Archive | General

Meet Krista: CEF Staff Interview

Krista: CEF Durham's Neighborhood Engagement Specialist

What made you interested in working for CEF?

I really admire not only the heart that goes into all of CEF’s work, but also CEF’s dedication to constant self-improvement.  As an organization, CEF is always looking to do better and more conscientious work, and that’s something I really wanted to be a part of.

Why do you feel connecting with people is so important?

Connecting with people is what makes this work continue to feel worthwhile even when systems and structures feel like they’re defeating you.  It’s all too easy to feel hopeless after a while, but having solid relationships with members humanizes the daily and drives our work.

Tell us about yourself/background:  

I’m from South Carolina and came to Durham for college.  I studied French and International Studies in college and am enjoying living and working in Durham as a resident rather than a student.

What inspires you?

My coworkers! Working in the nonprofit sector has found me surrounded by dedicated, passionate, hardworking people who strive to make Durham a better and more accessible city.

What do you think will be your greatest challenge in this position?

Definitely balancing the number of different spheres my job occupies.  I have a bit of a jack-of-all trades job, so managing a variety of partnerships, often with very little overlap, is going to be an interesting logistical challenge.

What projects are you most excited about?

I’ve really enjoyed tackling the overhaul of how we present our laptop referral program.  It’s given me the ability to work through how we create our member goals and look at things through both the member and advocate perspective and to create something that will hopefully be with CEF for many years.

0

Cynthia

Cynthia

Cynthia has been working with CEF for 4 years and she is as resilient as she is caring. She worked with her Advocate Tamar and moved into a place of her own last summer and shared with CEF about her experiences pursuing her own mental health and a sustainable transition out of homelessness.

Where were you staying before you found your new home?

(IFC) Homestart. It’s challenging but also interesting. Learning from the other people; there to better myself. For me, it’s building a more solid foundation because of the things I’m learning from the other ladies. I’m learning how to reach my goal and how to keep it.

Where were you before then when you 1st connected with CEF?

Isolated, depressed, and mentally I was beat down. I was nowhere — I was not living, mentally. I might as well have not been living. Before coming into CEF, I was sucked into myself. I had to get rid of that old self because it took over me. My thinking was not good at all. Even though I  would think good things, my disease would take over all of that.  CEF was the first thing in my voucher package. They were the first thing I saw. Before then I would come in here and there, to do resume, or other stuff but not really focusing on anything here. Until I got my voucher something really clicked in me — it was my way out of everything. You really do help people, but I myself had to do stuff too. We had to do it together — we had to work together. I would bring in ideas and we would look at them together.

What does having a home mean to you?

It means getting back out into society and being a part of it — and being responsible for all my bills and paying for my own things. even though I didn’t always do the right things I always paid my bills because I always wanna have somewhere to stay. I will keep it, I have no excuse. I don’t see myself losing any of this.

It’s all timing. I feel very relieved, happy, joyous and cautious. I feel so much better than I have in so long, and I know I’m on the right track with my life and the things that I am involved with at this time. With my sponsor and going to meetings, I’m going to keep trying, keep doing what I’m doing, and I’m going to have a prosperous life.

What are some of the best sources of support in your life?

Along this journey here, it is the people I’ve gotten involved in. I used to not share anything about me, but I’ve realized I have to open my mouth and ask for help. I used to be really judgmental because I didn’t like myself, but I’ve grown to like myself more. The key has been to switch it around and love myself, and my self-esteem has risen too. Meetings, sponsor, advocates have been helping me out too. Advocates have been really nice, somebody understanding and willing to help with whatever else is going on. Y’all have a really good agency, and have a lot of really good resources. All it takes is you just have to come in and sit down. Waiting for a meeting every week has made me more patient and learn to be less selfish because other people need help too.

What is one of your dreams for yourself or your family, that you hope to see happen in the coming years?

Very simple- to learn to be productive and in my life choices so I can always continue or if nothing happens to stay where I’m going. Make good choices so I stay in housing and always have somewhere to stay. That’s my dream. To get somewhere, post up, and live a life like I deserve. Not looking over my shoulders, just enjoy.

What would you like to share with the CEF community?

If you’re ever in need and some of the choices that you’ve made in your life are in question, come to CEF, and sit down and come and talk to one of the advocates, and tell them what’s on your mind, and they will have the resources for you, whether it’s school, class, and they will help you. If you wanna open a free account, they have that too. I recommend it to anybody. Even if you’re still doing good, still come by and see what else you can get, on top of that.  

0

Dear CEF Family 2017

Dear CEF Family,

A CEF Member named David recently described his experience here by sharing, “At CEF, no dream is too silly. Any dreams you have, they will help you – and not stop!”

Looking back over this year, I’m in awe of the truth in David’s description. “CEF sticks with the person,” he says. This year, the stick-with-it nature of CEF Members and Advocates has been nothing short of transformative.

Donna has been working with the same 2 Advocates at CEF for 6 years. This year, she left her 3rd shift job at a gas station to move into a full-time position supporting women in recovery – one of her greatest passions. She has also been studying for years to get her GED, and before this year is out she is going to get it!

And 6 years after transitioning out of homelessness, Donna has diligently built her credit score up and saved thousands of dollars. Amazingly, she just might buy her own house in the coming year!  “Sticking with it” for Donna means achieving life-long dreams.

Melissa is one of Donna’s Advocates. Motivated by her experience working alongside Donna toward these dreams, Melissa started a Masters in Social Work degree at UNC. Donna has been one of her biggest cheerleaders in turn. “Sticking with it” for Melissa means committing her career to this work.

CEF “sticks with it” in lots of ways. We seek solutions to ending homelessness that “stick,” by creating innovative and collaborative initiatives that really work. We advocate for system changes that “un-stick” our community from cycles of homelessness. And, we stick together, through sorrow and grief, and in joy and jubilation.

By donating to CEF, you are saying loud and clear to the Members we serve: We’ll stick with you. We’ll stick with you until you find a place to call home, and then until you buy a home of your own. “Any dreams you have,” we’ll stick with you. It’s an amazing gift to put your dollars straight into people’s dreams. Thank you for your incredible support.

CEF Co-Directors
Maggie West, Janet Xiao, and Jonathan Young
signatures

P.S.     We’ll be sharing more stories of “Sticking with it” through the holidays. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!  #CEFstickstogether

Numbers

Make Your Gift Today!

0

#35 — O Romeo, Romeo! A Beautiful CEF “Tail”

Screen Shot 2018-04-18 at 4.16.23 PM

Romeo, Romeo! Ms. Laverne adores her Romeo.
She showers him daily with belly rubs and bacon bits. “If you rub his belly, he’ll go to sleep,” Ms. Laverne intimates.

And Romeo has stuck with Ms. Laverne through thick and thin, including the two years when they were sleeping in her car, and in and out of hotels or friends’ homes. “Romeo would let me sleep, and when I woke up, he’d sleep. We would both watch out for each other.”

The day they first saw their new home, Romeo raced up and down the long hallway with barks of approval.

0

Ms. Laverne

Romeo, Romeo! Ms. Laverne adores her Romeo

She showers him daily with belly rubs and bacon bits. “If you rub his belly, he’ll go to sleep,” Ms. Laverne intimates. And Romeo has stuck with Ms. Laverne through thick and thin, including the years when they were sleeping in her car, and in and out of hotels or friends’ homes. “Romeo would let me sleep, and when I woke up, he’d sleep. We would both watch out for each other.”

The day they first saw their new home, Romeo raced up and down the long hallway with barks of approval.

Ever since she moved into the new apartment this past June, Ms. Laverne has been relishing the daily things: “Opening the door is a blessing. Closing the door is a blessing. Laying in my bed is a blessing. Cooking. Decorating a house. It’s just a blessing not wondering where your next step is going to be.”

Even through homelessness, Ms. Laverne never stopped fighting for what is right for herself and others. She worked with CEF and her support networks to find her stable home! Photo collages of beloved family members adorn the walls of the living room and hallway, side-by-side with school photos of her children and grandchildren, their ribbons and certificates of achievement, baptismal certificates, Bible verses, and a poem written to her by her son. Her home is filled with the people she honors and loves, making space for memory and hope for loved ones who have passed on or are locked away.

Ms. Laverne’s favorite room is the bathroom. It’s large and luxurious-feeling, with a floral shower curtain and plush towels folded in neat stacks. “I came a long way from going around and taking bird baths.”

How Ms. Laverne Found Her Home

Ms. Laverne connected with CEF when she came to a public meeting of the Homeless Services Advisory Council in Durham to advocate for her needs as an individual experiencing homelessness — bearing witness to her own experience and the experiences of so many others, while making a prophetic call to action.

After 9 years of faithfully paying rent on time, Ms. Laverne had been evicted after a dispute with her landlord. For two whole years, Ms. Laverne and Romeo navigated homelessness together — finding food and safe places to sleep, taking “bird baths” in public restrooms, and struggling to find a healthy, non-abusive place to recover from back surgery in the midst of this experience.

“I’ve never been homeless before. This is my first time,” she shares. “I didn’t give up on myself. More people did me wrong, I kept pushing myself. More people lie on me, I kept defending myself. I’m not a bad person, I’m a good person. I live for God, and I like helping people.”

At that public meeting, CEF and Ms. Laverne connected and have stuck together ever since.  She connected with staff at the Durham Housing Authority at that same meeting, and worked through the process to secure a permanently affordable apartment with DHA. With CEF, she connected to legal services and addressed credit issues that were preventing her from securing housing. She also got a job at Harris Teeter, where her co-workers have been a wonderful community of support. She gives a special shout-out to all of these groups, and Angela Holmes (Chair of the Homeless Services Advisory Council) for helping with her transition into housing.

About CEF, Ms. Laverne shares, “[CEF] made sure I was okay, and we started working on everything.”

“[CEF] don’t do the talk, they do the walk. And since I’ve been coming here, all I see is friendly faces glad to help you. [They] ask you, ‘What do you want?’ and take everything you say to the heart. And they love my dog.”  (Indeed, Romeo charms the entire office when he comes in with Ms. Laverne.)

What’s Next for Ms. Laverne?

Ms. Laverne has new goals to share with CEF. “I’m going to take computer classes, to get a laptop, so that when I go to school I can have it… I want to get my GED.”  

She hopes to eventually use it in support and advocacy of other people who are experiencing homelessness. Even while she slept in her car and struggled with issues of discrimination, Laverne never stopped fighting for what is right and helping others. “When I was homeless, I helped homeless people. I paid for a hotel room for a family. So, though I was down and out, I still helped, and I didn’t ask for nothing back in return. I just told them, ‘Do it for the next person.’”

Ms. Laverne dreams of managing her own shelter one day. “I wish I had money to build a place. This would be my shelter: a lot of flowers. A lot of love. Respect. Trust. And a church inside my shelter.” In a way, she has already built this sanctuary space inside her home.

P.S.     We’ll be sharing more stories of “Sticking with it” through the holidays. Follow us on FacebookInstagram, and Twitter!  #CEFstickstogether

0

Summer at CEF Durham

Dear generous and brilliant advocates,

If we haven’t met yet, I am Grace, the Special Initiatives Coordinator in the Durham Office. 🙂

I am writing to invite y’all to intern at CEF this summer. 🏖

In addition to 10-15 hours of office hours, you would take on a ✨special project✨ to help us effectively and sustainably improve our work in the Durham community. You can read more about these ideas in the application below. (If you have your own idea that we haven’t thought of, there will be a section in the internship application to pitch it to us!)

Some of you might be thinking, “Oh, but I already work with CEF during the school year. What more can I learn from working at the same organization?”

As someone who has worked at CEF for two summers, I am delighted to answer. Here are just a few of the benefits unique to intensive engagement with CEF:

  • Stronger relationships with CEF members from the availability to see members more regularly → more successes and stories!
  • Unique nonprofit shadowing experience– CEF’s model of shared decision-making and power is quite different from other, hierarchical non-profits. (Can you find another non-profit with a co-director model?) CEF is also explicitly committed to racial and economic justice.
  • Explore Durham! Durham is more than just Duke and the community members that we meet in office hours. For me, Durham is also spicy hot chocolate at Cocoa Cinnamon Lakewood and a ~~ free ~~ bike earned at the Durham Bike Co-Op. Complicate your understanding of Durham to advocate better.
  • Concentrated practice in trauma-informed care and advocacy- To talk the talk, you need to walk the walk…a lot. Practice makes perfect!

Ready to leap into Summer @ CEF?

For returning CEF advocates, this application is due February 1 and for CEF advocates enrolled in the Spring 2019 House Course, this application is due February 8.

If you have any questions about the application process or my summer experience, please feel free to email me at gracem@communityef.org with any questions.

With excitement,

Grace

0

Give Creatively this Holiday!

5 Creative Ways to Give to CEF this Holiday

1. Give in Honor of Somone You Love!

Give a gift that invests in your community! Donate “in honor of a loved one” and we’ll send them a personalized note to let them know you made a gift in their name!  https://communityempowermentfund.org/donate/

Design-Elements1-300x200

2. Donate Monthly – Become a Sustaining Donor!

Monthly Donors are a part of CEF’s Founder’s Circle. They are the monthly sustainers of our work and they provide CEF dependable monthly funds that ensure CEF Members continue to receive 1-on-1 that supports sustained into housing and financial well-being! Click here to join the Funder’s Circle: https://communityempowermentfund.org/founders-circle/

amazonsmiles_otherwaystogivecircle

3.  Amazon Smile – Donate When You Shop!

Amazon Smile is a program where Amazon will donate a portion of your purchase to any charity of your choosing at no additional cost to you! Click here to support CEF when you shop online. Click here to start using Amazon Smile:  https://smile.amazon.com/ch/27-0428981

4. American Express Giving – Donate Your Points!

Do you have an American Express card with a bunch of credit care points that you would consider donating a portion of to CEF? Click here to donate your points:  https://amex.justgive.org/nonprofits/donate.jsp?ein=27-0428981

images

5.  Ebay – Make a Sale and Donate the Proceeds!

Do you have some clutter that might be worth something? Do you need a motivator to clean out? You can actually sell your things on Ebay and donate 100% of the sale to CEF! :  https://givingworks.ebay.com/charity/Community-Empowerment-Fund/1340463

0

7th Annual Holiday — Chapel Hill

You’re Invited!

When:  Saturday, December 9th from 5pm – 8pm

Where: Chapel of the Cross, 304 E. Franklin St, Chapel Hill
Who: All members of the CEF (extended) family — members, advocates, family, friends, supporters, fans, partners, and neighbors
What: Celebrate CEF graduates, enjoy delicious food, and sing-along and dance-along with the CEF community!
Rides Available: Chapel Hill, call (919) 200-0233
0

Celebrating CEF at Fall 2017 Events!

Our community’s amazing local breweries and eateries are showing their support for CEF this fall with an exciting series of events! Mark your calendars and plan to join us any of the following evenings. We’ll be having fun while raising funds to support CEF’s work, and celebrating the successes of CEF’s Members and Advocates all across our community!

September:

Mystery Brewing Month of Mondays for CEF!
Every Monday in September, join CEF at Mystery Brewing in Hillsborough as a portion of all proceeds will support CEF’s work.

Bingo at the BreweryMondaySeptember 25th at 7pm
Play Bingo at Mystery Brewing to benefit CEF. Just $1 per Bingo card, with fun prizes!

 

October:

Steel String Brewery Benefit: Wednesday, October 11th beginning at 7pm
Early Bird RSVP Form

Enjoy live music and local food trucks at Steel String Brewery in Carrboro. A portion of proceeds supporting CEF’s work. Live jazz throughout the evening.

Hot Tin Roof

Hot Tin Roof Celebrity Bartender Night: Wednesday, October 25th
Early Bird RSVP Form
Casual and fun evening at the Hot Tin Roof in Hillsborough with local celebrities tending the bar! Stay tuned to hear who our local celebs will be! Speciality cocktails and fun, relaxed environment!

 

November

Grub Durham Dinner on the Rooftop! Monday, November 6th
Early Bird RSVP FormGrub Durham
Grub Durham is the latest restaurant from Wendy Woods and Stacey Poston, Durham restauranteurs and CEF supporters. Grub is our Durham office’s next-door neighbor! Wendy and Stacey will be hosting a special dinner to benefit CEF on November 6th. Details coming soon, but mark your calendars for that evening! You won’t want to miss this chance to try the new food at Grub Durham, hear from CEF Members and Advocates, and enjoy the beautiful rooftop atmosphere of the restaurant!

 

December

CEF Holiday Parties! December 9th, Chapel Hill 5pm – 8pm
Go ahead and mark your calendars for the Annual CEF Holiday Parties! Our Chapel Hill party will take place on Saturday, December 9th from 5pm-8pm at the Chapel of the Cross (304 East Franklin Street). During this event, CEF will recognize graduating Members, newly trained Advocates, and enjoy in festive cheer and fellowship. Our favorite day of the year, every year!

0
CEF: Community Empowerment Fund

Chapel Hill: 919-200-0233 Durham: 919-797-9233

cef