Spreading love in the community
By Busta Brown
In 1995, the Paisley High School National Alumni Association was formed with the focus of putting on The Big Four Reunion program and dance in Winston-Salem. The success of the reunion led to the much broader focus of community, leadership and maintaining the legacy of the African-American Big Four Schools in the city of Winston-Salem.
I spoke with assistant treasurer Carolyn Hampton about some of the fantastic work the organization does in the communities. “The members of the Paisley Alumni Association recognize that we must be beacons in the community in order to gain the fruits of our labor from the seeds that have been planted in the past.”
Next Tuesday, Nov. 21, the Paisley High School National Alumni Association will be spreading love in the community, delivering Thanksgiving boxes to families at Wal-Mart on Peters Creek Parkway in Winston-Salem from 11 a.m until 1 p.m. “We’ve done this for over 20 years. We deliver eight boxes of food for Thanksgiving, we ask each school from the Boston-Thurmond area to send us names of two families from Paisley, Cook, Kimberly and Martin Luther King Recreation Center.”
I asked Carolyn about the response from the families. “The kids are overjoyed, and the parents are very grateful. It brings tears to our eyes to see our work making a difference. It makes me feel good all over when I do it.”
The more she spoke about the love the organization has for the communities, she was nearly in tears, “We have food, and so many people don’t. … the organization works hard to make sure these families have a great holiday.”
Last Christmas, Hampton took Christmas boxes to a family and the experience was heartwarming, “This beautiful little girl kept asking her mom about a Barbie doll, so I went to the store and bought that baby that Barbie doll. One of the alumni gave some families money. We give wherever we see a need. It’s all about giving back.”
We talked about how communities are not what they used to be. “Most people don’t even know their next-door neighbors, and the Paisley High School National Alumni Association wants to change that.”
The Paisley High School National Alumni Association membership now consists of approximately 200 members. The association is community-oriented to the Boston, Thurmond Street, and Martin Luther King Community Center area. This area contains the elementary schools of Kimberley Park and Cook (formerly Carver Crest) and Paisley IB.
Hampton said, “These were, and continue to be the feeder schools to Paisley. Our concerns are for the youth and legacy of the community.”
The organization also sponsors annual college scholarship funds for students who attended Paisley IB Magnet School and gives food baskets to families during Christmas.sponsor back-to-school supplies for the schools in the community, and participate as proctors and mentors for Paisley IB school.
