Archive | General

The Knowledge Series

The Knowledge Series is a project dedicated to sharing information with our communities on how housing discrimination manifests today. Throughout this week, we will share a series of posts that delve into the history of housing discrimination and what it looks like in our everyday.

Please read Parts 1 and 2 of the Series.

Part 3: Where does this manifest today?

In our last blog post, we briefly discussed the historical roots of American racism, white supremacy, and how it relates to the current wealth gap between white* and Black families. In this post, we’ll discuss the relationship between racism, white supremacy, and housing inequality in the U.S. today. 

In the 1930s, the Home Owners’ Loan Corporation (HOLC) began rating communities based on economic and housing factors. These rankings were used to determine eligibility for mortgages, dictating who could and could not buy property in these neighborhoods. The effects of these ratings were astronomical, as poor communities (often primarily composed of Black families) were generally given poorer rankings, families in these neighborhoods were unable to obtain mortgages to purchase homes. The rankings from the HOLC have had long-lasting impacts. Today, almost 64% of communities rated “Hazardous” by the HOLC, remain largely composed of people of color (Mitchell & Franco, 2018). Furthermore, these communities are still experiencing the impacts of the economic discrimination that ensued following the HOLC’s racist community rankings. 85.82% of neighborhoods ranked “Best” by the HOLC are still majority white (Mitchell & Franco, 2018).

These rankings have had lasting impacts. In Durham, for example, between 2007-2014 almost four times more trees were planted in “Best” neighborhoods compared to “Hazardous” neighborhoods (De Marco & Hunt, 2018). In addition to providing beauty, trees increase residential property values and are often a sign of better-maintained neighborhoods.

The More You Know: The HOLC’s Hold Hits Close to Home
A Durham Case Study
Literature Review: Racial Inequality, Poverty and Gentrification in Durham, North Carolina
Allison De Marco & Heather Hunt, Summer 2018
The practice of redlining was defined by the HOLC’s rankings of largely-Black communities as “less safe” and therefore having a “lower lending ability.” These communities were rated as “Hazardous,” considered the riskiest for lenders, and colored red on maps. Although the HOLC outwardly described their ratings as based in economics, they intentionally redlined historically Black communities to prevent investment in those communities.
The HOLC said that the rankings were to determine “creditworthiness using a range of criteria, including race, immigration status, and class.” In Durham, the redlined neighborhoods most closely corresponded with Black, rather than poor, neighborhoods, indicating that not all factors were weighed evenly. At the time, Durham had a thriving Black business community and not all of the redlined communities were poor.      
Regardless, they were still redlined by the HOLC’s rankings, written off as the least desirable communities to invest in. This made it immediately difficult for families to either move out of or invest in these communities, as their address was commonly a deal-breaker in applying for loans and mortgages.  
The HOLC effectively worked to dismantle the successful economic systems that Black residents had miraculously built for themselves in Durham. Redlining stifled economic development and doomed communities to a cycle of poverty and racial housing segregation.  Though Black Durhamites had created ways to build wealth and obtain land and homes, these communities were then stripped of the wealth-building opportunities they had diligently curated for themselves. Several redlined neighborhoods in Durham are still in a cycle of poverty, as residents are unable to accrue the wealth necessary to move or invest in the community. Although the HOLC is no longer in use, the negative effects are still being felt by Black families today.        

De Marco, A., & Hunt, H. (2018). Racial Inequality, Poverty and Gentrification in Durham, North Carolina. North Carolina Poverty Research Fund. https://fpg.unc.edu/sites/fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/reports-and-policy-briefs/durham_final_web.pdf

Eventually, even heavily segregated urban neighborhoods became undesirable for many white families. Instead, white families chose to leave cities and move to areas on the outskirts of major metropolitan areas, known as suburbs. This process, known as “white flight” or suburbanization, led to an incredible amount of divestment from cities–affecting everything from schools to infrastructure. Black families often lacked the resources needed to move to the suburbs, forcing them to remain in communities that could no longer support their basic needs. This made home and land ownership even more difficult to obtain as banks did not want to invest in dwindling cities.

Soon, the suburbs got old for white families too. Upon moving back into cities, white families decided to aesthetically beautify them by putting in lavish patisseries, designer boutiques, fancy restaurants, and new, more expensive apartment buildings. This is the modern process of gentrification and has further increased housing disparities between Black and white communities. Many Black families cannot always afford the increased property values and, therefore, increased taxes associated with gentrification and are forced to sell their homes because they can no longer afford to stay in their neighborhood. 

Durham and Chapel Hill have been so heavily gentrified by white, middle-class college students and families, that the homelessness rate has grown over the past 5 years, despite direct efforts to lower the rate. Tomorrow we will dive into how these systems directly manifest in Orange County and Durham. We will work to better understand how redlining, white flight, and gentrification have taken hold in modern communities and how Black families have been disproportionately affected.

*In general, CEF uses APA grammar rules in our writing. The APA says that the names of race and ethnic identities should be capitalized, as they are proper nouns. For this series, and moving forward, CEF is intentionally leaving “white” (when referring to a racial identity) lower-cased. We recognize that by capitalizing words we are giving them power and we do not want to encourage white power in any way. Unlike the AP’s explanation for why they are choosing to lower-case “white” we want to be clear that we believe white people do have a shared experience–that is one of privilege. We also believe that undoing racism is the responsibility of white people and worry that implying that white people do not have a shared experience (as the AP does) is a dangerous tactic that is aimed at discounting the responsibility that white people have in undoing racism and white supremacist culture. Ultimately, we know that race is a construct but that racial differences are not. They are real and need to be addressed directly. For any questions or clarifications around CEF’s choice of words please contact ari rosenberg (arir[at]communityef.org).

De Marco, A., & Hunt, H. (2018). Racial Inequality, Poverty and Gentrification in Durham, North Carolina. North Carolina Poverty Research Fund. https://fpg.unc.edu/sites/fpg.unc.edu/files/resources/reports-and-policy-briefs/durham_final_web.pdf

Mitchell, B., & Franco, J. (2018, March 20). HOLC “Redlining” Maps: The Persistent Structure Of Segregation And Economic Inequality. National Community Reinvestment Coalition. https://ncrc.org/wp-content/uploads/dlm_uploads/2018/02/NCRC-Research-HOLC-10.pdf

0

The Knowledge Series

The Knowledge Series is a project dedicated to sharing information with our communities on how housing discrimination manifests today. Throughout this week, we will share a series of posts that delve into the history of housing discrimination and what it looks like in our everyday.

You can find Part 1 of the Series here.

Part 2: When did this start?

In this post, we hope to illustrate a more detailed picture of the birth of American racism, and how its powerful influence has shaped both historical and modern American institutions. The United States has never been “the land of the free” – the enslavement of Africans, as well as Indigenous people, was common practice in this country from its beginnings. 

In late August of 1619, the first ship carrying captured peoples from African lands anchored at Point Comfort along the James River in Virginia. These seized individuals were sold into slavery and the practice of enslaving captured Africans quietly grew through custom, rather than by law, throughout the American colonies. By the 18th century, slavery was widespread throughout the Southeast and much of the Northeast. When the majority of the Northeastern United States outlawed the practice of enslaving people in 1804, the divide between the American North and South only furthered. The North came to view slavery as the morally corrupt institution it was (this did not negate their own everyday racism), creating tension with southern states, who relied on free enslaved labor to maintain their economy. 

The conditions that enslaved Africans and African Americans were subject to were despicable. As they crossed the Middle Passage, captured Africans were bound by chains on top of one another, sitting in their own urine and feces for days without being fed. Once in America, many enslaved people killed themselves and their families to escape slavery.  It speaks volumes that many enslaved people chose to die, or were willing to die, to escape the conditions of their lives. Black people who were enslaved were brutalized by plantation owners, they worked nearly all day, and were kept in dingy and broken housing units. Many chose to make the tumultuous journey to escape enslavement by fleeing northward during the 19th Century. But, this did not always lead to freedom.

Fast forward through the Civil War, which was about the institution of American slavery (specifically, the South’s “right” to maintain their economy, that needed enslaved labor to survive). While slavery was legally abolished in the U.S. in 1865, the South maintained inherently racist and exclusionary policies that kept Black people from both advancing economically and participating in civic life. Jim Crow Laws, voter registration policies, and internalized racism led to continued economic discrimination and physical, verbal, and emotional violence towards Black people at the hands of white* people. 

Black people in the U.S., though legally “free,” were still confined and unable to have the same freedoms as whites. Directly following the Civil War, Black men were often only able to find work as sharecroppers, renting plots of land in exchange for a portion of their crops and revenue. Free Black men were often treated unfairly and conned out of resources and profits. Black people were also prevented from participating in public education, creating big discrepancies in literacy and understanding math–greatly impacting their ability to find employment outside of manual labor and their ability to understand finances. Additionally, Black people were prevented from buying their own land due to white supremacist laws and explicitly racist and exclusionary wealth-building policies. These discriminatory practices made it almost impossible for Black families to accumulate wealth at the same levels as white families. And, for those who were successful at building wealth (many, many Black families were very successful at building wealth despite all of the racist laws and people trying to hold them back), there were countless setbacks–including having money and property literally stolen, beatings, fires, and murder (For specific examples, please visit these sites: Freedmen’s Savings and Trust Company, Tulsa Race Massacre, Dismantling Hayti in Durham).

Throughout the 1970s and into the 21st century, practices like “white flight” and gentrification made it difficult for Black families to access safe and affordable housing and effectively attempted to bar Black people from building wealth in the same ways as their white counterparts, through land and property ownership. Property ownership, as well as free labor, have always been the quickest ways to accumulate wealth in the capitalist system which the U.S. subscribes to.

Having assets that can be leveraged increases access to capital and makes it easier to continue to accumulate assets. Imagine one person being able to do this for 400 years, while another can’t. What would be the difference in their wealth accumulation? In 2017, the Survey of Consumer Finances released data showing that the difference in median wealth between Black and white families was striking, $17,600 compared to $171,000–meaning Black families’ median net worth is about 10% of white families (Dettling et al., 2017).

When we consider this history, along with the disproportionate stats we discussed in Part 1 of The Knowledge Series, we begin to see how historical systems manifest in modern-day. Policies and practices in the late 19th and 20th centuries made it extremely difficult for Black families to build and accrue wealth and have led to racial housing discrimination and segregation today. Come back tomorrow to learn more about racialized housing discrimination and why the primary residence ownership for Black families is 28% lower than white families (Dettling et al., 2017).

*In general, CEF uses APA grammar rules in our writing. The APA says that the names of race and ethnic identities should be capitalized, as they are proper nouns. For this series, and moving forward, CEF is intentionally leaving “white” (when referring to a racial identity) lower-cased. We recognize that by capitalizing words we are giving them power and we do not want to encourage white power in any way. Unlike the AP’s explanation for why they are choosing to lower-case “white” we want to be clear that we believe white people do have a shared experience–that is one of privilege. We also believe that undoing racism is the responsibility of white people and worry that implying that white people do not have a shared experience (as the AP does) is a dangerous tactic that is aimed at discounting the responsibility that white people have in undoing racism and white supremacist culture. Ultimately, we know that race is a construct but that racial differences are not. They are real and need to be addressed directly. For any questions or clarifications around CEF’s choice of words please contact ari rosenberg (arir[at]communityef.org).

Dettling, L., Hsu, J., Jacobs, L., Moore, K. & Thompson, J. (2017, September 27). Recent Trends in Wealth-Holding by Race and Ethnicity: Evidence from the Survey of Consumer Finances. The Federal Reserve. https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/recent-trends-in-wealth-holding-by-race-and-ethnicity-evidence-from-the-survey-of-consumer-finances-20170927.htm

0

The Knowledge Series

The Knowledge Series is a project dedicated to sharing information with our communities on how housing discrimination manifests today. Throughout this week, we will share a series of posts that delve into the history of housing discrimination and what it looks like in our everyday.

Part 1: Who is affected by homelessness?

Every year in the U.S., communities receiving funding from the McKinney-Vento Act (a U.S. policy that provides federal funds for homeless shelters and other homelessness programs) are required to hold a Point-in-Time (PIT) count in the last week of January to tally all sheltered and unsheltered individuals experiencing homelessness in their area. Data from the most recent PIT counts show there are a projected 9,268 people experiencing homelessness throughout North Carolina. In 2019, the PIT count in Orange County revealed that 131 individuals experienced homelessness on any given night. In the City of Durham, the PIT count revealed 338 individuals experienced homelessness every day in the city.

These numbers are disheartening because at CEF we believe that housing and financial security are human rights. Unfortunately, these rights have not been previously available for many Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC). Today, Black folx are still discriminated against in the housing and employment processes at greater numbers than any other racial group. In taking a deeper look at PIT count data, the numbers show us explicitly that Black people in the U.S. face racial and systemic barriers to obtaining housing and financial security.

Of the 131 individuals experiencing homelessness in Orange County, 51% are Black, despite making up only 12% of the population. Of the 338 homeless in Durham, 78.6% are Black, while making up only 37% of the population. These outrageously disproportionate percentages of homelessness for Black residents of Orange County and the City of Durham are a clear example of the systemic racism which has historically and explicitly barred Black families from accruing wealth through property ownership. The systems which discriminate against Black folx still have a significant impact on communities today, because of the generational trauma garnered through slavery, the Jim Crow South, and the still ever-present institutional racism which is inevitable in a society whose institutions were founded by and for white* men, and only white men. 

Come back tomorrow for a blog post diving more deeply into these historical policies and systems which have created modern-day disparities which we must address. We will discuss the historical impacts of slavery and the further, blatant discrimination that Black people in the U.S. faced at the hands of Jim Crow laws in the South. Flowing into modern 20th and 21st century American history, we will use these historical structures to analyze and understand how these systems still create vast disparities for Black folx in the housing and financial sectors. 

*In general, CEF uses APA grammar rules in our writing. The APA says that the names of race and ethnic identities should be capitalized, as they are proper nouns. For this series, and moving forward, CEF is intentionally leaving “white” (when referring to a racial identity) lower-cased. We recognize that by capitalizing words we are giving them power and we do not want to encourage white power in any way. Unlike the AP’s explanation for why they are choosing to lower-case “white” we want to be clear that we believe white people do have a shared experience–that is one of privilege. We also believe that undoing racism is the responsibility of white people and worry that implying that white people do not have a shared experience (as the AP does) is a dangerous tactic that is aimed at discounting the responsibility that white people have in undoing racism and white supremacist culture. Ultimately, we know that race is a construct but that racial differences are not. They are real and need to be addressed directly. For any questions or clarifications around CEF’s choice of words please contact ari rosenberg (arir[at]communityef.org).

NC Coalition to End Homelessness. (2019, May). 2019 Homelessness in North Carolina. https://www.ncceh.org/media/files/files/7bd752c5/2019-nc-pit-infographic.pdf
Root, Corey. (2019, April ). Homelessness in Orange County. Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness. https://www.ocpehnc.com/point-in-time-count-data

0

July Newsletter: Safe Savings Gratitude, Office Availability, Operation Get Your Stimulus, and New Advocate Training!

Thank you for making the Safe Savings Campaign a success!

Because of your donations, CEF was able to redistribute over $34,000 to Members in under four months!

This campaign bolstered the financial stability of your fellow community members during the challenges posed by COVID-19. CEF thanks you all for participating and making this campaign a success!

Office Availability Updates

When are the offices open?

For the time being, both the Chapel Hill and Durham office locations are open from 10 am- 12 pm and 1 pm – 3 pm Monday through Thursday with an extra time slot on Thursday from 5 pm – 7 pm. New Member Orientations are taking place at the Durham office on Mondays at 11 am and Thursdays at 6:00 pm.

The offices will each be closed in August as we say goodbye to summer interns and welcome the fall Advocates. Chapel Hill will be closed Aug 3-14, 2020 and Durham will be closed Aug 12-21, 2020. 

Can I still make a virtual appointment for these times?

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.

Will anyone be available to speak with me when the offices are closed?

Yes! CEF Members can call the Durham office at 919-797-9233 or the Chapel Hill office at 919-200-0233 and receive a call back from a staff member.

Where can I get up-to-date information about office hours?

We are consistently updating this document with information about our office hours and phases of re-opening.

Operation Get Your Stimulus

Several agencies and organizations partnered with CEF to work with Durham residents to access their stimulus checks, better protect themselves from COVID-19, and complete the Census.

This project resulted in more than two dozen people signing up to receive their stimulus check and answered several questions regarding access issues and eligibility requirements. In addition to providing information regarding stimulus funds, the various members of this project were able to distribute masks and tips on how to properly wear them to lessen exposure to COVID-19.

Along with these efforts, the project also worked with eleven households to successfully complete the Census. This allowed for Durham to be more accurately reflected in the allocation of resources and representation which is based on Census figures.CEF is thankful to the various partners in Operation Get Your Stimulus for the project’s success!

Upcoming Advocate Training

CEF is still working to ensure that we can train new Advocates this fall in a safe and supportive way.

The new Advocate training has not been scheduled yet as CEF works to take the necessary precautions to ensure that the training can be carried out as safely as possible.

Sign up here for the New Advocate listserv to get updates about upcoming opportunities to become a CEF Advocate!

Racial Discrimination in Housing and Personal Finance

CEF’s Summer Interns have been curating a series of posts about how racial discrimination has impacted housing and personal finance matters in various ways. Their research provides context on why racial justice is an important guiding principle for CEF’s work.

You can check out the great information they have put together next week on our blog or any of our social media outlets. CEF is excited to share their work with you!
0

2019 Annual Report: We Grow Together

Cover for 2019 Annual report: collage representing community with the words hope, community, courage, and togetherness around the outside. Heart with houses, green space, and a gazebo in the middle

As CEF has grown and blossomed over the years, we have been reminded, time and again, of the importance of being nimble and adaptive as we grow. As you will see in this report, 2019 was no different. In the enclosed stories you will learn more about CEF’s deepening advocacy work; read about the programs we’ve built and strengthened; hear directly from Members, Advocates, and Staff about their connection to CEF; and see our quantitative impact.

0

June Newsletter: CEF is Hiring, Offices are Open, Donate to the Safe Savings Campaign!

Safe Savings Campaign Update

Another huge thanks to everyone who has donated to CEF’s COVID-19 Safe Savings Campaign. We’ve already raised a total of $24,678, which is 82% of our goal!Can you help us meet our goal by donating today?

$10,117.74 has been dispersed to Members’ Safe Savings Accounts as a 15% Match on what they had saved as of March 27. All additional funds raised will be used to partially replenish Members’ Safe Savings Accounts due to emergency withdrawals made since March 10–when Gov Cooper declared a State of Emergency due to COVID-19.

The Stewards Fund is graciously matching gifts from new or lapsed donors and increased gifts from already existing donors through June 30–up to $9,500!Please use the button below to donate and directly support the financial stability of people in your community.

Donate Here!

Office Reopening FAQs

What safety precautions are being taken at CEF’s offices to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

  • All staff must answer health screening questions about COVID-19 symptoms everyday before going to the office.
  • When making reminder calls to Members, CEF Staff and Advocates are asking screening questions about COVID-19 symptoms.
  • Masks are required for every person entering the office. CEF is providing masks to anyone who does not have one.
  • Every person entering the office must have their temperature checked by infrared thermometer (a type of thermometer that allows temperature to be taken from a distance with no contact) and is asked screening questions about COVID-19 symptoms.
  • In the office, markings on the ground indicate 6-foot distances that everyone is required to respect, including surrounding the reception desk, waiting room seats, individual offices, cubicles, and tables for one-on-one meetings. We have also installed Plexiglass dividers around the reception desks in both offices. The 6-foot distance requirement will be required for every person in the office, at all times.
  • In addition to the 6-foot distance requirement in all meetings, CEF installed computer monitors at each meeting station so that Members and Advocates can view the same screen at a safe distance.
  • Hand-washing with soap and hand sanitizer is highly encouraged with signs around the office and in bathrooms.

Can I still make a virtual appointment?

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.

Can I donate supplies to support CEF in reopening?

Yes! CEF is still collecting donations for the following items: masks, gloves, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, and infrared thermometers. If you can donate any of these supplies, please drop them off at either office during open office hours. 

Are the hotline and COVID-19 resource sheets still operating?

Yes – you can still call the hotline (919-797-9233), someone will be answering the phone during office hours (Tue & Wed 10:00-12:00 & 1:00-3:00 and Thurs 5:00-7:00 pm). The COVID-19 resource sheets are continuing to be updated, with the help of Lincoln Community Health Center. You can find them on the CEF website (www.communityef.org). We are working with nccovidsupport.org to merge our lists and upload them onto their platform so that they will be more mobile friendly and searchable! This should happen in the next few weeks.

We’re Hiring!

CEF is looking for an Administrative Assistant for Development & Finance

Applications are due by June 30, 2020.

Working closely with CEF’s Director of Development & Finance, the Administrative Assistant for Development and Finance (AADF) will support development efforts as CEF continually grows its reach in the community–including maintaining necessary files and records, planning for and implementing fundraising events, and supporting the donor thank you process. The AADF will also manage CEF’s social media presence, support other external communications–including a monthly e-newsletter and annual report, and support administration of CEF’s Safe Savings accounts. The AADF will have a combination of on- and off-site work; some tasks and duties will be performed in both CEF’s Chapel Hill and Durham offices, and other tasks will be completed remotely. When working in either office the AADF is expected to comply with all safety policies associated with COVID-19. The AADF will report to the Director and Development & Finance and may work with program staff, other administrative staff, and volunteer Advocates on specific tasks. 

For more information and application instructions please visit www.communityef.org/hiring

0

CEF Addresses Social Unrest

Philosophy journal apologizes for symposium on Black Lives Matter ...

To the Community:
I have been asked in several spaces if CEF is going to make a statement about the current unrest in our country.

I’ve struggled with this request because as a Black woman with a life history, I am all too aware that statements of support are meaningless if they don’t reflect an organization or person’s actions. I have decided to publish this statement on behalf of CEF to be clear, not only about our position, but the work we have been and remain committed to doing.

CEF has always been a community that addresses racial and financial inequities by doing the work to advocate for causes that align with our values and be in relationship with people who these inequities affect. We will lean into having intentional conversations among Staff, Advocates, and Members. We will have our advocacy groups-Meeting of the Minds and Time and Talents doing advocacy in social distancing ways and we will continue to help members as much as we can. We will be the people to lead by example.

In solidarity,

Donna Carrington
Executive Director, Community Empowerment Fund

0

May Newsletter: Plans to Reopen, Graduating Advocates, Donna on WRAL

Safe Savings Campaign Update

Another huge thanks to everyone who has donated to CEF’s COVID-19 Safe Savings Campaign. We’ve already raise a total of $19,670, which is 66% of our goal!

The money is already being dispersed to Members’ Safe Savings Accounts: $10,117.74 has been distributed to Members as a Savings Match, and $9,552.26 has replenished Members’ Safe Savings Accounts after emergency withdrawals.

To meet our goal of $30,000 by June 30, we need to raise an additional $10,330. With the Stewards Fund match, donations are doubled through the end June, which means your gift will have 2x its impact on our community during this crisis.

Please use the button below to donate and help CEF achieve our goal!
Donate Here!

Office Reopening FAQs

Given changing COVID-19 guidelines, CEF is initiating a reopening plan for both offices. Please read the following FAQs for information regarding office reopening.

When will CEF’s offices reopen?

The Chapel Hill office will reopen on Tuesday, June 9. The office will be open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 10 am – 12 pm and 1 – 3 pm.

The Durham office will reopen Tuesday, June 16. The office will be open Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 am – 12 pm and 1 – 3 pm, and Thursdays from 5 – 7 pm.

How can I schedule an appointment?

CEF Members can schedule appointments beginning Monday, June 1. Members can call the Chapel Hill (919-200-0233) or Durham (919-797-9233) offices to schedule an appointment. Please leave a message requesting an appointment at a specific date and time, and a CEF Staff member will call you back in 1-2 business days to confirm the appointment.

Will appointments be available for non-Members?

At this time, appointments are only available for current CEF Members who have attended a Member Orientation. CEF will not be offering Member Orientation at either office location at this time. We will send another update when we begin to offer Orientations again.

Can I still make a virtual appointment?

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.

What safety precautions will be taken at CEF’s offices to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

When making reminder calls to Members, CEF Staff and Advocates will ask screening questions about COVID-19 symptoms.

Masks will be required for every person entering the office. CEF will provide masks for anyone who does not have one. Every person entering the office will have their temperature checked by infrared thermometer (a type of thermometer that allows temperature to be taken from a distance with no contact) and will be asked screening questions about COVID-19 symptoms.

In the office, markings on the ground will indicate 6-foot distances that everyone is required to respect, including surrounding the reception desk, waiting room seats, individual offices, cubicles, and tables for one-on-one meetings. We will have Plexiglass dividers surrounding the reception desks in both offices. The 6-foot distance requirement will be required for every person.

In addition to the 6-foot distance requirement in all meetings, CEF is installing computer monitors at each meeting station so that Members and Advocates can view the same screen at a safe distance. Hand-washing with soap and hand sanitizer will be highly encouraged with signs around the office and in bathrooms.

Can I donate supplies to support CEF in reopening?

Yes! CEF is still collecting donations for the following items: masks, gloves, cleaning supplies, hand sanitizer, and infrared thermometers. If you can donate any of these supplies, please drop them off on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday between 11 am and 1 pm at IFC Community Kitchen (100 W. Rosemary Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516). CEF Staff will be present during this time. For questions about donations, please email Zach at zachm@communityempowermentfund.org.

Are the hotline and COVID-19 resource sheets still operating?

Yes – you can still call the hotline (919-797-9233), but hours are reduced to 3:30 – 5:30 pm every weekday. The COVID-19 resource sheets will continue to be updated. You can find them on the CEF website (www.communityef.org).

We are excited to see our community again, and safety is our first priority as we reopen. Any changes in the above FAQs will be communicated via newsletter.

A Bittersweet Good-Bye to Graduating Advocates

Due to quarantine measures, CEF was unable to host our annual Spring Graduation for senior Advocates in Chapel Hill this year…so we celebrated them from afar!Durham’s Advocate Program Coordinator, Leah, coordinated a good-bye Zoom call for graduating Advocates to share reflections on CEF, college, and all the incredible communities they’ve build over the past few years. Chapel Hill’s Advocate Program Coordinator Kristina compiled a thank-you video for graduating Advocates, with video clips of Staff and Advocates wishing personalized good-byes to all graduating Advocates.To our graduating Advocates: we will miss you so much, and we wish you the best of luck in your next steps! Know that you always have a home with us at CEF!
Check out the full video HERE!

Donna Carrington, Executive Director, Featured on WRAL

CEF Executive Director Donna Carrington spoke to WRAL last week about CEF’s partnership with the City of Durham and their efforts to ensure that everyone has the information and resources they need to receive their $1,200 stimulus check. She describes CEF’s work in connecting “non-filers,” who do not file taxes and who therefore do not automatically get a stimulus checks, to the application to receive their stimulus check.
You can view Donna’s interview with the WRAL team HERE!
0

Safe Savings Campaign, COVID-19 Updates, and Staff Highlights!

COVID-19 Safe Savings Campaign and $9,500 Match!

We want to extend a heartfelt “thank you!” to everyone who has donated to CEF’s COVID-19 Safe Savings campaign! Your generous donations have already raised $15,522, which is 52% of our overall goal to raise $30,000 by June 30. Donations have already been used to match Member savings at 15%, and all additional donations will be used to replenish Safe Savings Accounts for Members who are using their savings during these uncertain times.
And, exciting news: CEF has received a $9,500 match from the Stewards Fund! This means that all donations from new donors, all increased donations, and all donations from donors who have not given in the past 18 months will be matched up to $9,500. All gifts that meet the above criteria and that are donated between now and June 30 will be doubled—a great way to increase your gift and your impact on our community during this crisis.
Thank you in advance for your support of the CEF community!
Donate Here!

COVID-19 Update: Office Closures and Supply Donations

CEF’s offices in Chapel Hill and Durham will remain closed through the end of May. 
The office will not re-open before the end of May even if shelter-in-place mandates are lifted. CEF Staff and Advocates will continue making Community Care Calls to Members, answering calls to our hotlines in Durham and Chapel Hill, maintaining county-specific resource pages for Durham and Orange Counties, and distributing mail during this time
CEF is currently searching for the following donations. 
We want to ensure that when we do re-open our offices, Staff, Advocates, and Members will stay safe.
– Masks
– Gloves
– Cleaning supplies
– Hand sanitizer
– 2+ infrared thermometers
If you can donate any of these supplies, please drop them off on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday between 11 am and 1 pm at IFC Community Kitchen (100 W. Rosemary Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516). CEF Staff will be present during this time. 
For questions about donations, please email Zach at zachm@communityempowermentfund.org.

CEF Staff Highlights: Zach and Kyle!

CEF is so appreciative of the work of Zach Meredith and Kyle Compton, who both started in August 2019!
Originally from Durham, Zach joined CEF as the Employment Access AmeriCorps VISTA after graduating from William and Mary College. Kyle, who grew up in Palatine, IL and who is currently pursuing his law degree and Master of Social Work (MSW) at UNC, has been CEF’s MSW Intern for the 2019-2020 academic year. To learn more about them and their time at CEF, read their interviews here! Read the Interviews Here!

0

CEF Staff Highlight: Zach and Kyle

CEF is so appreciative of the work of Zach Meredith and Kyle Compton, who both started in August 2019. Originally from Durham, Zach joined CEF as the Employment Access AmeriCorps VISTA after graduating from William and Mary College. Kyle, who grew up in Palatine, IL and who is currently pursuing his law degree and Master of Social Work (MSW) at UNC, has been CEF’s MSW Intern for the 2019-2020 academic year. Read the interviews below to get to know them better!

Zach Meredith headshot: white man wearing bright blue CEF t-shirt standing in front of a white wall with bright blue text

Zach Meredith, Employment Access AmeriCorps VISTA

Kyle Compton, Master of Social Work Intern

What has your work looked like during the time you’ve been at CEF?

As the Employment Access AmeriCorps VISTA, I coordinate efforts to rework CEF’s services related to job-searching and workforce development, particularly for Members who face systemic barriers to employment. When I first came to CEF, there were efforts to design a fairly intensive job training program within CEF’s Member Services program; however, I (along with the rest of our team) began to question if this would really be the most effective way to increase Members’ access to employment opportunities. I’ve worked to shift our energy into the stewardship and expansion of CEF’s partnerships with local organizations that already offer robust workforce development programs. Additionally, I have led efforts to retool our internal systems in order to more effectively align CEF’s operations with the employment-related services offered by external partners.

I have been the Master of Social Work intern this year at CEF. Until recently, I have been performing Coordinated Entry intakes for community members experiencing housing instability. For the second half of the year I have supported our Legal Referrals team and facilitated the group’s meetings. Recently, I have been supporting the Resource Stewards group to curate and update a database of resources for Orange County residents during COVID-19.

What experiences, strengths and skills do you bring to this work at CEF?

I love learning about local history, particularly through the lens of architecture and urban planning. Thinking about how the physical environment of Chapel Hill/Carrboro has been shaped by different political, social, and economic forces over time is a helpful way for me to situate the different inequities and barriers that CEF Members and Advocates run up against. Additionally, a historical perspective further energizes me to get involved with advocacy efforts based at CEF in order to challenge the political and economic status quos that necessitate the direct service work that CEF provides.

I have worked in the education field for several years and at related small nonprofits. My strengths include having patience and empathy for anyone I encounter and working hard to view issues from multiple perspectives. 

What led you to working with CEF generally, and also to this particular role?

As someone who is passionate about advancing social justice at the local level, I was especially drawn to CEF’s organizational dynamism and community-based mission.

I am in my first year of the MSW program at UNC and I have completed two years of law school here as well. I came to CEF through an internship program for my MSW. I have learned so much from CEF Members, Staff, Advocates, community members, and community partners this year. I know that I will draw on my experiences this year for the rest of my life.

Where do you find energy and renewal?

I’m an extrovert so I always feel energized when I’m around other people. I love being in the office because I not only get to be around other people, but around a community. There is a baseline level of kindness and support that everybody in the office upholds, ranging from simple chit-chat to volunteering to help resolve technology issues or taking the responsibility to start up the coffee machine.

Working in direct service organizations can be exhausting in every way, and burnout is something to take very seriously at CEF and actively work to prevent. I find energy and renewal through eating when I need to, taking breaks throughout the day, working out when I can, and breathing. Music and movies are also sources of renewal.

When you think about your work in this role at CEF, where do you find challenges and how do you seek to find the best way forward?

As an AmeriCorps VISTA, my fellowship is a year-long position. This means it is imperative that I work intentionally and collaboratively with Members, Advocates, and partners to develop resources and partnerships that will be able to continue sustainably beyond my fellowship.

There are challenges in every role and during every day at CEF. The best way forward I have found in my time here is to always ask questions and seek support from other Staff, Advocates, and Members.

0
CEF: Community Empowerment Fund

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

cef