SALISBURY — Kesha Smith has been named Lutheran Services Carolinas chief operating officer.
Smith will oversee the operation of senior services operations, including nursing homes, retirement communities, assisted living residences, adult day services and community-based services.
Previously the organization’s chief administrative officer, she also served as special projects coordinator and operations coordinator. Smith is a licensed nursing home administrator and licensed real estate broker. A graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Smith started with Lutheran Services Carolinas in 2003.
Barbara Garwood, who has been executive director of Trinity Living Center (formerly Abundant Living Day Services) since 2004, is now director of community services for Lutheran Services Carolinas. A social worker and a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Garwood is also a certified care manager.
In addition to directing the statewide program, Garwood will meet with clients and families in the home, conduct interviews and assessments, and offer recommendations that will help families navigate the challenges of finding resources available to them. With the help of grant monies from the Virginia Casey and Michael Peeler Funds of the North Carolina ELCA Synod, a limited number of scholarships will be available to moderate and low income seniors and their families for care management services.
Replacing Garwood as executive director of Trinity Living Center is Christina Joyce. She has been with Lutheran Services Carolinas since 2007, when she was hired as a senior accountant. Before that, she worked for Landmark Aviation in Winston-Salem. Joyce has a degree from N.C. State University in business management with a concentration in finance.
New Cheerwine vice president

SALISBURY — Dan Martin has joined Cheerwine as vice president sales/liberator food service. His responsibilities will revolve around increasing sales and distribution to liberate the Cheerwine brand in all food service segments. He has more than 27 years of beverage industry experience with PepsiCo.
He and his wife, Carrie, currently live in Connecticut.

Museum grocery industry display
Food Lion customers and visitors to the Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem can experience a new, interactive exhibit to give children a hands-on experience to understand the grocery industry from child’s perspective.
“This new Food Lion exhibit will give children an exciting grocery shopping experience, with fun food preparation areas and sophisticated check-out counters that accommodate a wide range of ages,” said Elizabeth Dampier, Winston-Salem Museum executive director.
Children will be able to go behind miniature-sized counters and cash registers and pretend they are checking out customers.
“Food Lion is proud to launch this interactive exhibit for the community where children can learn first-hand about what it’s like to be in a Food Lion grocery store,” said Allen Frost, Food Lion’s director of operations for the Winston-Salem. “This exhibit will allow them to experience the everyday operations of a grocery store in a fun, interactive way.”
The Children’s Museum will also launch its Inner Voice Initiative, which celebrates confidence, compassion and choice to help children build self-esteem and confidence by making mindful decisions and encourage empathy and compassion for self and others. 
The Inner Voice Initiative will inform the museum’s programming, including food and wellness events, select story times and crafts and added activities offered throughout the coming year.
The new Food Lion exhibit opened Saturday and hours of operation can be found by visiting www.childrensmuseumofws.org. The Children’s Museum of Winston-Salem is a nonprofit at 390 South Liberty St. It opened in 2004.

New client care coordinator at Interim HealthCare
MOORESVILLE — Interim HealthCare of Mooresville, a provider of in home care services, is expanding and has recently brought on board Kristi McElfresh as client care coordinator. She will be responsible for developing new business and ensuring client service is excellent.
McElfresh has experience in the medical and home care fields.   
Bill and Jill Bogage, owner of the Mooresville-based franchise office, said: “With the growth of the baby boomers reaching retirement age the home care industry has and will continue to experience consistent growth, which will enable us to create more jobs for health-care professionals.”
Interim HealthCare of Mooresville is part of a national network of more than 300 franchise offices providing services including skilled nursing and non-medical home care.
The office is at 235 Medical Park Road. For more information, visit www. interimhealthcare.com/Carolinas

Cabarrus Senior Resource Link meeting
The Cabarrus Senior Resource Link, professionals who work with the senior population, will hold its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 11:30 a.m.
For more information and reservations, contact Susan Wear at Gentiva Home Health 704-933-1001.

Apply for youth tours to DC

STATESVILLE — EnergyUnited, in partnership with the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, is seeking  two high school juniors to take part in the Rural Electric Youth Tour to Washington D.C., set for June 14-21. Applications are due by Feb. 11 and any high school junior who lives within EnergyUnited’s service area is eligible to apply.
“The Youth Tour to Washington D.C. is unique to rural electric cooperatives across the country,” said H. Wayne Wilkins, EnergyUnited CEO.
More than 1,500 students take part in the Youth Tour experience each year. Students will travel to Washington, D.C., and meet with lawmakers and visit museums, memorials and monuments.
To be considered, students must complete the Youth Tour application and submit it to EnergyUnited, along with a letter of 250-500 words or less written to an elected official on a separate piece of paper. The letter may be addressed to a local, state or national representative and should be on a topic important to the student. 
Applications are available at www.energyunited.com/youth_tour.asp.

Student essay contest on hunger
ORLANDO, Fla. — Olive Garden is asking students “How would you help end hunger in your community?” as part of the 17th annual Pasta Tales national essay writing contest.
Through March 22, students in first through 12th grades can submit an essay of 50 to 250 words with their ideas for ending hunger in their local communities.
The grand prize winner will receive a three-day family trip to New York City and a $2,500 savings bond. In addition, Olive Garden will provide a $5,000 grant to bring the winner’s essay to life by supporting hunger initiatives.
Winners in each of the 12 grade categories will be awarded a $500 savings bond and a family dinner at their local Olive Garden restaurant.
Pasta Tales entry forms and complete rules are available on Olive Garden’s website at www.olivegarden.com.
Entries must be postmarked by March 22 and sent to Pasta Tales, PMB 2000, 6278 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308-1916.
Submissions will be judged based on creativity, adherence to theme, organization, grammar, punctuation and spelling by the Quill and Scroll Society of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Iowa, with winners selected by Olive Garden.

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