Tag Archive for: #maryemmaevansfoundation

TownTalk: Mary Emma Evans Foundation Continues To Help Those in Need

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It all started with popsicles.

And young people playing ball on a basketball court in South Henderson, said Phyllis Evans.

The “it” Evans is referring to has evolved beyond popsicles and the neighborhood where Evans lives.

The Mary Emma Evans Foundation provides resources for the whole community, from tangible items like food and clothing to helping individuals learn soft skills like preparing for job interviews.

Beginning in early August, there will be a physical location for the work of this group of volunteers – many of whom are relatives of Mary Emma Evans, in whose memory the foundation was formed back in 2011.

Phyllis Evans and Phylicia Evans joined WIZS co-host Bill Harris on Monday’s TownTalk to talk about the new location, located on Parham Street. There was a ribbon-cutting recently and now the Evans foundation is expected to be up and running come the first of August.

Phyllis said it hasn’t been easy to try to function without a physical location, and she’s looking forward to having a spot where people can come in and choose items themselves.

“Everybody is all excited,” Phyllis said.

She’s hosting a free clothing giveaway Aug. 4, 5 and 6 at 331 Alexander Ave. Things get started at 8 a.m. on Aug. 4, but come early, because she hopes things will get snatched up quickly. There is a wide assortment of children’s and adult clothing available.

Phylicia Evans is one of Mary Emma’s grandchildren and she said the Parham Street location will be a spot where people can come in and get what they may need, whether it’s food or clothing. Eventually, they hope to establish a diaper bank as well.

Donations are most welcome – whether it’s food items, clothing or, of course, financial. The immediate goal is to raise $1,300 by August 1 to help get them moved in.

“We’re looking for sponsors as we open up our physical place,” Phylicia said. “It would help with the building as we continue doing the great work we’re doing in the community.”

All donations are tax-deductible, Phylicia said, and any board member who accepts donations can provide a receipt upon request.

Because they will have a permanent location, Phylicia said the foundation will be able to partner with other organizations to offer certificate programs for individuals to improve their skillsets.

“People will be able to come to us and get certifications like customer service skills, project management (and) Microsoft Office,” she said. This self-paced program not only improves knowledge, but can be a resume builder, too.

“We look forward to seeing a lot of growth and just continuing to expand” the services they can provide, she said.

Her grandmother was a staunch supporter of Henderson’s beautification efforts when she served on the City Council, Phylicia said. For that reason, the family participates in the Adopt-A-Highway program to try to tame the litter along Dabney Road near Lowe’s Home Improvement.

They picked up trash along that roadside back in January and they hope to get back out in the fall, when the weather cools a bit.

No doubt, Mary Emma would approve.

If you’d like to help, contact Phyllis Evans at 252.767.8902 or email

maryemmaevans@gmail.com.

Follow on Facebook The Mary Emma Evans Foundation or visit the website at https://www.maryemmaevansfoundation.org/

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TownTalk: Foundation Continues The Work Of Mary Emma Evans

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If her mother were still alive, Phyllis Evans said she would not be giving high marks to the city – or to its residents – for its level of cleanliness.

But a foundation named for the late Mary Emma Evans is trying to do its part to make things better and cleaner in Henderson, one litter sweep at the time.

Mary Emma Evans served the South Henderson area as a Ward 1 representative on the Henderson City Council. She died in 2011, and the same year family members formed a foundation to keep her memory alive.

Daughter Phyllis and granddaughter Phylicia spoke with John C. Rose on Monday’s TownTalk to provide an update on what the foundation has been doing and continues to do in her name.

“I know Mama is shaking her head,” Phyllis said, on the condition of many city roadsides that she sees strewn with litter.

Although she and a cousin routinely venture out along roadsides in South Henderson to clean up, the foundation sponsored a cleanup day in late January to come out in force to make a difference. Couldn’t make it to the January cleanup date? Not to worry – they plan quarterly cleanups along the portion of Dabney Road by Aldi’s, extending toward Hicksboro Road near St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. That is the stretch of road that will be designated by NC DOT for the Mary Emma Evans Foundation’s Adopt-A-Highway sign.

Evans’s mother championed, among other things, the efforts of the Clean Up Henderson Committee, during her time on the City Council. “I know my mom would be happy to see our city clean,” Phyllis said.

But the foundation also extends its work to caring for the people that live in the community, too, and it has partnered with other community agencies on various outreach projects over the years.

Now, however, they’ve got their own community basketball team that practices a couple of times a week.

Phylicia said there are probably 50 or more youth that live in the South Henderson area who can walk to the outdoor courts at the former Salvation Army facility.

“They walk to the courts, Phyllis said, “or they’ll meet us at the foundation site on Alexander Avenue and we’ll transport them.” They practice on Wednesdays now at the Henderson Family Y and on Sundays at Aycock Recreation Center.

There may be a dozen or more who show up for practice, but Phyllis said even if there were more, the foundation would find a way to transport them all.

Partnerships strengthen a community, and Phyllis said her mother would be proud of what is being done in her name.

“We’re coming together with love,” she said, adding that Henderson is a beautiful place to live.

She just wants to keep it beautiful – to honor her mother’s memory and for others to have a sense of pride about where they live, work and play.

“We know that’s what mom would want us to do,” she said.

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