Read below our Community Highlight for North Carolina – Celebrating the people, stories, and local impact shaping our state this month!
Young Explorers Fall 2025: Reynolda Gardens
“Join us in the Gardens to learn more about the natural world around us. Each session will engage a young naturalist in hands-on learning as we closely study a topic while enjoying the Gardens and Grounds of Reynolda.
At each session, Reynolda Young Explorers earn a new “badge” and take home a field guide.”
The first event on Wednesday, September 3rd, will first explore common signs of the beaver, and they work together to build a beaver dam and test its water flow
Upcoming Date and Time(s):
Aug 20, 2025, 10:00am — 11:00am
Aug 27, 2025, 10:00am — 11:00am
Sep 3, 2025, 10:00am — 11:00am
Sep 17, 2025, 10:00am — 11:00am
Oct 1, 2025, 10:00am — 11:00am
Oct 22, 2025, 10:00am — 11:00am
Nov 5, 2025, 10:00am — 11:00am
Nov 19, 2025, 10:00am — 11:00am
Location: Reynolda House and Gardens, Winston Salem, NC
Cost: $10 Youth | $8 Members and Friends of Reynolda Gardens at the Family level or above.
For more information click here
Chi Rho Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.® Event
Hosted an empowering forum titled “Seats at the Table: Black Women Shaping Local Leadership” where our very own Boards and Commissions Program was as a featured panelist. Also featured on the panel were the following:
- Stormie D. Forte – Mayor Pro Tem of Raleigh; at-large City Council member; licensed attorney, real-estate agent, and radio host serving on multiple advisory boards.
- Dr. Sharon McDonald Evans – Fayetteville native, public-health professional, political strategist, mother, and community advocate whose career reflects her passion for culture and service.
- Judge Carolyn J. Thompson – Former North Carolina Court of Appeals judge appointed by Governor Roy Cooper in 2023; long-time public servant and community leader.
- Kerry Wiggins – Director, Boards & Commissions Program, NC League of Conservation Voters Foundation; trains and empowers underrepresented residents to serve on local boards and commissions.
The event was held at held at Knightdale High School Library in Knightdale, NC
The forum highlighted the leadership journeys and experiences of Black women shaping local leadership. Letisa Vereen served as the moderator guiding the panel discussion through the following sections:
- Leadership Journeys
- Overcoming Barriers
- Board & Political Engagement
- The Power of Representation
The event was well attended with more than 80 women in attendance. With robust panelists, this was a highly anticipated conversation with a highly engaged audience.
SECU FAMILY HOUSE Volunteering
The SECU Family House provides affordable and supportive lodging for adult patients and their caregivers who must travel to medical centers like Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist and Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center in Winston-Salem or UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill for medical treatment. These non-profit guest houses offer a comfortable, home-like environment, acting as a vital resource for families facing medical crises, with amenities including private rooms, communal kitchens, laundry facilities, and support from staff and volunteers.
If you, or anyone you know is interested in volunteering here, check out their website here: https://www.familyhousews.org/volunteer/
If you would like more information, reach out to Jarrod Sams (2025 Fellow), who also works for this nonprofit organization: jrodsams@yahoo.com
More to come!
‘Black Men Speak’: A Mental Health Conversation
Black Men Speak is a community discussion focused on the mental health challenges that Black men face, with an emphasis on social, historical, and systemic factors. The event will cover topics such as:
- Historical & Generational Trauma and the resulting mistrust of systems.
- Incarceration & Hostile Environments, and how to create safe spaces for Black men.
- The Profit of Pain, examining who benefits from the struggles of unhealed Black men.
- The Lack of Representation among Black mental health clinicians.
Event Details:
📅 Date: October 29, 2025
🕐 Time: 1:00 p.m.–3:00 p.m.
📍 Location: Forsyth County Central Library Auditorium,
660 W 5th St, Winston-Salem, NC 27101
It’s organized by Forsyth County Government and aims to foster awareness, healing, and dialogue around Black men’s mental health.
