Year end tax donations? Consider these charitable New Bern groups for #GivingTuesday
The Giving Tuesday initiative was created in 2012 as a global generosity movement that inspires citizens to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity. Held on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving in the U.S., the movement created an international day of charitable giving at the beginning of the Christmas and holiday season.
The Sun Journal reached out to local area nonprofits for their vision of how Giving Tuesday benefits their services and how they have worked through the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Name of nonprofit: The Filling Station
Your nonprofit’s mission: The Filling Station opened its doors to the community with the mission to assist with filling unmet needs in the areas of nutrition, education and connection. We have experienced many successes this past year. Due to the excellent leadership of our board of directors, food pantry director and a new executive director, we have been able to build momentum as we move into our fifth year. The Food Pantry has grown to over 800-1,000 households serving over 10,000 individuals due the increased demand due to the pandemic. Plans are unfolding for the development of a teaching kitchen for the county. The mission continues to flourish with a new partnership with Atlantic Dance Theatre to offer Art and Dance Camp in our Garden Venue and grow food to be used in the new kitchen. None of this would be possible without the support of our church and corporate partnerships throughout Jones County and beyond.
Executive Director: Mary Ann LeRay
Board members: Maria Robles, Board Chair; Charlie Dunn, Jr., Vice Chair; Sheri Smith, Secretary; Norma Sermon-Boyd, Treasurer
Directors: John Taylor, Zack Koonce, Willie Smith, Bobby Darden, Willie Jones, Cheryl Simons, Sylvia Miller, Karen Plaster, John Bender, Clyde Murphy, Jr.
Best contact information: info@fillingstation1075.com
How does Giving Tuesday benefit your work?
The Giving Tuesday project benefits our nonprofit in many ways. As a new nonprofit, it is a great platform to connect with all types of organizations for encouragement. The creativity and excitement about the missions of each nonprofit promotes loving your neighbor as yourself. Our organization was founded in a town of 300 nestled in a county of 10,000 located in an area of 473 square miles. The Filling Station foundation is built on Psalm 107:5, “all those who were hungry and thirsty, their lives were ebbing away.”
How has your nonprofit been impacted during COVID-19?
Millie Belfort: “I’ve been coming to The Filling Station shortly after I lost my job last year. This pandemic was here for the long haul and things were looking very bleak for an older adult like me. To be honest, it took me awhile to get the courage to come. It wasn’t until things really got rough for me, that I decided to accept help. The volunteers are amazing, friendly, and compassionate. This is a no judgement zone. I’ve made some friends and enjoy seeing the warm smiles as I drive up to have my vehicle loaded with healthy, generous portions of food. I usually pick up for myself and a neighbor (who is a shut-in) and she enjoys her boxes of goodies as much as I do. I am now working again, but my time of being unemployed at the height of the pandemic has netted me quite some debt and I’m still trying to catch up with my bills. So I continue to come to The Filling Station for healthy, nutritious edibles.
Name of nonprofit: Craven County Partners In Education
Your nonprofit’s mission: The mission of Craven County Partners In Education is to support and advance educational experiences within Craven County Schools through collaborative community involvement. Partners In Education is separate from but aligned with the goals of Craven County Schools.
Executive Director: Darlene Brown
Board members: The executive committee of PIE is Daniel Rhyne, president; Jason Jones, 1st Vice President; Debra Hurst, 2nd Vice President; and Mike McCoy, past president
Best contact information: (252) 514-6321
How does Giving Tuesday benefit your work?
We use that money to fund many grants and many programs made available throughout the school year to our teachers and administrators such as the Stuff the Bus, Twin Rivers Artists Association Art Grants, PIE Grants, Toyota of New Bern Tech Grant, Suddenlink Tech Grant, Donna & Team New Bern Music Grants, Superintendent’s Exceptional Education for Exceptional Children Grants, PIE Grants, Aspire to Inspire Grant, and The Bate Foundation Individual School Grants. These grants and programs are made available to our educators with the purpose of increasing classroom innovation and creativity. They are designed to help boost the learning opportunities for students in all grades and subjects. During the 2020-21 school year, PIE was able to provide over $200,000 in grants and programs to our educators. These grants support teacher-initiatives that strengthen and improve learning environments. Grants have also helped replace much loved, much-used equipment.
How has your nonprofit been impacted during COVID-19?
COVID-19 has shone a spotlight on inequality in America: The pandemic has affected all students, but particularly those living in poverty. Teachers are facing a pressing issue: How can they help students recover and stay on track throughout the year even as their lives are likely to continue to be disrupted by the pandemic? Researchers at Annenberg Brown University predict that, on average, students will experience substantial drops in reading and math, losing roughly three months’ worth of gains in reading and five months’ worth of gains in math. The biggest takeaway isn’t that learning loss will happen—that’s a given by this point—but that students will come back to school having declined at vastly different rates. As PIE gears up its annual fall/end of year fundraising efforts, now more than ever, we have urgent needs for our students and educators that require help. Although the pandemic has disrupted lives, the care of our children and their education must continue.
Name of nonprofit: Craven Literacy Council
Your nonprofit’s mission:
Building literacy skills to empower adults and families to improve lives. Founded in 1986, Craven Literacy Council services and instructional materials are provided free to students. All students must put forth the time, effort and dedication to study hard in order to achieve progress towards their literacy goals.
Executive Director: April King
Board members: Latisha Bell, Kathryn Carter, Tammy Childers, Morgan Crisp, Virginia Gunsten, Arlene Livingston, Amber McCracken, Mary Ringwalt, John Shipherd, Chris Thompson Shearin
Best contact information: april.cravenliteracy@gmail.com
How does Giving Tuesday benefit your work?
Funds raised from Giving Tuesday will be used to purchase student instructional books, student online curriculum licenses, technology, and to train tutors.
Name of nonprofit: Atlantic Dance Theatre
Your nonprofit’s mission: Founded in 1985, Atlantic Dance Theatre has the mission to present, support, and enrich dance offerings in our region through public concerts and youth programming.
Executive Director: Elizabeth Pope, serving jointly with our Artistic Director Joan V. Taylor
Board members: Chuck Dale President; Jody Cheek Vice-President; Elisabeth Amend Secretary/Treasurer; Collins Beebe, Ashley Baxter-Curry, Kit Jordan, Paige Whitley-Bauguess.
Best contact information: (252) 671-6878
How does Giving Tuesday benefit your work?
Giving Tuesday 2021 donations support youth programming and public concerts. This year we will continue to provide joyous, active in-school dance performances and we would like to reach more schools. The challenge is that returning to in-person programs will incur travel costs for guest professional performers and will increase our expenses for youth programming. Also, we will present our rescheduled Bach and Forward Concert on February 27, 2022 at Stanly Hall Ballroom and continue to support dance programs for other nonprofit organizations
How has your nonprofit been impacted during COVID-19?
Our COVID-19 challenge last year was the need to rethink all our programming. We had planned an in-person public concert and in-person school programs and that was just not possible. We were, however, able to meet the challenge by offering Live from Mali West Africa workshops led by popular international teacher Souleymane (Solo) Sana using ZOOM technology. The total elementary school workshops we presented were 6 for Craven County and 4 for Jones County. We also supported dance for other nonprofit organizations including The Boys and Girls Club Teen Unit and partnered with Jones County’s Filling Station for a week-long summer dance camp.
Name of nonprofit: Tryon Palace Foundation
Your nonprofit’s mission: Tryon Palace’s mission is to engage present and future generations in the history of North Carolina from early settlement and development of statehood through the mid-twentieth century by collecting, interpreting and preserving objects, buildings, landscapes and events that enrich understanding of the making of our state and nation.
In 1992, the Tryon Palace Council of Friends, later named the Tryon Palace Foundation in 2012, was incorporated to operate within Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to support the Tryon Palace and its mission. The Foundation continues to foster public and financial support for the benefit of Tryon Palace.
Executive Director: William J. McCrea
Board members: Jeannie Tyson, President; Judy Avery, Sallie Baxter, Albert Bell, Jr., James Copland IV, David Dennard, Jim Foscue, Jr., Mark Gatlin, Stephen Graves, Susan King Hackney, Ross Hardeman, Lee Hodge, Randal Hunter, Carole Kemp, Catherine Little, Carol Mattocks, Rozanne McCotter, Judith McCrudden, Nelson McDaniel, Thomas Monte, Beverly Perdue, Jim Robinson, Cece May Scott, Thomas Stroud, Elizabeth Sumner, Alice Underhill, Elizabeth Ward, Dianne Weaver
Ex Officio: Katherine Haroldson, Commission Chairman; Darin Waters, Deputy Secretary for Archives & History; Bill McCrea, Executive Director, Secretary/Treasurer
Best contact information: www.tryonpalacefoundation.org/
How does Giving Tuesday benefit your work?
Funds raised by Giving Tuesday will make a difference in the lives of North Carolina’s students by contributing to the Palace Scholars field trip program. Palace Scholars was established by the Tryon Palace Foundation in 2019 to provide field trip grants to North Carolina’s Title I schools whose classrooms often face a cost barrier preventing them from the benefit of multidisciplinary programs that enrich the traditional school curriculum. Palace Scholars is a donor funded program that covers the associated costs of a field trip such as transportation, substitute teacher fees, and admission; to provide underprivileged classrooms with a visit to Tryon Palace and the North Carolina History Center.
From its creation in 2019 to October 2021, over 2,155 students, educators, and parents from 19 schools located in 14 different counties have visited Tryon Palace through the Palace Scholars program. Palace tours and costumed interpretation present these school groups with an engaging, informative way to experience colonial history.
How has your nonprofit been impacted during COVID-19?
Education plays a key role in Tryon Palace’s mission to engage visitors in North Carolina’s history. One of the main difficulties faced during COVID-19 was having to pause field trips until they could be performed safely. It is exciting to begin welcoming classrooms back to the Palace while presenting an immersive educational experience. The funds raised by Giving Tuesday will advance Tryon Palace’s mission by ensuring that North Carolina’s students, regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic background, have the opportunity to connect with their state’s history.
Name of nonprofit: Promise Place
Your nonprofit’s mission: A place where hope and healing begin - Promise Place is the only sexual assault resource center serving Craven County, Jones County, and Pamlico County. Our non-profit was established more than 40 years ago with a mission to build safer communities free of sexual violence and its impact. We provide trauma-informed mental health, advocacy, and community outreach services free of charge to our clients, regardless of insurance status. We are a resource center for individuals victimized by sexual assault or other crimes, and we promise you don’t have to do it alone.
Executive Director: Jenifer Gonzalez
Board members: Karen Renfro, Marcia Werneke, Bill Taylor, Beverly Lynch, Diane Donald, Jean Kenefick, Patricia Latrice, Pat Dumon and Michelle Helms
Best contact information: outreach@promiseplacenc.org
How does Giving Tuesday benefit your work?
Any funds generously donated through the Giving Tuesday campaign will be used to further our efforts to address and end sexual violence. These efforts include accompanying clients to law enforcement, court hearings, and medical appointments, providing trauma-informed individual and group therapy, and delivering outreach and trainings, such as Darkness to Light and Safe Dates, both virtually and in-person.
Name of nonprofit: Faith Connection
Your nonprofit’s mission: Faith Connection is an interfaith group promoting unity and peace among all God’s children. Our mission is to connect faith communities so that we can build bridges between races, classes, and religions; encourage compassionate listening; welcome the stranger; and serve those in need.
We share the belief that our God is a gathering God who desires that we challenge divisiveness and come together in a spirit of love. Faith Connection invites people to come together, build bridges of mutual understanding and respect. We provide a resource for communicating individual congregation activities to the entire faith-based community.
Executive Director: Deacon Jim Hackett
Board members: Paula Al-Saihati, Rev. Keith Cannon, Dr. Susan Cook, Deacon Jim Hackett, Mitch Lewis, Steve Mabie, Bee Mayo, Martin Moore, Helen Robinson, Mile Williams
Best contact information: www.faithconnectionnewbern.org
How does Giving Tuesday benefit your work?
Funds raised will go towards helping us expand our program initiatives including: CROP Hunger Walk, Voices of the Faithful and Heeling Our World. Faith Connection is the “Host Partner” for the annual New Bern CROP Hunger Walk, an outreach of CWS (Church World Services) raising funds to address nutrition and developmental needs of neighbors globally and in New Bern. The 2021 CROP Hunger Walk included nearly 400 walkers and raised over $35000, 25% of which went directly to RCS (Religious Community Services).
This article originally appeared on Sun Journal: Giving Tuesday: New Bern NC charitable programs benefit from generosity
