ëService to Seniorsí honors twelve
As part of Older Americans Month, the Rowan County Council on Aging held its fourth annual ěService to Seniorsî awards luncheon on Friday, May 13.
The awards program established by the Council in 2008 is designed to recognize individuals, organizations and businesses in the community that have provided exemplary service to older adults. Award nominations were received from the community during March and mid-April.
Individual honorees included Pat Beck, Betty Goodwin, Nancy Hylick and Ed Lutz. Beck was recognized for her support of older adults through volunteering with the local AARP Chapter, Meals on Wheels, Seniors Without Partners, the Council on Aging and Rufty-Holmes Senior Center. Goodwin is a State Ambassador for NC Senior Games, and serves as the treasurer of the Salisbury-Rowan Senior Games organization. She is also active with the Rufty-Holmes Ambassadors Club. Hylick is president of the Yadkin House Tenantsí Association, and volunteers her time to orient new Yadkin House residents to the unit and community. Lutz was recognized for his long involvement as a volunteer with the AARP Tax-Aide Program, the R-H Computer Club, Meals on Wheels and Rufty-Holmes Senior Center.
Organizations honored included the Ambassadors Club of Rufty-Holmes Senior Center and the Rowan County Honor Guard. The Ambassadors Club serves as a ěbooster clubî for the senior center, working on volunteer projects and activities as needed throughout the year. The group has thirty-five members and was established in 1998. The Rowan County Honor Guard is made up of twenty-five local retired veterans who volunteer to provide military rites and ceremonies for deceased veterans and their families. The Guard served at over 400 funerals in 2010.
Businesses recognized for achieving Senior Friendly Business Certification over the past year included Arey Realty, Beaver Brothers, Comfort Keepers of Salisbury, Gentiva Home Health, Salisbury Animal Hospital and Smart Choice Senior Transitions.
Bob Bruce, the current council president, welcomed guests to the luncheon and served as master of ceremonies. Robin Perry, council vice-president, presented the awards. Lunch was catered by Fabulous Foods and Catering.
For more information about the Rowan County Council on Aging, contact Rufty-Holmes Senior Center at 704-216-7714.
Sorority attends conference
Chapter members of Delta Xi Omega of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. attended the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference April 21-24 at the Richmond, Va. Convention Center.
Conference speakers and workshops presented strategies for implementing the current national program, ěGlobal Leadership Through Timeless Service.î
The national program will be expressed via initiatives dubbed ěKeeping It SMART,î an acronym for Strategic, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Transferable goals.
The sororityís signature program is Emerging Young Leaders which focuses on middle school girls.
The chapter took to Richmond more than 200 pairs of shoes to be donated to the Soles4Souls program which facilitates the donation of both new and used shoes to people in need in over 125 countries.
Chapter members attending the conference were Fonda Kirk, Brenda Alston, Renese Bates, Robbie Davis, Suzette Davis, Jewell Holland, Carolyn Holt, Earnestine Krider, Sarah Lightner, Marva McCain, Linda McCullough, Sheila Brown-Miller, Sylvia Moore, Alisa Russell and Lillian Morgan. Chapter member Sarah Lightner was honored for 50 years of service to the organization. She was initiated as a member of the organization at Livingstone College.
The national president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. is Carolyn House Stewart, Esq.; the regional director is Linda H. Gilliam, Ph.D.; and the local president is Fonda W. Kirk.
Piano recital
The piano recital of Joshua Schiemann, student of Susan McLain, is Sunday, May 22 at 4 p.m. at First Methodist Church, 217 S. Church St.
The program consists of compositions by Chopin, Schubert, Gershwin, Debussy and Rachmaninoff.
Schiemann has studied with McLain for nine years and each year he received a superior rating (the highest possible) at the NC Music Federation Festival. This enabled him to receive three gold cups in Musically Advanced II, the most advanced levvel of the festival.
A student at Salisbury High, Schiemann participates in band, tennis and swim team events, and he is also an Eagle Ccout. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Mark Schiemann.
May Friendship Day
The Salisbury-Rowan Unit of Church Women United in NC celebrated its annual May Friendship Day in the Lewis Center of First Presbyterian Church in Salisbury.
Rena Morgan, May Friendship Day chair, Brenda Venning, president, and Maxine Bowman, First Presbyterian Church representative, welcomed more than 150 guests. The Rev. Whitney Bayer, associate pastor, gave the blessing and Rena Morgan led the invocation. Maggie Reid, song leader, was accompanied by pianist Dottie Clement. Rena served as leader for the ingathering of the International Fellowship of the Least Coin, our US pennies, for grants that are given all over the world. One such grant was given to Rowan County in 2001.
Carolyn Keah, Ecumenical Action chair, and Doris Allen of Gethsemane Missionary Baptist, read from the scriptures. Responders were church representatives Jean Kennedy of Southern City Tabernacle AME Zion and Hilda Pyatt of First United Methodist.
A skit was presented by members of the Young Church Women United. Cynthia Stoner, YCWU Subgroup chair, coordinated the presentation by Connie OíKelly, Nicole Sherrill-Corry and Katrina Abel of Jerusalem Baptist, Tonya Cornelius of Sills Creek AME Zion and Tawanda Mitchell of White Rock AME Zion.
President Venning recognized these 2011 Outstanding Young Church Women: Sissy Anthony of Milford Hills United Methodist, Brenda Byrd of First Presbyterian, Nicole Sherrill-Corry of Jerusalem Baptist, Sherree Michelle Gillespie of St. Luke Baptist, Laura Brock Koontz of First United Methodist, Stephanie Leichman of First United Church of Christ, Tarsha Lynn Mallett of Southern City Tabernacle AME Zion, Tiffanny J. Miller of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist and Kathy Turner of Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church.
Doris Brown, SRCWU vice president, presented to them framed certificates from the national CWU.
President Venning then awarded the attendance banner to Jerusalem Baptist Church. In the group of 156 persons, nine denominations and 15 churches were represented.
Two reams of paper and 216 items such as paper products, childrenís books, and Bibles were brought to be donated to the Good Shepherdís Clinic.
In appreciation the Nanduti Banner remains with the MFD host, First Presbyterian Church, until the next celebration, which will be the Human Rights Celebration at St. Luke Baptist on August 5 at 7 p.m.