestnut Streets

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Information provided by the City of Henderson

Work to replace the traffic signal at the intersection of Montgomery and Chestnut streets is scheduled to begin this Thursday, February 8 and should conclude on Friday, February 9 (contingent on weather). Please be aware a portion of Chestnut and Montgomery streets will be closed while this work is being completed. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the City of Henderson’s Public Works Department (252-431-6115).

Evan O’Geary Crowns Latest Miss Henderson Shanice Street

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Miss Kerr Lake, Shanice Street, is now officially Miss Henderson.  She was crowned Wednesday morning at the Henderson-Vance County Chamber of Commerce Office downtown.

Evan O’Geary Crowns Miss Henderson Shanice Street – HV Chamber Photo by Melanie Mann

Street said, “I am a student and cheerleader at Wake Forest University. I am a Sociology major with a minor in psychology. I am both honored and elated to represent the Henderson community at Miss North Carolina in June. I competed in the Miss Kerr Lake Festival pageant back in September where I won the title which has now been changed over to Miss Henderson. My platform is Small Seeds Sprout Success. As a first generation college student I hope to instill hope in today’s youth and let them know that they can achieve anything they set their minds to regardless of any obstacles they might face.”

The Miss North Carolina pageant is during the week of June 19-23. The finals will be on June 23 at 8:00 p.m. in Raleigh.

(WIZS News appreciates the contribution of Melanie Mann, Director of Administration and Events at the Chamber, and John Barnes, Chamber President, as they contributed heavily to this story.)

Legacy of Martin Luther King discussed at VGCC

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— courtesy VGCC

Vance-Granville Community College hosted a program to discuss the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on Jan. 24, after being postponed due to winter weather. The discussion was sponsored by the college’s Minority Male Success Initiative and was held in the Civic Center on VGCC’s Main Campus.

VGCC Counselor Cathy Davis made remarks about the purpose of the event and the King holiday. She quoted the King Center, which said the observance commemorates Dr. King’s actions and words that “answered our collective longing to become a country that truly lived by its noblest principles.” Davis added, “The Minority Male Success Initiative invites you to commemorate this holiday by making your personal commitment to serve humanity, promote Dr. King’s teachings and carry forward his legacy.”

The program then featured VGCC student Angelica Bridges of Oxford presenting a powerful rendition of the song, “Rise Up.”

The featured speaker for the event was Roberta Scott, a longtime public school teacher and retired Adult High School coordinator for VGCC. Scott is currently a member of the Warren County Board of Education, an officer of the N.C. School Boards Association, and an advisor to the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. In 1963, she participated in the March on Washington, at which Dr. King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

First, Scott described growing up in Washington, D.C, in an era when the nation’s capital was racially segregated, recalling the practices that restricted her access to certain restaurants, playgrounds, schools and even seats on trains. She then put the 1963 march in its political and historical context.

“Dr. King met with President John F. Kennedy, and he told the president about the severity of the injustices in the country,” Scott recalled. “Dr. King said we needed a civil rights bill. President Kennedy told him, ‘I understand, but we have so other many things going on’ and said it couldn’t get done right now.”

Scott said that, after that somewhat disappointing conversation with the president, King’s next move was “to organize a nonviolent march in Washington, the march to the Lincoln memorial, which Dr. King felt would be a fitting place.”

She remembered, “There were 250,000 people who marched that August 28 — people marching cheerfully, having conversations, and there was no violence whatsoever. You saw whole families, children marching with their parents. My husband and I were there, and our four-year-old daughter marched right along with us. It was a sight that you will never forget.”

“I don’t think President Kennedy expected Dr. King to really go back and organize such a march,” Scott noted. With many national civil rights groups working together to organize the massive demonstration, the event was effective in galvanizing public support for a federal civil rights bill, which ultimately was signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson after Kennedy’s assassination.

Scott said that young people today typically cannot imagine what the era of segregation was like, because of the work that was done by King and other leaders to make change happen. “You can go anywhere to eat, you can sit where you want to on the bus or the train, go to the college you want to go to, you can do all of these things without even having to think about it,” Scott said. “But there was a day when you couldn’t do that. It’s hard for you to realize.”

She emphasized the importance of rejecting hatred and of voting. “We need to become passionate in a nonviolent way, and we need to encourage everyone 18 years or older to vote,” Scott said. “Do whatever you can in your community to help, to make a difference, and to keep Dr. King’s dream alive, the dream of equality and freedom.”

The program was one of two organized by the VGCC Minority Male Success Initiative in honor of the King holiday. The other was a trip for students to the International Civil Rights Center & Museum in Greensboro.

–VGCC–

News 02/07/18

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