Impact Anson seeks to make a difference
Aug. 21—WADESBORO — A new organization in Anson County is working with like-minded people do address and speak up about issues they see in the community.
"Impact Anson allows me to focus on Anson because I'm from here. If you aren't doing anything impactful then what are you doing?" Miriam Denise "MeMe" Liles, founder of Impact Anson. "We are more of a quiet storm, stop meeting and talking, actually having a plan. We don't really have time for small talk."
A hometown girl, Liles, the daughter of John and Cornelia Liles, and the granddaughter of the first African-American mayor of Lilesville, Mrs. Thomasina Byrd Liles, has returned to Anson County after living in Durham for 17 years. She attended North Carolina Central University and graduated from Capella University. She has worked with mental health organizations for 15 years. The activist is frustrated seeing the same issues from her childhood plaguing the community today.
The welfare of Anson County children are of particular concern to Impact Anson. Liles fears a lack of community involvement is encouraging youth to focus on the wrong activities.
"School cannot be the highlight of their day," declared Liles.
She is dedicated to "bringing awareness to the positive things going on in Anson County as opposed to the negative. I think there are a lot of great things going on in Anson, but I don't think it is being marketed."
Having a strong background in media and promotion, Liles recognizes the need for a liaison between cities, churches, and schools to promote better communication. Liles is also the founder of Advocates in Motion (A.I.M.)
"There are a lot of things that only certain people know about and to me if you are a citizen of Anson you should know everything going on in Anson County... not just after the fact," Lile said. "There a lot of great businesses and independent organizations trying to make a difference, doing positive things in the community...but if you aren't affiliated with those organizations or businesses then you don't know about it... Anson County should definitely work on their marketing strategies across the board. There are things I miss, I see it and I'm like, 'I wish I had known about that.'"
Liles wishes the community were more aware of efforts to bring a recreational center to Anson County.
According to Liles, a grant for a recreational center was awarded fifteen years ago to Anson County Parks and Recreation. When the project did not come to fruition, the grant money returned to the state, according to Liles, who wonders, if in all that time, anyone has re-applied for a grant.
"Everyone else has a recreational center that I am familiar with... if not several in one county," states Liles. "I am totally against using the school's gym when we should have a public one. Let them do at the school what they are going to do and let the community do what they are going to do at a recreation center."
Impact Anson would also like to see a boy and girls' club offered to the community, in addition to a recreation center.
"I am from here and we never had it (Boys and Girls clubs), I've been gone from here for eighteen years and came back... we didn't have them then and we don't have them now. I now ask 'Why?' as an adult," Liles said.
Liles first became aware of the organization after leaving Anson County and moving to Durham.
Impact Anson knows that change starts with action in the community. Liles is concerned that a lack of marketing positive information is leaving Anson County youth without role models to emulate.
"Children are going to do what they see the adults do. If they see us smiling in each other's faces while stabbing each other in the back, well, they are going to clone our behaviors. Our children are laughing at us as adults because they know what is real and what is not," admonishes Liles. "Leading by example should be everybody's day to day."
Believing a title to be "irrelevant if you ain't doing the work," Liles has no titled positions within her organization.
"It is not about having a title but doing the work. We are focused on Anson County," Liles said. "We do not have time to be worried about titles and positions. That's the problem."
Liles thinks complacency plays a big hand in the issues facing the county.
"People are comfortable, comfortable with our educational system that really doesn't seem to be working... people feel if it doesn't affect them they don't care... that it's not my fight," she said.
Organizations that have supported or have partnered with either A.I.M. or Impact Anson include Anson's MLK Committee, The Caraway Foundation, Crazy J's Diner, Occupy Anson, LLC, Oasis Kitchen & Diner, Ladybugs Family Restaurant, 365 Shoes & Apparel, Sly's Famous Diner (Rockingham), SugarIQ Italian Ice, Anson Record, Overseer Pastor Iris Tillman of Church of God of Prophecy (Morven), Town of Lilesville, Town of Ansonville, Order of Eastern Star, P.H.A Pilgrim Chpt #244, Impact Vending Solutions, LLC, The Know Bookstore & Cultural Center, Twin Valley Golf Club, The Lemuel Center (Morven), Flake Chapel Baptist Church, Brother 4 Life, LLC, Anson Parks & Recreation, Atrium Hospital Wadesboro, The Lockhart Taylor Building, Harvest, American Legion Post 76 (Albemarle), E.E. Waddell Ctr (Albemarle), The Democratic Party, Anson County Sheriff's Office and on a 2nd party collaboration w/ Anson County School System.
If anyone wishes to contact Liles, call or text her at 704-465-8435 or email miriamdeniseliles@yahoo.co or direct message MeMe Denise Liles on Facebook.
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Reach Lauren Monica at 704-994-5471 or lmonica@ansonrecord.com. To suggest a correction, email editor@yourdailyjournal.com.
