WS Chronicle

By Felecia Piggott-Long, Ph.D.

As each achiever entered the soul food restaurant, Achiever Lisa Moore, treasurer, and Achiever Constance Hash, financial secretary, made sure each woman received a candy cane and the opportunity to touch a white towel as it was passed to each member of the National Women of Achievement (NWOA). The room was decorated with balloons, flowers, bags and the contents for each gift bag.

Several members of NWOA gathered at Simply Sonya’s Soul Food Restaurant on Saturday, Dec. 21, to party with a powerful purpose. Regional director Yvonne Lee from Charlotte joined the celebration. The presidents in the house included Achiever Donna Price Merrills from the Kernersville chapter; Achiever Shelley Noisette from the Winston-Salem chapter; Achiever Diane Piggott from the Rural Hall chapter; Achiever Pamela Dockery-Howard from the Clemmons chapter; and Achiever Deena Livingston from the Pfafftown chapter.      

President Donna Price Merrills from the Kernersville chapter led the charge for this event. The purpose of this gathering was to prepare gift packages for two organizations – Bridges to Hope Family Justice Center of Forsyth County and the Union Baptist Church CDC Steam and Reading Afterschool Program. The Bridges to Hope Program provides services at no cost to individuals and families experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, child maltreatment, elder abuse, and human trafficking. 

President Deena Livingston welcomed all the women to the holiday gathering. “This is your official welcome. We thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to participate in this service project. Today we extend the gift of self-care and giving back, loving one another,” said Livingston. “When you love God, you can love your neighbor. That should be a part of our everyday lives.”

Livingston also shared the “Candy Cane Poem” which explains that the candy cane of red and white “proclaims the sweet love story/born on Christmas night.” Livingston invited the women to turn the candy cane downward to reveal the letter “J,” the letter that “begins your name of love/and now becomes a symbol/of peace proclaimed above.” The white represents the purity of Jesus and the red represents His sacrifice,” Livingston said. 

President Livingston also shared that “the most profound use of a towel happened two thousand years ago, when our Savior, only hours before he faced the cross, took an ordinary towel in His hands and lovingly dried the feet of His disciples,” she said. “In this humble act, we see the essence of selfless service and love … It reminds us that even the most ordinary things, in the right hands and with a giving spirit, can ease another’s burden,” she said.

There were several special items selected for the women in the Bridges to Hope Family Justice Center. For example, shower gel, toothbrushes, construction paper, disposable washcloths, illuminating body lotion, Vitamin C and E crème, Arm and Hammer Essential Body Wash, feminine products, toothpaste, body spray, bath bombs and a bath puff. 

President Merrills explained the purpose of the holiday festivities. “The purpose of this party is all about giving. We have two organizations that we are supporting today. The Bridges to Hope program can help get a woman out of the situation she is in. It is a safe place,” said Dr. Merrills. “The ladies who run, a lot of them leave the situation with nothing. These packages will help to meet their needs.”

Regional director Yvonne Lee expressed her joy about meeting so many women during this event. She presented a special gift to Achiever Willie Kennedy, a founding member of NWOA. She also thanked Valerie Benton Smith of the Kernersville chapter for helping to acquire the building for the event and thanked Lisa Moore for her efforts in the success of the gathering.

“I do not know everyone in the Southeast region, but if I call, they will work. This is the year of the Black Woman,” said Lee. “We have been introduced and exposed during this last election. They should have voted for women’s health. At our meetings we discuss how hard it has been to get to the top. The ceiling will hit you. We have to stick together. We are very grateful to God that Achiever Constance Hash is with us today. After all she has been through, to God be the glory!”

Achiever Diane Piggott, president and chaplain, was pleased to be in the number. She said, “Giving honor to God, I am certainly happy to be here to celebrate the birth of our Savior. He has given us another day to celebrate His love.”