WS Chronicle

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the Chronicle

The 9th annual Taste of the South promises to be an evening of Southern cuisine, wine and brews, music by Martha Basset, and a film and performances by Authoring Action! teen authors, all to raise money to support the arts and educational programs of Authoring Action! These programs help teens to author their own lives and engage the world through creative writing, spoken word, film, poetry, art, and design. Harnessing the power of creative writing and performance art, Authoring Action engages and trains young people to author original works about issues impacting their lives and the greater community. In partnership with professional artists, writers and mentors, teens learn to take ownership of their educational success and become agents for community building, social change and positive messages to their peers

The event will be held on Thursday, Nov. 15, from 6 – 8:30 p.m. at Ramkat, 170 W. 9th St. in the Arts District in downtown Winston-Salem. There will be an array of the best in Southern cuisine, North Carolina wines, hand-crafted beers, and desserts to sample, provided by local restaurants, wineries and brewers. Attendees can enjoy music while they bid on silent auction items. Tickets are $50 in advance and $70 at the door.

The evening will also include a dynamic performance by Authoring Action teens, ending with a community call to support their Just Us program. This writing and film program works with both teens in the judicial system and teens at risk of entering the system. Program participants are recommended by court counselors and judicial personnel. Currently, the program receives partial funding from the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC).

The evening will be led by co-chairs, the Honorable District Court Judge Lisa Menefee and our County Commissioner Fleming El Amin. Judge Menefee refers teens to the program and supports Authoring Action as a preventative and productive program for teens at risk.

One hundred percent of the proceeds of Taste of the South support Authoring Action, a program that positively impacts not only the lives of individual youth, but also our community as a whole. Authoring Action is a 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. For more information, visit www. authoringaction.org/events.