Archive | General

Meet a CEF Saver: Donna

By Maggie West on 3/7/13 in General, Highlight, Member Story

Meet Donna! CEF Saver Extraordinaire

Donna is an incredibly hard worker with a heart for helping people. She is the mother of two grown children, ages 33 and 30, and a grandmother of two cute young kids. Donna is one of 10 CEF leaders participating in our new Renter’s Savings IDA Program, saving regularly to build an emergency fund and working with advocates to strengthen her overall financial security.

Donna first heard about CEF when she was in the shelter, but didn’t get involved until after she moved out. She came to CEF “just to help me get my finances in order. I’m getting older, so security and future planning are very important to me.”

Donna has been incredibly successful. On March 28th Donna will celebrate four years of sobriety. She has been working full-time at Cruizers for three years and in her apartment for two years. She recently started computer classes, dreaming and visioning for her next career move.

On the savings program, Donna says, “When you’re starting over, it’s hard to know how to live again. The savings plan was a godsend. I don’t know really how to save because I don’t make a lot of money, so all my money from my two paychecks is really used up. And if I put it in my regular savings that I can take out, then I usually end up having to take it out.

“This gives me an opportunity. If I take $50 out of my savings that is not planned, I owe it back to myself. And you better believe my advocates hold me to it!”

Donna has two savings accounts with CEF – Safe Savings and Renter’s Savings. Here’s how it works for her: “I have things coming up like my renter’s insurance; it’s $130 right off the bat, and I don’t have that just out of a check. So Safe Savings is for that — I save for stuff that I need and take it out when it’s time. The Renter’s Savings account, I don’t take that out for anything. That is going to be for when my car breaks down or I need another vehicle. And I am just not allowed to touch that. It really makes me feel better, knowing that’s there.”

To fully take advantage of her CEF savings accounts, Donna has completely mastered her budget. As Donna says, “I learned that if I don’t stay on track with my budget, I’m lost. I kind of already had a system when I came to CEF, but being in CEF makes me stick to it.” With her CEF advocates, she set up a mint.com account (personal expense tracking website) to monitor her income and expenses. Look at how amazingly she reduced her monthly expenses over time! That big dip in expenses in June? That’s when she started saving in her CEF account.

Our major kudos and thanks to Donna for her perseverance, diligence and dedication – to herself, her community, and her family’s future. Keep up the amazing work!

Meet the CEF Alumni Advisory Council

By Maggie West on 2/21/13 in General

First meeting of the CEF Alumni Advisory Council

We are so excited! The CEF Alumni Advisory Council launched last night with its first official meeting. The convening members of the council met together with student advocates to discuss CEF’s values and vision moving forward, and how alumni can stay engaged and help the programs continue to serve those who follow in their footsteps. As one alumnus said in preparing for the meeting, “you have to give nourishment to something for it to continue to grow.”

The Alumni came up with fantastic ideas that they plan to implement together — everything from rallying friends to paint the office and fix our floors, to organizing a craft sale to raise money for CEF. Each alumni member also described how he or she specifically wanted to give back to the organization, whether it was volunteering to help advocates, contributing their gifts in skilled trades, or helping with new member outreach. We are so grateful to have such generous alumni, who in the midst of very busy and demanding work and family lives still are willing to give back so meaningfully of their time, talents, and funds.

Stay tuned to hear more from the Alumni Advisory Council. Based on the discussion last night, great things to come!

Wonderful discussions with CEF Alumni, returning to give advice and volunteer for CEF

Ten Reasons that I love CEF

By emerson on 2/4/13 in Advocate Story, General, Written By Advocates

(also, why you should become an advocate)

1) The culture of shared learning – everyone is here to work together – not to work for each other.

2) The people, the people, the people – the supportive and loving team that makes CEF Happen.

3) The relationships I’ve made with students, members, and board members. Seriously, you guys are some of the best friends I could EVER ask for. (this is basically the same as number 2 but deserved at least two mentions)

4) Office Hours – As an advocate once said, “The CEF vibes are definitely real.” Being in the office makes my heart smile.

5) Commitment to trying new things and not saying “no.” This is perhaps what I admire most about CEF.

6) Opportunity Class Structure – the classes are taught by CEF Graduates – and who better to act as a mentor than someone who has been in your place before? I love this so, so much.

7) The lack of glorification and hierarchy within CEF’s organizational culture. Thanks guys, for letting me feel like I fit in and could be at home in the office even when I was a newbie.

8) Stories. Getting to hear people’s stories is the most humbling and transformative experience.

9) The Dedication of members to their goals and advocates to helping them reach their goals. I truly admire the drive and passion that everyone in CEF follows.

10) It’s a hands on, collaborative, people centered approach to helping people. What’s not to like?

*11 – when people bring food to the office it is pretty great too. ESPECIALLY pastries…

A Social Work Student's Experience with CEF

By emerson on 1/25/13 in Advocate Story, General, Written By Advocates

Hi friends! I’m Rachel, CEF’s MSW (Master’s in Social Work) intern. UNC MSW students are placed in the field at various local organizations to take the theories they are learning about in class and put them into practice. During our first year, the idea is that one part of our field placement experience is spent working with people on a more one-on-one basis. The other part is to participate in more macro-level activities, such as learning about organization administration, policy, advocacy, and community development and organizing.
Long story short, CEF is a great field placement for a first-year MSW student. I get to work with, serve, learn from, and get to know Members in the office, at Opportunity Classes, and through other CEF activities. Learning about CEF’s beginning, growth, and future has been very interesting. Another thing I’ve gotten the opportunity to witness is how well CEF is integrated in the community and how much it serves the community. As an added bonus, I get to not only work with, but also learn a great deal from, CEF’s student and community-member volunteers.
Though CEF isn’t staffed by social workers, there are numerous intersections and overlaps between the work that CEF does and the social work profession. Social workers follow a professional code of ethics. A major part of this code is a section that describes the ethical principles social workers are to follow, which are based on the primary values of social work. These values and respective ethical principles are as follows:
1. Service – “Social workers’ primary goal is to help people in need and to address social problems.”
2. Social justice – “Social workers challenge social injustice.”
3. Dignity and worth of the person – “Social workers respect the inherent dignity and worth of the person.”
4. Importance of human relationships – “Social workers recognize the central importance of human relationships.”
5. Integrity – “Social workers behave in a trustworthy manner.”
6. Competence – “Social workers practice within their areas of competence and develop and enhance their professional expertise.”1
When I observe CEF volunteers, admin, and staff, do I sense that all of the above mentioned values are important to them and the work they do with Members? You bet your CEF Safe Savings I do.
When empowering others to solve problems and achieve goals, social workers also focus on individuals’ strengths and resilience. The individuals CEF works with—those who have experienced, are experiencing, or are at risk of experiencing homelessness—show great strength and a great deal of resilience. I know that many times, I have the privilege of hearing just part of Members’ stories. From just those parts, I can see how strong and resilient these individuals are.
So thank you, CEF volunteers, admin, staff, and Members, for teaching me about social work values and sharing with me your goals, aspirations, wisdom, fears, dreams, strengths, stories, ideas, hopes, and so much more.
1National Association of Social Workers. (2008). Code of ethics. Retrieved from http://www.socialworkers.org/pubs/code/code.asp

"University Students Changing Landscape in Domestic Microenterprise"

By Maggie West on 12/6/12 in General, In the News

The Community Empowerment Fund (CEF) was featured as one of two case studies in a national publication on student-led microfinance programs. The report was written and published by FIELD at the Aspen Institute.

Titled “Catching Fire: The University Microenterprise Movement in 2012,” the report documents the growth and creativity of this unique model of service delivery in the microenterprise sector.

More info from Elaine Edgcomb, Director of FIELD and co-author of the study:

“University students delivering microenterprise services and microfinance? With some scale and effectiveness?

“Over the last few years, university-born and student-powered microenterprise organizations have emerged offering direct services (both training and financing) to low-income individuals and small businesses in their local communities. FIELD has closely watched the movement evolve, and FIELD’s latest study “Catching Fire: the University Microenterprise Movement in 2012″ describes the contributions this movement is making both to individual communities and the larger field. The paper provides two case studies of the Community Empowerment Fund in North Carolina, and Capital Good Fund in Rhode Island that illustrate its potential, and points out the next challenges that the movement must address if it is to fully capitalize on that potential.”

Our thanks and appreciation go out to FIELD, the Aspen Institue, and the Mott Foundation for their thorough research and thoughtful interviews. Thank you for documenting this work!

Holiday Party Slideshow

By Maggie West on 12/6/12 in General

Oh my goodness, what a fun holiday party! Thanks to everyone who was able to join us, and if you didn’t make it this year, we missed you and we hope to see you next time!

Fun slideshow…

Featured Member: Lottye

By Maggie West on 12/6/12 in General, Member Story

Lottye is a skilled tailor, an aspiring medical technician, and a joy to be around. We’re so happy for Lottye! She successfully found two jobs with her advocates and then saved to move into her apartment.

Lottye and one of her advocates, Kevin

Lottye connected with CEF while staying at the women’s shelter and got paired with a stellar team of advocates: Kevin, Sarah and Max. The team worked together to find Lottye employment and housing, and to help her save towards her goals. Sarah and Max have since graduated, but Lottye says, “Oh, I keep up with them! Max, you know he is a jet-setter, so he is traveling the world, and Sarah, she is in Japan teaching English.

“But I’ve still got my Kevin! And I’m getting two new advocates who will be working with me and Kevin — a freshman and a sophomore — so you know I can hang out with them for years!”

Even since Lottye moved into her apartment, she has continued to work with her CEF advocates to reach her goals. She is aiming to gain more full-time employment, go back to school, keep budgeting, and just in general, make her house a home. Her favorite pastime right now? As Lottye says, “I am really enjoying my little place now. It’s so nice to have a place that is just mine.”

Thank you for all your energy, commitment, and dedication, Lottye! We are looking forward to working with you on your next big step.

Santiago Reaches Savings Goal

By Maggie West on 12/3/12 in General, Member Story

Santiago and his advocates celebrating in the CEF office

Our congratulations and affirmations go out to Santiago! Santiago reached his savings goal this past month! Santiago has been by far CEF’s most consistent and diligent Saver, never missing a single weekly deposit in 50 weeks of saving with us. Truly incredible commitment.

Santiago is saving to buy a dairy cow for his family, and he has now reached his goal. Santiago and his advocates celebrated in the office with a cow-shaped cake, creatively made by one of his advocates.

The best part? Santiago will continue to save with CEF, as he is one of our 10 pilot members of the Renter’s Savings IDA Program.

Again, a heartfelt congratulations!

Finally, Amanda Has a Home

By Maggie West on 12/3/12 in General, In the News, Member Story

Check out this recent article in the Chapel Hill News, a guest column CEF published to highlight the fantastic and collaborative work we are participating in through the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness’ 100,000 Homes Task Force.

“How Amanda Got a Home” Read the full article here.

Excerpt: “Amanda had been homeless for more than 10 years. Only 28 years old, this means she had been homeless for the entirety of her adult life – living with her sister in Houston, a shelter in D.C. and, for the past two years, a tent in the woods of Carrboro.

Amanda signing her new lease!

This past May, Amanda and her two cats moved into their own apartment in Chapel Hill. How? First, Amanda’s own determination and follow-through; second, a symphony of community partners, orchestrated by the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness’ 100,000 Homes Taskforce.

The story began for me about a year ago when Amanda walked into the office of the Community Empowerment Fund (CEF) on Franklin Street with her very cute little dog, Paso. I can’t remember what brought Amanda up to our office that day, but from then on she became a daily presence at CEF. She began leading our weekly creative writing workshops, helping with outreach, working on her own goals, making savings deposits, and, sometimes, just hanging out on the computer. Through CEF Amanda was paired with two volunteer advocates, Audrey Boyles and Jon Young, who began partnering with her and working one-on-one to help her reach her goals.

Amanda with Audrey, one of her volunteer CEF Advocates

This past January the Partnership to End Homelessness held its annual Point-In-Time count, documenting the number of homeless men, women, and children in Orange County. This year as a part of the 100,000 Homes Campaign, the count included a survey to identify the most medically vulnerable homeless individuals in our community. Based on these surveys, a collaboration of 15 local agencies joined together to create person-specific plans to help the most vulnerable individuals in our community find housing.

Amanda was one of the surveyed individuals and the 100,000 Homes Campaign prioritized her to receive services. A network of community services and organizations came together: A supportive housing voucher through OPC Shelter Plus Care; an affordable apartment through CASA; a security deposit from Housing for New Hope; comprehensive health services through the Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health; vaccinations for her cats through POP; household furniture from a graduating senior at UNC; and one-on-one support from her CEF advocates, as well as her community and church friends. It was stressful; it was mountains of paperwork.

Amanda with Mary Jean, COO at CASA, the affordable housing agency renting Amanda her beautiful apartment

“I kept waiting on the big joke,” says Amanda, “for everything to fall apart.”

On Amanda’s first night in her new apartment she hosted a housewarming party. A family of friends, case-workers, advocates, pastors, jogging-buddies, therapists and community supporters came together to share a meal and celebrate Amanda’s accomplishment. A few of us even brought sleeping bags and stayed with Amanda for her first night, so she would be comfortable sleeping in this new environment – spending her first night in her own bed in over a decade.

Amanda says having her own home means “constant baths, air conditioning, a bed, and a lock. I can lock my door, that’s a very big deal. Oh, and I can cook!”

It’s the things we take for granted. It’s the distance between surviving and living. It’s doors opened for Amanda to continue her education at Durham Tech and become a Nursing Assistant, or to one day open a rescue home for abused and abandoned cats and support them through recovery.”

Read the full article here.

Gwen: Building CEF Sisterhood

By Maggie West on 11/29/12 in General, Member Story

Gwen Miller, CEF Opportunity Class Teacher. Gwen is a school bus driver full-time in addition to her work at CEF.

Gwen is a motivator, a school bus driver, an educator, and a woman who inspires. After participating in CEF’s classes herself, Gwen now teaches our classes and makes it her personal goal to lift up the spirits and self-confidence of her class participants – the majority of whom are current residents at the women’s shelter. Gwen became homeless when she had to make the choice between paying her rent or paying her youngest son’s college tuition. She chose to invest in her son’s future, and without regret, was homeless for a year while working to get back on her feet.

Gwen brings a prophetic energy and oratory to CEF’s Sunday afternoon classes. Each week, in addition to teaching skills like budgeting, interviewing, and conflict resolution, Gwen introduces a theme to the women. Themes such as “I never give up on…”, “Gratitude,” and “I’ve got this.”

One participant remarked, “This is more of a sisterhood than a class.”

And it’s true! As Gwen puts it, “My goal for the Sunday Opportunity Classes is to lift the women’s spirits up. We have a lot of depression going on there at the shelter, and the women really need a group and a time that can be there to push them up and tell them not to give up. So I want the class to teach them life skills, and basically, survival skills. I enjoy doing this because I have been there and been through it.”

Gwen truly has come full circle. During class a couple months ago, after teaching a two-hour session about how to ace a job interview, Gwen mentioned to the women that just a year ago she was living at the shelter. The jaws of all the new participants dropped, and one exclaimed, “You have got to be kidding me!” It is a humbling experience to see the way the women’s eyes light up, the way they sit up a little bit taller, with the subtle reminder that, “Yes, I can do this. Gwen did this, and so can I.”

Continuing in her personal strides towards long-term success, Gwen is also a pilot participant in our Renter’s Savings IDA Program. We are so thankful for Gwen and her leadership, uplifting and inspiring many women who will follow in her footsteps.

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