WS Chronicle

Photo by Tevin Stinson

BY NIKKI BALDWIN 

THE CHRONICLE

After a disappointing national election a week earlier, when women nationwide expected the first woman president would be elected, The Women’s Fund of Winston-Salem held its 11th annual luncheon at the Benton Convention Center.

The luncheon, held on Tuesday, Nov. 15, celebrated 11 years of The Women’s Fund improving the lives of women and girls in Forsyth County, while announcing recipients of grants this year. The grants are given out annually.

The theme “Rising Together” reflected the purpose of the Women’s Fund, to inspire women and girls to come together and overcome obstacles to live a better life.

Women leaders of The Women’s Fund talked in general terms about the election and encouraged women to keep working to help women and girls succeed.

Following lunch and a presentation, Gwenn Clements and Phyllis Britnell announced the four organizations awarded grants.

The four organizations are:

*The Children’s Home Society of North Carolina was awarded $26,500 for the program Wise Guys, which strives to reduce teen pregnancy by changing the behavior of adolescent males.

*LEAD Girls of NC was awarded $9,971 for the workshop for preteen girls to use evidence-based curriculum to encourage and mentor girls to succeed.

*Planned Parenthood South Atlantic was awarded $30,000 for its Contraceptive Choice Project to allow more teens to choose a contraceptive that is affordable and works best for their needs.

*TCK Providence Inc. was awarded $29,920 for Social Workers to help participants in their kitchen worker program to take advantage of their skills, while preparing them to be ready post-graduation.

The grant recipients announcement was followed with the agency presentation by Twana Wellman-Roebuck, executive director of Experiment in Self-Reliance (ESR), expressed the importance of ESR goal of assisting families to help them take their selves out of poverty.

Wellman-Roebuck dis-cussed the validity of The Women’s Fund in providing women and girls with the tools to succeed, while giving them hope in their self and family structure.

She invigorated the attendees by describing the various programs to assist women, such as her agency’s Financial Literacy class.

She maintained during her speech the need for women to be like geese in the way geese fly in “V” formation, looking out for each other to make women a stronger force to succeed. Wellman-Roebuck left the attendees with encouraging words, such as “Women don’t put your heads down; rise up, rise up, rise up.”