Tag Archive for: #hendersonnews
Rotary Clubs and Community Volunteers Work to Reduce Hunger
On November 19th the Rotary Clubs of Oxford, Henderson, Roxboro and the Kerr Tar Region are joining together to produce Emergency Food Boxes (EFB) for the food insecure in our area. The Rotary clubs will be joined by an estimated 100 volunteers from schools, sororities and other community organizations to produce the boxes.
During the November packing event, 1,200 EFBs will be produced, providing more than 25,000 meals for agencies serving the food insecure, including: ACTS and Vance County Senior Center in Vance County, and Safe Haven, Christian Help Center and a church-based food bank in Person County.
Another packing event will be held on January 21, 2017, producing an additional 1,200 boxes supporting agencies in Granville County. Each EFB contains individual bags of rice, beans and dehydrated vegetables, enough food to make 21 meals and feed a person for a week. More importantly, the box includes illustrated cooking instructions in English and Spanish and menus to feed a family of four for just $75 a week.
Food insecurity is a significant problem in our area, where an estimated 20% (21,000) of the population does not always know where they will find their next meal. Together, the November and January packing events will provide more than 50,000 meals at a total cost of $12,000.
The Emergency Food Box project was funded by the Rotary Clubs of Oxford, Henderson and Roxboro and Rotary District 7710. The Masonic Home for Children in Oxford generously provides storage and production facilities and volunteers to make this project possible.
For more information, contact OxfordNCRotaryClub@Yahoo.com
Coastal Federal Credit Union Comes to Henderson
Coastal Federal Credit Union is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed a merger with Freedom Credit Union. The merger was official as of July 1, 2016, with branches and systems converting to Coastal between October 28 and November 2.
Freedom was a $53 million credit union based in Rocky Mount. The merger gives Coastal 8,300 new members, 13 new employees and four more branches. Coastal renovated locations in Rocky Mount, and on-site at WakeMed’s facilities in Raleigh and Cary. Freedom’s Henderson location has been replaced by a new Coastal branch, located at 236 Dabney Drive.
“Freedom’s board sought a merger partner because they desired to expand member service, provide more long-term opportunities for their employees, and overcome the challenges of rising regulatory compliance costs that small credit unions face,” says Chuck Purvis, President and CEO of Coastal.
Purvis added, “The merger was attractive to Coastal, as well. We now have new branch locations to serve existing members living in the communities around the Rocky Mount and Henderson branch locations. It also opens up several opportunities to share all the benefits we can offer to our new employer groups.”
For more information, please contact Joe Mecca at 919-420-8044.
Coastal Federal Credit Union is a not-for-profit, member-owned, financial cooperative, offering a full range of financial products and services. Coastal was chartered on August 31, 1967 with the mission of fostering the credit union philosophy of “people helping people.” Today, with $2.8 billion in assets, Coastal serves 220,000 members from 1,600 business partners and is among the leading financial institutions in North Carolina. Coastal operates 22 branches in the Triangle market and serves members in all 50 states through a network of 5,000 shared branches, mobile banking featuring mobile check deposit, and a robust offering of online services at www.COASTAL24.com.
Two longtime members retire from VGCC endowment board
John K. Nelms and Julia Ann Taylor, both of Oxford, recently announced their retirement from the Vance-Granville Community College Endowment Fund Board of Directors, effective in December.
Nelms has been on the board of directors since 1978. Among his numerous contributions to the Endowment Fund, Nelms created the Mary Ruth Nelms Presidential Scholar Award in 2009 in memory of his late wife of 61 years. The Endowment board also created a Presidential Scholar Award in his honor in 2011.
When the college was still young, Nelms — then the director of the Granville County Economic Development Commission — was instrumental in getting his county involved in supporting what was then Vance County Technical Institute. He persuaded Granville County commissioners to join Vance County in funding the school and in locating its main campus near the county line between Henderson and Oxford. Nelms served on the VGCC Board of Trustees in an advisory capacity from 1971 until 1973, and as an active member from 1973 until 2005. He was its chair from 1983 through 1984 and from 1999 until 2003. Nelms was named VGCC’s first (and to date, only) Trustee Emeritus upon his retirement.
Taylor, meanwhile, has served on the Endowment Fund board since 1985 and has been the board’s secretary for all of those years. She is responsible for endowing the college’s Grace Hamme Jester Presidential Merit Award scholarship, in memory of her aunt, and she helped, along with other family members, to endow the Joseph and Carrie P. Hamme Presidential Merit Award. Active in her community, Taylor served on the Granville County Planning Board for 28 years — the longest period of service of any resident on any Granville County board — while also volunteering with the local historical and genealogical societies. Both Taylor and her husband, Dr. Richard Taylor, received the John Penn Citizen Award from the Granville County Chamber of Commerce in 2015.
The board of directors oversees the Endowment Fund Corporation, a nonprofit organization established in 1976 to seek and receive scholarship funds and other contributions for the college. The most recent additions to the board include Clay Frazier of Henderson, the president of Universal Leaf North America, U.S.; Darryl Moss, the mayor of Creedmoor; and Josh Towne of Henderson, the owner/operator of the Chick-fil-A franchise in Henderson.
Other current board members include Robert L. Hubbard (the vice-chair), Julius Banzet III, Sarah Baskerville, Jim Chatman, Rep. James W. Crawford, Jr., Dr. Ben F. Currin, L. Opie Frazier, Jr., Rev. Dr. Richard M. Henderson, T.S. Royster, Jr., Donald C. Seifert, Sr., and Todd Wemyss. As president of VGCC, Dr. Stelfanie Williams chairs the board.
Through the Endowment Fund, VGCC has awarded more than 8,800 scholarships to students since 1982. Scholarships have been endowed by numerous individuals, industries, businesses, civic groups, churches and the college’s faculty and staff. Tax-deductible donations to the VGCC Endowment Fund have often been used to honor or remember a person, group, business or industry with a lasting gift to education. For more information about the Endowment Fund, call (252) 738-3409.
Vance County Announces Keith Duncan as Fire Marshal
Vance County Announces Keith Duncan as Fire Marshal — Press Release
Vance County is pleased to announce the hiring of Keith Duncan as the County Fire Marshal beginning on November 14th. In this new position, Mr. Duncan will serve as the county’s liaison to the Volunteer Fire Departments and will be available to assist them with insurance ratings, training and other needs. He will serve as the county’s lead fire investigator and will be responsible for conducting fire prevention inspections of local schools, businesses and churches as required by the state. He will also lead the county’s fire prevention education efforts.
Duncan has spent the last 8 ½ years as fire marshal for Halifax County, NC and has an extensive fire background and qualifications. Mr. Duncan previously spent nearly 20 years as a fire lieutenant with the City of Roanoke Rapids, NC and has certifications as a fire fighter II, fire officer I, hazardous materials operator, emergency vehicle driver, and as a fire instructor II. Mr. Duncan holds a level III Fire Inspector license in addition to certifications in building, electrical, mechanical and plumbing codes.
Duncan is a knowledgeable individual and a welcome addition to the county’s management team and the Vance County community.
Granville Chamber’s Thanksgiving Breakfast to Feature Duke Chapel’s Oscar Dantzler
The Granville County Chamber of Commerce’s annual Thanksgiving Breakfast is being held Wednesday, November 23, at 7:30 am in the Family Life Center of Oxford Baptist Church, Main Street, Oxford.
Bridgestone’s continued sponsorship of this annual event spans 25+ years. The November Thanksgiving breakfast began as an industry-sponsored breakfast, and Bridgestone has graciously remained the event supporter for all these years. New Bridgestone plant manager Mark Highland will be attending his first Thanksgiving Breakfast event with his staff.
This year’s guest speaker is a recent recipient of Duke University’s “highest honor for distinguished service: the University Medal, a prize previously won by a physicist, a state House speaker and an Olympic coach.
Dantzler has been custodian for Duke Chapel for 19 years. He has seen his role at Duke as not just the Chapel custodian, but also as a caretaker of the University and its students. Dantzler has long worked to keep the Chapel clean and organized, but he considers his unofficial duties – advising students, befriending visitors and passing along wisdom – to be just as important,” according to an article in the Duke Chronicle.
Attendees may expect the usual Southern buffet breakfast, prepared by volunteer men at Oxford Baptist. No one will leave hungry as we depart to begin the Thanksgiving holiday celebration!
Although there is no charge to attend the breakfast, attendees are requested to bring non-perishable food donations (canned food) for Area Congregations In Ministry (ACIM).
The School of Graphic Arts/Masonic Home for Children is continuing its tradition of providing attendees with desk calendars for the new year. Also, the Chamber will be officially kicking off its promotion for the National SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY – SHOP LOCAL – SHOP GRANVILLE by providing attendees with Shop Small tote bags filled with “goodies”, gift certificates, etc. from Granville County Small Businesses. This annual event is Saturday, November 26th.
Reservations are REQUIRED with one of the Chamber’s offices by November 20th to Wanda, 919.693.6125 or Toni Anne, 919.528.4994; wanda@granville-chamber.com, tawheeler@granville-chamber.com.