Join us in celebrating our CEF Members for Financial Independence Day!
You are invited to CEF’s annual Financial Independence Day, Saturday, July 13th from 3:00pm to 5:00pm at the CEF Chapel Hill Office (208 N Columbia St Suite 100, Chapel Hill, NC 27514)
The purpose of Financial Independence Day is to honor all of the hard work that CEF Members are putting in to achieve financial stability and independence.
Join us for a community cookout with fun activities to acknowledge and celebrate the fight for freedom from financial burden.
A collaborative effort between CEF Staff and Summer ‘24 Interns
As CEF wraps up our yearly observation of PRIDE month, it’s vital to acknowledge that economic disparities persist for the LGBTQIA+ community, exacerbated by discrimination in employment, housing, and healthcare.
It is most crucial to acknowledge the intersecting economic challenges faced by LGBTQ people of color. A “wealth gap” refers to disparities in wealth between different groups, stemming from historical and systemic inequalities. For example, the “racial wealth gap” pertains to economic disparities between different racial and ethnic groups. The “LGBTQ wealth gap” pertains to economic disparities based on sexual orientation and gender identity. For individuals who are both LGBTQ and racial minorities, these gaps compound, exacerbating economic disparity.
Age is another factor that contributes to disparity within the LGBTQ community. The National Colaition For the Homeless reports LGBTQ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ youth. The National Network For Youth found that up to 40% of the 4.2 million youth in the US experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ, despite being only 9.8% of the youth population.
The AARP found that LGBTQ Elders living in less LGBTQ friendly communites are 700% more likely to experience housing discrimination tied to their identities. 34% of LGBTQ Elders — and 54% of transgender Elders — reported being worried about having to hide their identity to access senior housing.
For LGBTQ+ adults living with a disability, risk of both poverty and unemployment is further compounded. LGBTQ people are 10-20% more likely to be disabled than their non-LGBTQ peers. The Williams Institute found that LGBTQ men with disabilities are roughly 86% more likely to live in poverty than LGBTQ men without disabilities. Likewise, LGBTQ women were about 78% more likely to live in poverty than LGBTQ+ women without disabilities.
Still, structural racism combined with systemic anti-LGBTQ discrimination leads to the most extreme negative outcomes, especially for Black LGBTQ people. We cannot talk about the compounding disparities faced by Black members of the LGBTQ+ community without defining the concepts of misogynoir and transmisogynoir. Both terms are rooted in the concept of intersectionality, which addresses how various social identities such as race, gender, class, and sexual orientation interrelate in systems of oppression.Coined by Black feminist writer Moya Bailey, misogynoir is a term to describe the combined force of anti-Black racism and misogyny Black cisgender women experience under white supremacy and patriarchy. Transmisogynoir is an extension of the word, to include the added oppression of cissexism experienced by Black trans feminine people. Transmisogynoir manifests most commonly as hate-fueled, and often fatal, gender-based violence.
Regardless of gender identity, the National LGBTQ Taskforce found that Black transgender and gender non-conforming (GNC) people face unconscionable levels of discrimination. Black transgender and GNC people have an extremely high unemployment rate, up to 26%. Black transgender and GNC people often live in extreme poverty, with 34% reporting a household income of less than $10,000/year. 41% of Black transgender and GNC people have experienced homelessness, 47% have experienced incarceration, and 50% reported being forced to participate in the underground economy for income, including sex work and drug sales.
Extreme economic disparity for Black trans and GNC members of the LGBTQIA+ community persists as a critical issue that demands immediate attention. This disparity is further compounded by pervasive (and growing) anti-LGBTQ sentiment. Moving forward, it is imperative to advocate for inclusive policies that combat systemic discrimination and ensure equitable access to resources and opportunities for LGBTQ individuals, particularly those facing intersectional marginalizations. By actively supporting these efforts and fostering a culture of acceptance, we can collectively strive towards a future where every member of the LGBTQIA+ community thrives and enjoys opportunities for success and prosperity!
Meet Chloe Wells, Advocate Program Coordinator (CH)
Chloe Wells, Advocate Program Coordinator (CH)
Your Role: In your own words, how would you describe the work you do at the CEF and why is it important?
At CEF, I hold the role of the ‘Advocate Program Coordinator’ (APC). This title generously encapsulates my responsibilities of coordinating, supervising, and providing support to our volunteer Advocates in their impactful endeavors.
Your Background: What experiences, strengths, and skills do you bring to this work at CEF?
I bring a wealth of experiences to my role, ranging from my time as a ‘front office lady’ at a high school to my roles as a Teacher’s Assistant, Peer DEI Educator, Resident Advisor, and Co-Editor in Chief of an undergraduate literary magazine. I have acquired valuable skills and strengths through these diverse experiences, shaping my unique perspective and approach.
Connecting to CEF: What led you to working with CEF generally, and also to this particular role?
As a member of the undergraduate class of 2020, the Pandemic tossed aside my plans, along with those of many peers, for post-graduate-real-adult life. Nevertheless, I firmly believe that everything happens for a reason, and I strive to embrace the notion that I am where I am meant to be at any given moment. Upon deciding to leave my previous role and relocate to the area with my partner, currently enrolled as a Graduate Student at UNC Chapel Hill, I was determined to find a path that allowed me to make a tangible impact on my community. Drawing from my academic passions as a student, I sought to apply them in a real-world setting. My aspiration was to join an organization that fostered creativity, embraced my love for learning, and promoted genuine relationship building, community engagement, and anti-racism at every level. I believe I have found the perfect fit!
Energy: When you think about your work in this role at CEF (and/or in general at CEF) where do you find energy and renewal?
When I reflect on my work in this role at CEF, I draw energy and renewal from our person-centered approach. Our primary focus is on the individual, regardless of who they are or what they bring to the table. This person-centered ethos resonates deeply with me, especially in my interactions with Members and Advocates. I derive immense joy from connecting with our Advocate community, where we have a supportive space to lean on, learn from, and celebrate each other’s successes. Together, we navigate challenging days, uplift each other through laughter and continuous curiosity, and collaboratively devise solutions. Being part of a community where we can openly address our needs, capacity, and well-being fills me with pride, energy, and profound gratitude.
Challenge: When you think about your work in this role at CEF (and/or in general at CEF) where do you find challenges and how do you seek to find the best way forward?
In all honesty, navigating anti-racist, justice-focused community work within the confines of oppressive systems like white supremacy culture presents a myriad of challenges. It’s hardly surprising, considering the extensive lists of obstacles we encounter daily within our CEF community. Thus, I find that the most daunting aspect of my role at times is simply ensuring that everyone feels empowered to engage with the supportive community that CEF has fostered. This involves ensuring that individuals feel capable of supporting others whose experiences may differ from their own, feeling supported enough to actively participate both mentally and physically, and ensuring that each Advocate feels valued and acknowledged. It’s about ensuring that they are equipped to advocate for themselves as well. To all Advocates reading this, know that you are deeply appreciated!
Etc: Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Outside of my role as APC, I thoroughly enjoy spending quality time with my partner, whether it’s at home or exploring new places. I’m currently immersed in creating Spotify playlists, particularly delving into the new-wave funk and disco movements. Exploring culinary delights at new restaurants, discovering hiking trails both nearby and across the state, and preparing meals for my loved ones are some of my cherished activities. I find solace in browsing through local bookstores, especially in search of the latest horror releases and cryptic creature-features. I strongly advocate for the importance of outdoor play and seize any opportunity to indulge myself. Although I appreciate thoughtful cuisine, if I had to pick a favorite food, it would undoubtedly be french fries. Or perhaps ice cream. When I’m up for it, I love attending drag shows, hitting the dance floor with friends, and engaging in spirited competition at local trivia nights!
CEF is saddened by the passing of one of our 2023 Black Queens, Carolyn Suitt. She was a joy and light to her family and community. Rest in power, Black Queen with your beautiful crown.
CEF Chapel Hill is offering both full and part time internship positions for our 10 week summer program. Interns will complete a training “boot camp” and therefore no prior experience with our organization is required to apply. A great applicant for this position would be someone who is committed to anti-racism and housing first efforts, dedicated to direct service work, and passionate about the prosperity of all folks who are part of our community.
This application will be open until March 8th, 2024 at 11:59 PM. More information regarding the internship can be found within the application via a linked job description. Any further questions or concerns can be directed to chloew@communityef.org.
Sophia Thayer, Member Services Coordinator (Durham)
Your Role: In your own words, how would you describe the work you do at the CEF and why is it important?
As the Member Services Coordinator for the Durham office, I work alongside Members and external community partners and service providers, as well as Advocates and staff, to research, develop, and implement relevant resources for Members. Most of the resources center on access to housing, and other crucial elements folks need to thrive. I also help lead New Member Orientation and our food pantry.
Your Background: What experiences, strengths, and skills do you bring to this work at CEF?
My background is in case management, resource navigation, youth development, and food justice. Beyond this background, I try to be as authentic as possible and meet people where they’re coming from. I strive to always be learning and challenge myself to consistently check how my biases affect my perception of experiences and events. Overall, I believe I am an approachable and personable individual hoping to form long term relationships.
Connecting to CEF: What led you to working with CEF generally, and also to this particular role?
CEF’s commitment to justice and equity is what initially drew me to the organization. CEF’s belief that everyone is creative, resourceful, and whole resonates with me and is the basis of the Member-driven work we all do together. In my role as MSC, I attempt to provide a starting point for Members and Advocates to connect. Witnessing and taking part in human connection is a joy that CEF provides and values.
Energy: When you think about your work in this role at CEF (and/or in general at CEF) where do you find energy and renewal?
At CEF, I find energy in relationships – deep conversations about experiences and stressors, celebrations when someone reaches their goal, and connections over a shared favorite. Outside of CEF, I find energy in very similar ways by spending time with loved ones.
Challenge: When you think about your work in this role at CEF (and/or in general at CEF) where do you find challenges and how do you seek to find the best way forward?
CEF and our Members, Advocates, and staff still live and function within systems that are set up for some people to fail and some to thrive. Systemic racism and capitalism are massive opponents. Sometimes, no matter how much work we put in, we cannot solve a problem. I think the way we move forward is first recognizing that the CEF model of long-term community is radical in itself. Secondly, we can utilize this community power to break down systemic barriers as best we can.
We’re excited to invite you to a spring celebration and annual report release party on Wednesday, May 24 at the Gene Strowd Rose Garden in Chapel Hill. The event will include short speeches from Donna Carrington, CEF’s Executive Director, a representative of CEF’s Board, and CEF Members. Please join us and invite anyone you know who may be interested in learning more about CEF and how they can support our work!
Join us in our mission to cultivate opportunities, assets, and communities that support the alleviation of homelessness and poverty!
Finance & Operations Manager:
Oversee financial management and oversight, manage CEF’s financial coaching & Safe Savings programs, and ensure compliance with all audit and legal recommendations. This role includes leading budgeting processes, financial statements and projections, financial record-keeping, payroll, and more.
Advocacy Manager:
Manage our advocacy initiatives and ensure our mission, guiding principles, and values are represented in targeted campaigns. Responsibilities include setting advocacy goals, providing guidance to frontline staff, and inspiring others to advocate for safe and affordable living conditions.
Our team is dedicated to building a joyful community focused on ending the racial wealth gap and empowering community! If you share our passion, apply now for one of our open positions.
Are you looking for a meaningful paid internship or volunteer opportunity this summer in Durham?
CEF offers paid full and part-time Summer Internships for community members interested in deepening their skills, expanding their knowledge of community resources, and working directly with CEF Members on their goals.
CEF’s Durham office is also seeking additional volunteer Advocates this summer! Advocates volunteer at-least 2 hours/week, working directly with Members as they move forward with their goals.
Both Interns and Advocates will receive in-person training and have staff available to support them throughout their time at CEF.
Learn more and find the applications at the link below. Apply by this Sunday at midnight!
Sydney is the Durham Office & Community Organizer. She started at CEF as an Advocate in fall 2021. Hannah is new to CEF, and the Triangle, and provides Staff Support for both the Durham and Chapel Hill Offices.
Learn more about their backgrounds, how they connected with CEF, and challenges they face in their roles at the links below!
The Community Empowerment Fund received funding to support Durham residents in settling housing related debts related to COVID-19. This includes past-due utilities, past-due rent, mortgage delinquency, and eviction costs. There is no limit to the requested amount; however, all debts must have been accumulated AFTER February 2020 and the Housing Debt Assistance Fund can only be accessed once. Currently, funds are only available to people who did not receive assistance from the Durham Emergency Rental Assistance Program or another rent relief program. In July, funds will be open to anyone who qualifies, even if they have received previous assistance from other funding sources.
This month, Imanie would like to highlight the Fair Housing Project of Legal Aid NC. The Fair Housing Project works to eliminate housing discrimination and to ensure equal housing opportunity for all people through education, outreach, public policy initiatives, advocacy and enforcement. Informational materials are available on their website.
If you believe you are a victim of discrimination in housing, contact the Fair Housing Project for assistance at (855)-797-3247 or by email at info@fairhousingnc.org. They can assist you in filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) or other appropriate administrative or judicial bodies. They can provide free and confidential legal consultation about specific situations.
Durham County Resource of the Month:
This month, the Durham office would like to highlight StepUp Durham. StepUp Durham offers a variety of employment readiness workshops that teach the skills needed to find and sustain employment. The classes are designed specifically for individuals facing barriers to finding employment, such as a criminal background or gaps in employment history. StepUp connects job seekers with StepUp partner employers while participants execute the skills they have learned to further their own job search.
If you are interested in their next job skills workshop register here or call their office at 919-973-0890.
Yes! CEF Members with the capacity to meet through online video chat software (like Zoom, Skype, or Google Meet) or over the phone will be encouraged to continue with this option. You can specify this option when you call the office to make an appointment.
We recognize that we work and CEF’s offices are located on the unceded territories of the Eno, Lumbee, Occaneechi, Saponi, Shakori, and Skaruhreh/Tuscarora tribes. We acknowledge and respect the ancestral & present land stewardship and place-based knowledge of the peoples of these territories. Please support them directly.
In partnership with consultants Jaclyn Gilstrap and Hope Tyson from A Visual Approach, CEF’s strategic plan is presented using an adaptation of an “Objectives and Key Results (OKR) Framework.”
At the highest level of the strategic plan, the Big Goal and Key Contribution articulates CEF’s vision of community and its mission. These components are the guiding light of the strategic plan and connect the various areas of CEF’s work to the organization’s mission and its greater purpose in the community. In addition to the Big Goal (CEF’s Vision Statement), the survey data showed that Staff, Members, Volunteers, Board, and Community Leaders across the board saw an essential part of CEF’s efforts to be centered around Building Joyful Community. It was mentioned so often that it has risen to the level of the Big Goal. It is a complement to and expansion of the Big Goal, a doubling down and a re-commitment to this essential component of the organization’s character and culture.
Big Goal:Ending the Racial Wealth Gap, Empowering Community
Key Contribution (CEF’s Mission):Cultivate opportunities, assets, and communities that support the alleviation of homelessness and poverty
In order to achieve the Key Contribution, CEF believes that it must work towards all of the Objectives outlined in the strategic plan. The Objectives are significant and concrete, and there is a word attached to each that explains not only what the goal is but how it should be achieved (responsive, strong, adaptable, impactful, growth). As a whole, the Objectives make up the key areas of CEF’s work. The relationship between them is illustrated by the visual framework (FIG 1).
As we move forward in the direction of 2025, our organization is sure to experience many shifts and changes. This document is meant to help us navigate those changes, assisting us during times when decision-making feels hard and priorities are overwhelming. We thank each and every voice that contributed to this collective vision for CEF.
Sydney Pender, Durham Office & Community Organizer
Your Role: In your own words, how would you describe the work you do at CEF and why is it important?
As Office & Community Organizer in Durham, my role is largely providing stability to the office to ensure everything runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis. Another large responsibility is the community advocacy portion, which provides CEF Members with opportunities to lead initiatives surrounding the issues most important to them such as affordable housing, fair consideration for employment, and building multigenerational wealth.
Your Background: What experiences, strengths, and skills do you bring to work at CEF?
I am a young, Black woman trying to make it in this world and I have a testimony in some ways very similar to the Members we serve at CEF. Being in my position, serving folks that look like me and have some of my same struggles, is a very humbling experience that brings both joy and sorrow. There is power in representation and relatability, that strengthens my ability to reach more than a person’s individual mind, but more importantly their hearts. The work I strive to do is done very personally and with great intention.
Connecting to CEF: What led you to work with CEF generally, and also in this particular role?
More generally, I began volunteering with CEF in search of a community. I moved to Chapel Hill mid-pandemic at the beginning of adulthood as a college student and knew absolutely nobody. I wanted to be in community with other changemakers like myself and CEF allowed me to build a home away from home. In the last two years, I have held the positions of Advocate, full-time summer intern, part-time staff support, and now full-time office & community organizer. The various positions I have held at CEF give me the ability to view our functions and operations from many viewpoints, and deepen my understanding of who we are and what we do.
Energy: Where do you find energy and renewal?
I find energy and renewal by having meaningful conversations with other people about the work I do. I like to talk to people and have heart-to-heart conversations about larger systematic issues that show up every day in the world around us. I find joy in “stirring the pot” and talking about the things that matter but are sometimes considered taboo. I would probably describe my personality as an armchair philosopher.
Challenge: What are the biggest challenges in your work and how do you seek to find the best way forward?
One of the biggest challenges I face in the work I do is seeing the influx of people in need and the lack of resources in the community to support them. There is an overwhelming amount of folks that are not having their basic needs met. It is not easy to ignore or justify because it exists right in front of us, every day. My commitment to the work I do is to at least make a dent in the pool of injustice and continue to advocate for change that will impact those who need it most. Housing is a human right.
Anything Else You Would Like To Add:
Never give up on yourself and pay close attention to the world around you. People may have their doubts and opinions, but the truth can not be silenced… YOU MATTER!
