Community Briefs

The Women’s Resource Center of Greensboro at 628 Summit Ave. in Greensboro will welcome Legal Aid of North Carolina for a Health Insurance Open Enrollment Assistance Day event, set for 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 4. There will also be a Medicaid representative on site to answer any Medicaid expansion questions.

Appointments are encouraged, but walk-ins will be accepted

To book an appointment time, visit https://ncnavigator.net/GETHELP/ or call 855-733-3711.

A celebration of the Sandy Creek Bridge groundbreaking is set for 2 p.m. Dec. 7 at 5960 U.S. 64 in Ramseur.

The Franklinville (2.5 mile) and Ramseur (.75 mile) Rail Trail sections of the Deep River State Trail finally will be connected to create 3.25 miles of continuous trail.

Also, the A3 Healthy Communities’ 13th Annual Mayor’s Fitness Challenge awards ceremony is set for 5:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at the Randolph County Office Building at 725 McDowell Road in Asheboro.

Awards will be given to the following: Mayor’s cup—top Asheboro City Schools team, superintendent’s cup—top county school team, A3 plaque—top team with the most steps, top three males with the most steps, top three females with the most steps and top three teams with the highest average steps per person.

A drawing for Year of the Trail backpacks is planned as well.

For information, contact Mary Joan Pugh at 336-963-2715 or maryjoan.pugh@randolphcountync.gov.

Celebrate the national book launch of “Iwo, 26 Charlie” by author P.T. Deutermann at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Kathleen Clay Edwards Family Branch, 1420 Price Park Road in Greensboro. Deutermann is a Navy Veteran and award-winning author who lives in Rockingham County.

Considered a contemporary master of World War II military fiction, Duetermann’s newest book is an authentic novel that follows a young Navy gunnery officer stationed on the battleship Nevada during the Battle of Iwo Jima. This event is free and there will be a reception followed by a discussion with the author.

For information, call 336-373-2923 or email beth.sheffield@greensboro-nc.gov.

Annually, the Housing Authority of the City of High Point hosts a Holiday Toy Drive for the HPHA’s youth.

Bring unwrapped toys or monetary donations to the HPHA, located at 500 E. Russell Ave., High Point, by Dec. 7.

For monetary donations to assist with the purchase of toys, make checks payable to ELBF and mail to the ATTENTION: TOY DRIVE, Housing Authority of the City of High Point, P.O. Box 1779, High Point, NC 27261. All monetary donations are tax deductible.

For more information, call 336-887-2661.

United Way of Greater Greensboro has planned Conversations with Community Leaders featuring a panel discussion on health disparities and the impact on the community from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at Guilford College’s Dana Auditorium.

Registration is required, RSVP by Dec. 5 a UnittedWayGSO.org/Calendar.

This free event is being hosted by UWGG’s African American Leadership.

Featured speakers include:

• Dr. Olu Jegede, vice president of the Center for Health Equity, Cone Health
• Dr. John Jenkins, executive medical director school based healthcare, Cone Health
• Deb Harris Richardson, president and CEO, YWCA Greensboro
• Hugh Holston, CEO, Greensboro Housing Coalition

Doors open at 10:45 a.m. and the program begins promptly at 11 a.m. A complimentary boxed lunch will be served to guests immediately following the program.

High Point constituents and community members are invited from 8:30 to 10 a.m. Dec. 6 to Greater New Hope Baptist Church, 906 Meredith St. in High Point, for the release of the 2023 High Point Racial Equity Scorecard. Stephen Sills conducted the research and will present the state of racial disparities.

YWCA of High Point will host.

Topics include: Income and wealth, education, public safety, health, civic engagement and digital equity and transportation and food access.

For information, call 336-882-4126.

BackPack Beginnings will hold a Holiday Open House from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 9 at its warehouse, 3711 Alliance Drive in Greensboro. Joining BPB will be their partner, A Simple Gesture. Staff and volunteers will be on hand to answer questions and show visitors around the space. Refreshments will be provided and shirts and honor cards will be available for purchase. A family-friendly, self-guided tour will be encouraged, with an opportunity to win a free BPB shirt.

Over the past 21 months in their new warehouse, BackPack Beginnings has seen family visits to their Family Market triple since last year. The warehouse is triple the size of their previous location, growing from 9,000 square feet to 29,000 square feet and allows them to serve more local children and families. The increase in both need and space highlights both BackPack Beginnings’ and A Simple Gesture’s call for more community support.

The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office invites community members to be a part of their annual “Fill the Bus” toy drive.

The bus will be parked at Walmart and Target locations throughout December. All contributions must be new and unwrapped.

When the bus is not at the stores, it will be parked at the sheriff’s office at 400 W. Washington St. where toys are accepted as well.

Look for the bus from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 7 at Target, 1628 Highwoods Blvd., Greensboro and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 11 at Walmart, 2628 S. Main St., High Point.

It’s time for the Greensboro Youth Council Santa’s Workshop program. Santa’s Workshop provides toys to families in need during the holiday season. Volunteers are needed to clean and sort toys as well as set up the shopping area for more than 300 families to select toys for their children. Opportunities to assist are open Dec. 11-16 to teen and community volunteers. Sign up at tinyurl.com/yyzbkp65 to volunteer.

Community members who are unable to volunteer are encouraged to consider donating a new or gently used toy.

The Amazon Wishlist at tinyurl.com/zk6s9aka is quick and easy way to donate a toy that gets shipped directly to the GYC office.

For information, visit tinyurl.com/mr4drse8.

The Greensboro Police Department will present Let’s Have a Conversation—Guns & Our Youth from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Warnersville Community Recreation Center, 601 Doak St., Greensboro.

Lunch will be provided. Adults and youth are welcome. Childcare is available upon request.

Community members are asked to email DET.CJ.GSO@gmail.com the questions that they want addressed and also share if they need childcare.

Det. Corey Johnson and community partners will facilitate.

Sadie Leder Elder, a nationally recognized educator working as an associate professor of psychology at High Point University, recently wrote a children’s book, “The Adventures of Boopers the Bad Cat.” The book is about her real-life cat, Boopers, who was with her for nearly 20 years.

“Boopers really was the best bad cat,” says Elder. “As a long-hair, tortoiseshell cat, she was beautiful. People wanted to touch her. However, she was absolutely terrible, biting or scratching anyone who dared. There was something about that fierceness that I appreciated and adored.”

Elder plans to use her book for good by creating book donation campaigns that will make copies of “The Adventures of Boopers the Bad Cat” available broadly across the county and state. Elder’s first donation goal was to put one copy of this fun book into each of the 50 Title 1 elementary schools in Guilford County. Within three weeks of the book being published, this donation goal was accomplished, with books scheduled for delivery to the schools over the holiday break. Elder is now working on her second goal, which is to donate a copy of her book to each of the 410 public libraries in the state of North Carolina.

This book is the first in what Elder hopes will be a long-running and beloved series about Boopers. She, along with the book’s illustrator, local artist Kathryn Cushwa Gerace of Ethel B Designs, anticipate that the second in the Boopers the Bad Cat series will be published in early 2024.

Elder and Cushwa Gerace invite community members to join them for one of their upcoming book events. There is a Meet the Author and Illustrator Event from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 16 at The Cottage High Point, 1107 N. Main St., #101, High Point as well as a children’s book reading from noon to 1 p.m. Jan. 20 at Wynnies Boutique, 1210 N. Main St., High Point.

For information, visit www.BoopersTheBadCat.com.

Kay Brown, president of the Greensboro branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, is the featured speaker at the Dec. 13 meeting of the city’s Human Rights Boards and Commissions. The program starts at 6 p.m. at the Barber Park Event Center, 1502 Barber Park Drive in Greensboro.

Residents may join commissioners from the Ad hoc Committee on African American Disparities, the Commission on the Status of Women, the Human Rights Commission, the International Advisory Committee and the Transgender Task Force for a meet-and-greet opportunity. The representatives will provide information about upcoming programs and how to volunteer. Following the meet-and-greet, Brown will discuss advocacy and organizational campaigning in the group’s second Advocacy Development Training session.

The operations director for People’s Action in Greensboro, Brown was an active member of the city’s NAACP branch for six years before assuming its presidency in January 2023. The community organizer and advocate also serves on the boards of the Interactive Resource Center and Jalloh’s Upright Services.

For information, call 336-373-2038.

Help families of YWCA High Point’s Parents as Teachers, Healthy Beginnings and Doula programs receive a little Christmas magic this year by participating in their YWCA Holiday Giving Tree initiative.

Visit any of the following four participating locations in High Point listed below, take a tag from the tree, purchase the item on the tag, and return the item to the location of the tree or to the YWCA High Point directly, by Dec. 15: Myrtle Nails, 3786 Samet Drive #105; A Special Blend, 504 N. Main St. and also at 3900-C W. Market St. in Greensboro; and Paddled South, 602 N. Main St.

For information, call 336-882-4126, Ext. 206 or email tmathis@ywcahp.com.

Greensboro’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience recently launched its Greensboro Sustainable Landscapes Project with a campaign to encourage residents and businesses to “Leave the Leaves” this leaf season.

Residents are encouraged to pledge to leave their leaves on their lawn or mulch them instead of raking and bagging them. Residents can opt to receive a custom “Leave the Leaves” yard sign.

Anyone who takes the pledge will be eligible for a contest to recognize “Greensboro’s Best Sustainable Lawn or Garden” next spring.

Visit www.greensboro-nc.gov/OSR to take the pledge, read the “Top 10 Reasons to Leave the Leaves” and learn more about the project.

Greensboro’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience invites nonprofits, community organizations, educational institutions, businesses and other interested groups to host a booth at the city’s Earth Day festival, set for 1 to 4 p.m. April 20 at Keeley Park. To ensure a spot, reserve a space now at www.tinyurl.com/GSOEarthDay2024.

Participating groups must host an interactive activity of their choice. No selling will be permitted and electricity is not available. A table and chairs will be provided.

The festival will include a wide range of activities and educational opportunities—from tutorials of environmentally-friendly lawn care practices to demos of renewable energy technology to animal interactions. OSR will also name the 2024 #LiveGreen Award winners at this event. The festival is expected to draw more than 3,000 people and 50 vendors.

For information, call 336-373-2712 or email Kaitlyn.Farina@greensboro-nc.go.

A $7.75 million grant extends the research of the National Center on Hispanic Children and Families through 2028. The center launched in 2013 as a collaboration among researchers across the country and is co-led by UNCG faculty Julia Mendez Smith, psychology, and Danielle Crosby, human development and family studies. The Office of Planning Research and Evaluation within the Administration for Children and Families in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded the grant.

The new five-year award supports the center’s work on early care and education, poverty reduction and economic self-sufficiency among Hispanic families and related issues in the lives of Latine families.

For information, visit www.hispanicresearchcenter.org.