Monday, July 27, 2020

UPDATE Week of July 27

Fellows Alum Mathu Gibson

Some friends are joining the effort of making this world a better place for all by posting billboards and making t-shirts with a message for our time. 

One of their models was the talented and inspiring Mathu Gibson. 

check it out on Business 40 near Cloverdale. 

Also:

Go to imjustshirts.com and purchase an “I’m Just_____” t-shirt! All proceeds go to colorofchange.org and other groups DISMANTLING SYSTEMIC RACISM! ⠀

there are other t-shirt examples in the More Photos section later...

Also, for those of you who are of a lighter complexion - there are "He was just _____" shirts as well.


#KidsStuff4Kids

First installment
Lia came home this week pretty distraught. She sees firsthand the price that children pay for the fact that we haven't as a society been able to get a handle on stopping COVID-19. 

Children in our city are going to suffer this fall. It's that simple. 

She was shocked to learn that these children don't have books to read! She asked why and they told her how libraries won't let them check out books because they have books they didn't return and they can't find them. 

Any parent knows that this happens all the time. You figure out a solution, like buy the book. But when you are poor or have language challenges, solutions are not as easy to come by. So these kids don't have books to read, and now they are being asked to learn from home. 

Where are they going to get school supplies? Art supplies? Things like jump ropes, frisbees, balls? 

Lia felt compelled to do something about it. So we are collecting Healthy Stuff for kids. 

Not food. There are other organizations doing that. But brain food.

So if you have the following:
Books suitable for Pre-Kindergarten to 12th Grade
Sports stuff like balls, jump ropes, frisbees
Art Supplies
School Supplies
Seeds for gardening or flowers

We are collecting them and handing them out at doctor visits at Waughtown Pediatrics and the Downtown Health Plaza. 


Contact: winstonsalemfellows@gmail.com to learn more or find out where you can drop things off. Or if you know where we live, just drop it off on our front porch. 


Spread the love of learning this fall by sharing your kids stuff with kids who don't have stuff

The Fellows Are Coming!


Our weekly Directors Zoom Meeting

Meet the 20-21 Class...


Michelle Howard

Michelle is originally from Winston-Salem and graduated from Furman University. 

Bryn Lenkatis
 Bryn is from West Chester, PA and graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania


AJ Britton

AJ is from Orlando, Florida and graduated from University of Florida


Caroline Filston


Caroline Filston is from Lookout Mountain and went to Furman University


Caroline Rassenfoss

Caroline is from Louisville, Kentucky and graduated from Wake Forest University


Hayes Mabry

Hayes is from Shelby, NC and graduated from Appalachian State University


Caroline Wolfe


Caroline is from Charlotte, NC and graduated from Samford University


Bailey Yerby

Bailey is from Greenville, SC and graduated from University of South Carolina

Sam Bishop

Sam is from Orange Beach, Alabama and graduated from Wake Forest University


Tori Ellingson
 Tori is from Gurley, Alabama and graduated from University of Alabama Birmingham


Meghan Beck

Meghan Beck is from Mountain Brook, Alabama and graduated from Wofford College



Owen Wood

Owen is from Winston-Salem, NC and graduated from Davidson College


 Find our their majors and their hobbies next week!


Life Last Week

We continue to hunt for jobs, host families and living accommodations. 
If you are hiring let us know!

If you want a Fellow in your house this year, let us know!

We continue to hammer away at our COVID plan. If you are interested in learning more, let us know. 

The big thing this week was CHURCH PLACEMENT. 

This is huge!

We have a great group of Church Partners this year. 

Shout out to:

First Presbyterian
Hope Presbyterian
Redeemer Presbyerian
Reynolda Church
River Oaks Community Church
Salem Chapel

These churches are going on the offensive this year! we are honored to be part of their mission!

And Yes! We are finally venturing beyond Presbyterians! Woo Hoo!!!! Nothing against Presbyterians...

churches are in a struggle for survival during these wild and challenging times. we are excited to link arms with these churches and other churches in our community to help them be the salt and light we are called to be. we believe the local church must play a big part in the healing and good work that needs to be done if we are going to get through this.


This Last Week of July

We are working hard to finalyze jobs, families, recruit mentors, and continue our program planning. It's a marathon not a sprint. 

This week, churches will be reaching out to Fellows. 
Fellows will be interviewing for jobs. 
We hope to be hearing from housing opportunities.
And we are preparing for our big summer board meeting next week. 
Among other things...


My summer office

GIVE

The Fellows Program is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that depends on the generosity of people like you for us to run. 

Will you please consider how generous you would like to be this year? Every bit counts. 

Send checks to 
Winston-Salem Fellows
PO Box 20514
Winston-Salem, NC 27120

or give online at wsfellows.com/give

consider a monthly donation. it's easy. and you don't have to worry about it ever again!



MORE PHOTOS

We celebrated Garrett Briggs birthday on Monday

We participated in a Davidson College Symposium on the Two Pandemics of our time
We roasted marshmallows with the Mussers to celebrate their return from Senegal


We celebrated Lia's parents - Rich and Sue Simpson on their 50th Wedding Anniversary

Brianne celebrated New Staff Training for Athletes in Action

We celebrated the Mussers with a lot of sugar

Brianne celebrated World Market shopping

And her beautiful bride to be

Tim Musser gives the secret sign



All is well when you are with friends






There is still work to be done.




Monday, July 20, 2020

UPDATE Week of July 20

JM is doing his thing

I was on a Fellows Initiative national phone call this week. We were talking about our Regional Conference in November and whether or not we were going to be able to pull it off in person or not. It was so hard! I don't know if you have experienced this or not - but I think I have pulled my long range thinking muscles. They no longer work!

Well, ready or not - the Fall is coming. And so are the Fellows!

The Week...

We made some good headway with Mentor recruitment. Some of our former mentors are eager to sign up again, and some new folks have reached out to me. This is a little early in our process, but I am thrilled that there is so much interest. 

We are going to be adding on a few new elements to the mentoring piece. Part of this is related to how church is going to look non-traditional this year. Part of this is that I believe that after five years I am finally figuring out what works and what doesn't!

So get ready. Mentoring is going to rock this year!

Lisha and Sallie making Blessing Bags at Reynolda this Thursday
Sallie is one of our outstanding mentors. She also is a great connector, which is a new Fellows volunteer position that we are trying to fill. 

This year, we are going to identify a Church Connector for each of our church partners. This person will be responsible for introducing Fellows to people. 

If you are interested in Connecting - let me know!

Here is Ned gearing up to make some Blessing Bags
Round Table

David and Shannon Rainey hosted us for Summer Round Table on their beautiful back patio. 






For some of us it was the first time we had worshipped physically with other people since March!

That's crazy to think about. 

Such a great night and such sweet people
Lamenting...

Hope Pres, one of our church partners, hosted an outdoor Lament Service this week to come together corporately to mourn and grieve our failures as white evangelicals to love our black and brown neighbors. 

Lia was with me
Spreading out


Hope for the Flowers

Art and Innovation...

Meet Cat Skywalker

Local artist Cheryl Ann (of Skin Wars) was commissioned by Mary Haglund (Of Course) to create some beauty at the old Mary's Gourmet Diner. I was meeting with Alan Shelton of Mixxer (the Maker Space in town). His shop was the home base for Cheryl Ann as she learned to cut metal and weld. 

Four months later - Cat Skywalker is flying. 

What a cool moment. You are walking down the street and your friends are doing cool stuff!

One of the ten thousand reasons why I love this city.



RECRUITMENT UPDATE

We are waiting on one more headshot. So next week looks like the week I'll be introducing the the 20-21 Fellows class to you! Woo Hoo!!!

We are still interviewing!

Tomorrow, we have a great candidate we are Zooming with. And we are prepared to take on another one or two...so if you know someone (particularly a guy) who is still figuring out their future - let me know! STAT!

If you don't JM will keep Brianne in a headlock



GIVE

We need your support!

If you are looking to give to a proven program that is changing lives every year and slowly transforming this city with young men and women who are on fire for the Kingdom - then look no further. The Fellows is the place to invest. 

send checks to

Winston-Salem Fellows
PO Box 20514
Winston-Salem, NC 27120

or give online to


How about give monthly? There is an option online!



What's cooking This Week...

Lia made this from our garden (everything but the balsamic and the mozzarella) 

Monday - Staff Meeting (Church Placement Party!); WS Christian; Round Table

Tuesday - Prayer; Horizons; Foundry; Rotary; Interview; BAC; and Elder Meeting

Wednesday - Mentor; Exec Meeting; TFI Directors Call; and Meeting of the Minds

Thursday - Another Mentor! Pre-marital Counseling and a Highlands Consult

Friday - Walking with new friend; HOPE Food Truck Delivery; Davidson College Symposium on Race




PHOTOS AND FUN


Mountain weekend with some friends

horse show last week

Haley was a bridesmaid!

roommate love

Summiting at Grayson highlands

Lia and the girls are down there somewhere

Dave Dave is on top

braids

maximum occupancy

might need to invest in bigger life vests

pondering

saved this toad from death

playing with friends in the mountains

backpack sweat

monster Zuke



paddling

David and Samantha

Cat Skywalker on the house



the gals

Hef might kill me for posting this



sunflowers

first date night outside of our house since COVID

Round Table

my girl



Anna Rose is standing in a hole



cutey pies

moms and their foals

safety first

safety not first
Grayson Highlands


Thanks all! Keep sharing the story and spreading the love