Pride Magazine

PRIDE September-October 2009

charlotte’s african-american magazine

Health issue

Program introduces students to construction industry Hub in Kannapolis advances health research Foster care, agencies’ goal: Shelter kids from turbulence Attention has waned, but sickle cell anemia hasn’t diminished Pharmacist fills prescriptions, fulfills his dreams

Jonathan Pullin and Charlotte’s quest to conserve, promote and sustain

People, Planet,

Profit

Hold your store to a

higher standard.

At Food Lion, enhancing our neighbors’ lives is just as important as providing nutritious foods at great prices. By creating stores that contribute to a healthier environment, providing health and wellness products at great values and acting as a responsible member of the community, Food Lion is committed to improving more than your shopping experience. And that’s the kind of store you can feel good about.

www.foodlion.com/yourstoreforlife

Get the home loan you need from the bank you trust.

If you’re looking to buy a home, it is more important than ever to select your lender carefully. Bank of America could be the right choice as your mortgage lender because:

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Contact us today to learn how Bank of America could help find a mortgage solution for you:

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Credit and collateral are subject to approval. Terms and conditions apply. This is not a commitment to lend.

Programs, rates, terms and conditions are subject to change without notice.

00-62-0118D 06-2009 AR72208

You’re invited to a screening that could change your life.

Screenings Include:

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It’s called Women’s Health by Design, a private two-hour consultation with a nurse practitioner that will help create a personalized health plan based on your individual screening results.

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• Cholesterol screening for heart disease • Glucose screening for diabetes • Bone density screening for osteoporosis • Skin cancer screening • Blood pressure • Nutrition and exercise assessment • Basic safety assessment • Body Mass Index (BMI) • Vision • Guidance on additional women’s screenings

People, Planet, Profit – Sustainability for All PRIDE Awards 2010 Saturday, January 16th Westin Hotel The Pride Awards are presented annually to honor achievement in the African-American community. This year’s gala will be a celebration of the accomplishments of those who have sustained our community socially, environmentally or fiscally.

The gala will honor three outstanding individuals and donate proceeds to a worthy non-profit organization. A selection committee will choose winners for the following awards: “Emerging Green Leader,” “2010 Millennial Footprint (Youth)” and “2010 Community Service.” This year’s nonprofit recipient will also be selected by the committee and will be a workforce development entity. Members of the community submit nominations or qualified candidates may self-nominate.

may

CELEB RATI N G EXCE LL E N T AC HI EV EME NT OF AFRI C A N A MERIC ANS IN MEC K LENBU RG COUNT Y F O R 17 YEA R S

NOMINATIONS MUST INCLUDE

The heroes who will be recognized at Pride Awards 2010 will be African-Americans who have a passion and commitment for making our community and city a better place through acts of social, fiscal or environmental responsibility. They may be well-known citizens or behind-the-scenes individuals who have not been recognized for their work. Their achievements may affect many in small ways or a few in big ways. All qualified nominees will be considered.

A nomination form along with any additional information and supporting materials as specified in the accompanying criteria.

Nominees must be African-American residents of Mecklenburg County. They must meet the criteria as outlined on this page. Employees of Pride Communications and their immediate families are not eligible.

Send Pride Awards Nominations to: Pride Magazine: P.O. Box 30113, Charlotte, NC 28230.

Winners will be honored at a black tie gala on Saturday, January 16, 2010 at the Westin Hotel.

All winners will be recognized for their accomplishments. One nonprofit organization will receive a monetary donation.

The DEADLINE for submitting nomination forms and all supporting material is FR I DAY, OCTOB E R 2 2 , 20 0 9

Or, you may hand deliver your nominations to 312 West Trade Street, Ste. 600. Be sure to mark your package “Pride Awards 2010 Nomination.”

Nomination Form (Please print or type)

Please check the appropriate category PRIDE EMERGING GREEN LE ADER AWARD PRIDE COMMUNIT Y S ERVICE AWARD PRIDE MILLENNI AL FOOTPRINT AWARD (YOUT H) (This recipient must be an African male or female senior currently enrolled in a Mecklenburg County public or private high school.)

INFORMATION ABOUT THE NOMINEE

Please respond to the following on a separate sheet of paper.

The quality of your responses will influence the nomination.

1. In what way does your nominee qualify to win this Pride Award?

2. How has your nominee been outstanding?

Name: Address:

3. Explain other relevant information about the nominee and his or her accomplishments.

City/State/Zip: Phone:

THE PRIDE MILLENNIAL FOOTPRINT RECIPIENT (YOUTH) **Make sure all of the requirements listed under the criteria section are submitted either by you or the nominee.

Age: Grade: School:

INFORMATION ABOUT PERSON MAKING NOMINATION Name: Address: City/State/Zip: Phone:

DOWNLOAD THIS AT WWW.PRIDEAWARDS.NET Deadline for nominations and supporting materials:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 2009.

Criteria Emerging Green Leader This prestigious award will be given to an entrepreneur or trailblazer who has or is planning to implement sustainable “green” business practices OR an initiative that will positively impact our community and beyond as we move into the 21st century. The winner is a Mecklenburg County African-American male or female who owns a business or works for a corporation or other organization where sustainability is a key business approach. He or she is passionate about creating products and services that are not only environmentally sound, but PROFITABLE. Examples of innovative green business practices may include the creation of green jobs for the future or other ways which make the quality of life and work more sustainable in our region. This winner has clearly begun to establish a leadership footprint with a goal of creating opportunities for other businesses or individuals to succeed. Candidates must submit bios and other materials that clearly demonstrate why they deserve this award. In addition, they should submit a one or two paragraph, succinct statement which outlines their plan for sustainability. Finally, two letters of recommendation should be submitted which explain why they are deserving of this honor.

Pride 2010 Millennial Footprint Award (Youth) This prestigious honor will be bestowed upon an outstanding high school senior from a Mecklenburg County public or private school. This student has excelled academically and possesses outstanding leadership qualities along with a desire to reach the top. He or she has a demonstrated passion for sustainability either socially, fiscally or environmentally. (While not exclusive, special consideration will be given to those with an interest in environmental best practices.) Candidates must have strong career goals and a vision for making the PLANET a better place. In addition, they must submit a one or two page essay explaining why they should receive this award and detailing their areas of accomplishments. Two letters of recommendation must also be submitted along with an official transcript of grades.

Pride 2010 Community Service Award This prestigious honor will be given to a Mecklenburg County African-American male or female who has demonstrated a commitment for serving the AfricanAmerican community and beyond. This may encompass sustained acts of volunteerism or assistance over time or just one extraordinary act of benevolence that has benefited many. Their love of and devotion to PEOPLE is evident through their civic leadership and passion for the well-being of others. A detailed bio of the nominee must be provided, outlining his or her accomplishments, along with three letters of recommendation.

Workforce Development Nonprofit Beneficiary This prestigious award honors a Mecklenburg County nonprofit entity dedicated to putting people to work. Well known and respected, this is an organization that has maintained SUSTAINABLE business practices over the years with the purpose of removing employment barriers for primarily low-income individuals. Its efforts have consistently touched the lives of a significant number of African-Americans. One of its goals has been to provide individuals with marketable skills to assist them in establishing an employment footprint that will give them vertical mobility in the job market. The organizations’ employees genuinely care and passionately serve those who come through their doors. Documentation must be submitted, outlining the history and statistics relevant to the success of the organization. Examples of specific individual success stories (no more than two) should also be included.

Special consideration will be given to organizations that have a clear objective regarding creating competitive job skills for the future, including “green” job education and training.

September-October 2009

Departments 10 F rom the publisher 12 Notable names 13 Parenthood

corner Reinforce positive habits 19 Book review ‘The 4 Day Diet’ 32 By faith In good health

24

38 Creative arts ‘Generation Eye to Eye’

68

44 Eye care Connective tissue diseases 46 Dental care Peridontal disease 54 Hospice Tender testimonial 56 Medical myths Beware food fallacies 62 Personal training Add stretching to routine

48

64 Style & profile 79 Business spotlight Cabarrus Health Alliance 80 Events calendar

Business 72 Career advice Smart moves for job seekers 74 Buying a home Take household’s ‘financial pulse’ 76 Ask Emma Rebound from financial setback 78 Personal finance Improve your credit score

14

Features 14 F orgotten malady Attention has waned, but sickle cell anemia hasn’t diminished 20 Medicine man Howard Gaines fills prescriptions while fulfilling his dream of helping people 24 What ‘going green’ means to us Efforts to save the environment multiply, and African-Americans have opportunity to be key players 34 Healthy outlook Merchant provides a wellness resource for westside and beyond 40 Scientific solution Hub in Kannapolis to advance human health research, alter local economy 48 Handled with care Foster program, agencies’ goal: Shelter kids from family turbulence, prepare them for future 58 Major adjustment Chiropractic field evolves, gains popularity among patients 68 Blueprint for the future Program for students at Garinger introduces them to construction industry September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

7

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No matter where you live, work or play in our region, chances are there’s a Carolinas Medical Center facility or physician near you.

Giving you access to more specialists, greater depths of expertise and our uncompromising excellence and commitment to care. It’s who we are at Carolinas Medical Center. And where we are, is near you. Visit our website for more information on our outstanding physicians.

PRIDE M

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Charlotte’s African-American Magazine

CEO Dee Dixon

Publisher Torrey Feimster (704) 375-9553

Editor Constance Holloway

Editorial Assistant Angela Lindsay Hilst

Creative Director Fabi Preslar

Office Manager Ricci Pullum

Public Relations Nepherterra Estrada

Sales & Distribution (704) 375-9553

These eyes have the

Design & Production SPARK Publications www.SPARKpublications.com

Web Design Melissa Gibson

Examination & treatment of the eye & visual system Designer frames at affordable prices

Intern Mylanda Middleton

Difficult to fit contact lenses

Subscribe to Pride

State of the art practice

$13.25. Please subscribe online at www.pridemagazine.net or mail to P.O. Box 30113, Charlotte, NC 28230

Accepts most insurances Lasik evaluations

Letters to the Editor Please e-mail to editor@pridecommunications.net, fax to (704) 375-9550 or mail to Pride Magazine 312 W. Trade St., Suite 702, Charlotte, NC 28202

www.pridemagazine.net

On the Cover Environmental chemist Jonathan Pullin with logo on the left: President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden unveiled an official logo to designate projects funded by the ARRA. Logo on the right: Universal symbol for recycle that derived from the Plastic Bottle Material Code System.

Dr. Paula R. Newsome Optometrist 1016 S.Church St.

Vol. 17 No. 4 September-October 2009 All rights reserved for PRIDE Communications Inc.

Charlotte, NC 28203

e-mail: advaneye@bellsouth.net

tel 704.375.3935

fax 704.333.7238

www. a d v a n t a g e v i s i o n c e n t e r. c o m

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

9

FromThePublisher

by Torrey Feimster

Have you hugged a tree lately?

W

hen I was growing up, going green meant your mother fussed at you about turning off the lights or she made you take a bath in water about an inch and a half deep. As a teenager/ young adult, the word “green” evoked images of tree-huggers, vegetarians, people who grew and ate their own food, and stoned hippies who wore clothes made of hemp. Today, trying to wrap my mind around going green and the concept of sustainability is like trying to wrap my arms around a redwood sequoia tree. Perhaps it’s because I am a little skeptical about certain ideological and economic principles of going green. While there is plenty to debate, I do believe in personal responsibility and being a good steward of the gifts God has given us. I guess the good Lord can use the government to remind us of that.

In my quest to understand sustainability and its place in society, I’ve begun reading the “Green Collar Economy” by Van Jones. Jones is not only a green pioneer, but he has been appointed special adviser for green jobs at the White House Council on Environmental Quality

by President Obama. If you don’t have time to read the book, read Pride’s enlightening and educational “Going Green” article on page 24. The article highlights “green” leaders of Charlotte and takes a look at Jonathan Pullin, a local entrepreneur who is on the forefront of creating green jobs in the area. In addition to this wonderful editorial, there are other informative health-related columns and stories about health professionals such as pharmacist Howard Gaines (page 20) and chiropractors Eric Hudson and Kaisha West (page 58), who are passionate helping and serving others. I hope you enjoy!

Pride Magazine prints with soy ink as part of its going green effort.

Pride Awards

Keep your fingers crossed as we are trying to get Van Jones (mentioned earlier) or even President Obama to speak and share wisdom at the 2010 Pride Awards to be held Jan. 16, 2010.

This year we will recognize outstanding companies and individuals putting our community first by promoting the sustainability of people, planet and profit. We are currently accepting nominations (page 6). You can also visit www.prideawards.net for more details.

Marathon update Going green means more than being a “tree hugger.”

OK, folks, I’m up to 11 miles on my long runs with 15.2 miles to go by Dec. 12. During this journey, which I started in December 2008, I’ve met lots of runners ranging from beginners to serial marathoners who have all inspired me tremendously. Some individuals have chosen to run the full marathon while others have chosen to hand me water and cheer me on from the sidelines. I am praying I will stay injury free and it is my desire to encourage others to not only run but adopt and/or maintain a healthy lifestyle. You can read about my latest updates at www.runtorreyrun.blogspot.com.

www.twitter.com/torreyfeimster www.facebook.com/torreyfeimster 10

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

the things we do for

staying the course.

Everyone has a plan. But sticking to it is often trickier than it seems. Here are a few pointers to help you get there: Get specific Don’t just decide to save money. Commit to an amount and a deadline to keep you on track.

Do the math Divide the amount in possible parts to reach each month, every week or every day. Decide on how you will adjust your lifestyle to make these savings happen and write it down.

Less is more Consider using direct deposit to automatically set aside that money into a savings account. The less you have to think about it, the easier it will be to reach your goals.

Would you like a plan designed just for you? come into your local fifth third Bank location and let us help make your dreams, your reality.

Come in to your local banking center or call us at 1-800-972-3030. www.53.com

The things we do for dreams Member FDIC

NotableNames

DR. BRADFORD PICOT

Tar Heel pride and healthy smiles are two of Dr. Bradford Picot’s passions. The graduate of the University of North Carolina School of Dentistry recently opened his own practice, SouthEnd Dentistry, in the Park Avenue building close to the Bland Street Lynx Blue Line station.

“I am very respectful of people’s time, and my practice offers informed, efficient and comprehensive care,” says Picot, 28.

Picot grew up in Charlottesville, Va., and Shaker Heights, Ohio. He attended UNCChapel Hill as a Morehead Scholar, was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity and was the school’s marching-band drum major.

He earned an undergraduate degree in 2002 and later earned a doctor of dental surgery degree.

Picot completed his residency at Palmetto Health Richland Memorial Hospital in Columbia, S.C. He moved to Charlotte in 2007 and worked as an associate under Dr. Spurgeon Webber.

Picot says service has always been a priority. At UNC, he founded the Malawi Dental Project and traveled to Africa to provide free dental care and education on HIV/AIDS. He also has participated in Give Kids a Smile and other free clinics. Picot has a 1-year-old daughter, Olivia, and is a member of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, where he often plays the saxophone.

12

ODELL WITHERSPOON

The epitome of the eternal optimist, Odell Witherspoon is celebrating 30 years of thinking positively about youth and volunteering to “bring out the best in kids.” On Oct. 1, Witherspoon, 64, takes over as Optimist International’s governor for the N.C. West District, which includes some 90 clubs.

Witherspoon says, “We all need to stick together and help our youth to be the best they can be.”

A native of Lancaster, S.C., Witherspoon served two tours in the Army in Vietnam, then earned a degree in accounting from Johnson C. Smith University in 1973. He worked at Westinghouse Electric Corp. for 27 years, and he and his wife raised two children in the Hidden Valley neighborhood in northeast Charlotte.

Witherspoon was a charter member of the Hidden Valley Optimists in November 1979. His years of service with Optimist International have earned him several honors, including induction into the N.C. West District Hall of Fame in 2004.

“We all grow by giving back.

When we reach out to help another person, we become better people ourselves,” says Witherspoon.

A lifetime member of Steele Hill AME Zion Church in Lancaster and an avid volunteer, Witherspoon has been married to his wife, Willie Faye, for nearly 40 years.

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

BRIAN FREELAND

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools’ 2009 Teacher of the Year is doing exactly what he wants to do: helping 11th-graders to believe that education is the key to their future.

“I always knew I wanted to be a teacher,” says Freeland, 43, who teaches history at the New Technology High School at Garinger. “My mother raised five children on her own, and it was teachers who influenced me ...”

Freeland challenges students and connects with them. “I tell them they have to discover their true gifts and use what they have to offer to make an exceptional contribution in this world.”

Born and raised in Albany, N.Y., Freeland earned a degree in history at The State University of New York at Cortland in 1994. He taught in New York for 11 years and joined CMS in 2001. Freeland taught at Piedmont Middle for three years, then went to Garinger in 2004. In 2008, interest in The New Schools Project, funded

by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, motivated Freeland to become part of the campus at Garinger.

Freeland and his wife, Christine, live in Mint Hill. The couple have a son who is working on his doctorate at Syracuse University after graduating from Howard University.

JONATHAN LOWE

The young man who dominated the airwaves after school at Myers Park High in 2001 is now a familiar face to Charlotte TV viewers.

Jonathan Lowe, a News 14 Carolina reporter, was also named the Rookie of the Year in the 2008 N.C. Associated Press Radio and TV Contest.

“I enjoy meeting a wide variety of people, learning about them and telling their story,” says Lowe.

Lowe graduated from Myers Park High School in 2001 and was a journalism and mass communications major at N.C. A&T State University. He also had a paid internship at Black Enterprise in 2004, which he describes as a “a great experience” not only for the skills he learned but also because of the opportunity to live and work in New York City.

Lowe says a professor at A&T encouraged him to choose between radio and TV broadcasting, and he chose television. After graduating in December 2005, Lowe worked as the night assignment editor at WFMY News 2 in Greensboro. He joined News 14 in 2006 and was part of the team that launched the network’s Triad newsroom, where he was a reporter and producer.

Lowe joined the Charlotte team last December and lives in SouthEnd. P — Compiled by Lee McCracken

ParenthoodCorner

Positive patterns

Seize opportunity to foster good habits as early as possible

by Marlon Smith

Reinforcing positive habits in our children is one of the greatest gifts we can give.

W

here will your children be in 20 years?

Now is the time to determine your vision for your children. Realize this: What they do today will dictate where they will be tomorrow.

Studies indicate that it takes 28 to 32 days to create a new habit. So what type of habits are you instilling in your children?

Reinforcing positive habits in our children is one of the greatest gifts we can give.

On June 4, I was blessed with the opportunity to be the keynote speaker at a CharlotteMecklenburg Schools’ Parent University event. From Oct. 2, 2008 to June 4, 2009, Success

by Choice coordinated and facilitated monthly parent sessions for the Northeast Learning Community. Nearly 4,000 participants attended our nine sessions. (To receive copies of the handouts or the current class schedule, send an e-mail to purpose@successbychoice.com.)

During this class, a special moment occurred when a mother stood and said, “My children and I created our Goals Affirmation Collages in January and this has truly strengthened our family.”

Your first assignment: You and your children should create

individual Goals Affirmation Collages in order to reinforce an important habit. The steps are: n Obtain five to seven magazines, scissors, glue sticks and poster boards. n Gather your family and explain that everyone will create a collage in 30 to 45 minutes. n Each person will cut out pictures and quotes that have special meaning and paste onto his/her poster board. n If possible, play some music. n After everyone has completed a collage, each person will share it with the family. This

is a great opportunity to strengthen your family bond. n To help your family focus on your goals, post your collages on bedroom walls, on the refrigerator, in the bathroom and in other places that you see regularly. n Encourage your family to review the collages at least three times a day.

By helping your children get into the habit of focusing daily on their goals, they will be inspired to make positive and healthy choices.

Your second assignment: To

reinforce more positive habits, visit www.successbychoice.com and receive the free weekly CHOICES! Ezine.

Continue sharing your feedback by e-mailing purpose@ successbychoice.com. Our next column will be titled “Helping Your Child Achieve Academic Excellence in School.” Visit www.purposeandfun.com for additional information on empowering your family. P Marlon Smith is educational consultant and keynote speaker with Success by Choice Inc.

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

13

by Angela Lindsay Hilst photos by Greg Briley

Attention has waned, but sickle cell anemia hasn’t diminished

Forgotten malady 14

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Sickle cell patient Kaitlin Watts and her mother, LaTonya Watts.

Even in light of these statistics, it seems that widespread publicity about sickle cell disease has tapered off. Patricia Lambright cites “great resistance” in trying to get more coverage of sickle cell disease.

K

atlin Watts’ short life has been quite a journey, and in March, the 13-year-old Indian Trail native embarked on a very special trip.

Katlin was chosen by the Children’s Miracle Network as the North Carolina representative on the Champions Across America Tour, which helps raise awareness of the 17 million children treated at CMN hospitals each year. On the tour, Katlin traveled to Walt Disney World in Florida and Washington, D.C., where she even shook hands with President Obama. It’s hard to tell when talking to the animated teen that she is suffering from sickle cell anemia.

Katlin was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia just a few days after she was born. Since then, her life has been one of continuous medical treatments, annual hospital stays and regular “pain crises,” which are recurrent painful episodes. Though her particular condition is severe, Katlin is by no means alone.

‘Great resistance’ to coverage of disease Currently, there is no cure for sickle cell anemia.

Symptoms include swollen hands and feet and persistent pain in the legs or arms.

While 72,000 people in the U.S. have the disease, it disproportionately affects the African-American population. An estimated one in every 600 AfricanAmerican newborns has the disease, and about one in 12 African-Americans carry the sickle cell trait, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

Even in light of these statistics, it seems that widespread publicity about sickle cell disease has tapered off. That doesn’t surprise Patricia Lambright, executive director of the Crescent Health Institute.

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

15

Photo courtesy of the Watts family

“(Stories) must be newsworthy.

They usually attach to an identifiable person,” she says.

“They have to be hot and juicy and have a little sizzle, and people don’t see sickle as a hot, juicy and having-aPatricia Lambright little-sizzle issue.”

Lambright cites “great resistance” in trying to get more coverage of sickle cell disease. However, she admits that the fault is shared as sickle cell disease advocates have not maintained a “constant drumbeat” about it. Lack of education about the disease has also been a major obstacle.

“I think (sickle cell education) has fallen the way of all school curriculum.

Everybody’s losing dollars and teaching for the tests . . .” Lambright says.

Even in higher education, the disease might not receive proper attention.

“If you train in a medical center that doesn’t have a significant amount of diversity, you may read about it but never see it and, therefore, not understand the particular problems that patients can have with sickle cell disease,” reveals Dr. Paulette Bryant, a pediatric hematologist/ oncologist with Presbyterian Blume

President Obama shakes hands with Kaitlin Watts in Washington, D.C.

Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic.

Crescent Health Institute ensures that patients receive proper treatment through newborn screening follow-ups.

CHI confirms with physicians whether a baby has tested positive for sickle cell so daily penicillin treatments, which have been proven to help prevent infection, can begin immediately. A newer breakthrough drug called hydroxyurea has also been effective in treating the disease. These and other efforts help to extend the life expectancy of sickle cell patients, which tends to average in the mid-40s.

Characteristics of the disease Sickle cell anemia is a disease in which the body makes sickle-shaped red blood cells. “Sickle-shaped” means the red blood cells are shaped like a “C.” Normal red blood cells are disc-shaped and look like doughnuts without holes in the center. They move easily through blood vessels. Red blood cells contain the protein hemoglobin. This iron-rich protein carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body.

Sickle cells contain abnormal hemoglobin that causes the cells to have a sickle shape. Sickle-shaped cells don’t move easily through blood vessels. They’re stiff and sticky and tend to form clumps and get stuck in the blood vessels.

The clumps of sickle cells block blood flow in the blood vessels that lead to the limbs and organs. Blocked blood vessels can cause pain, serious infections and organ damage.

— National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute 16

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Blood donations play crucial role Another vital component for sickle cell treatment is blood donation, especially in the African-American community. Katlin, like many other patients, receives regular blood transfusions to help decrease the number of pain crises. According to Dr. Paulette Bryant, the highest likelihood for a blood match is within a patient’s own cultural group.

Therefore, when African-Americans Dr. Paulette Bryant donate, it increases the chance for sickle cell patients to receive blood that closely matches their own.

“That’s why it’s critically important that we donate regularly because we’re more likely than not to be able to help someone who looks just like us,” Bryant explains.

Advancements in treatment and improving education about the disease are only part of the equation. North Carolina mandates universal screening of all newborns for sickle cell disease. However, the onus is on individuals to understand the risks.

“People still do not take this seriously enough to get tested before they get pregnant.

The test is free and it takes about one minute,” Pat Lambright says.

Bryant concurs. “The most important thing if you have the trait or the disease is to be educated because, if you are educated, you can advocate for yourself or your child; whereas, if you don’t know, a lot of times the diagnosis or treatment may be delayed …” P

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September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

17

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Sleep Study Fidelis U. Edosomwan, MD Medical Director and CEO

18

Pride Magazine | September-November 2009

On The Plaza

Sugar Creek Medical Center

At The Park

BookReview

‘The 4 Day Diet: Be Thinner by Friday!’

T

he title “The 4 Day Diet: Be Thinner

By Friday!” might be a bit misleading if you’re looking for another fad-diet quick fix.

Dr. Ian K. Smith’s new book does eventually get to a section that outlines a series of meal plans in four-day modules, but not before providing a foundation to understand the mental and emotional causes of weight gain. According to Smith, weight loss is “80 percent mental and 20 percent physical.” Smith believes it is essential to be honest and to set goals. The first seven chapters address those aspects and such issues as ”resisting temptation” and “rewarding yourself.”

Easy to read and follow, the book approaches weight loss without focusing on the idea that large amounts of weight can be lost in a short period.

Smith writes: “People want to lose the weight immediately, but they don’t take into account that they didn’t gain it immediately. If the average person gains only 2 to 3 pounds per year, it typically takes almost ten years before that person looks in the mirror and seriously thinks he needs to do something about the excess weight.”

Smith provides several exercises, including a selfassessment tool that shows readers where they are in their weight loss journeys. He also provides a formula for weight

loss that determines how long it should take to reach a particular weight loss goal. In some cases the exercises seem a bit lengthy and involved, but again, this book is not for someone looking for a “lose weight quick” scheme, although technically someone could move straight to chapter eight and focus on the eating plans and the strenuous exercise called for within each module.

Smith said he designed the modules so diet participants won’t get bored. Each module takes four days to complete and includes: n induction (detox, cleansing) n Transition (reintroduces all food groups) n Protein stretch (to avoid plateaus) n Smooth (allows for certain forbidden foods like pizza) n Push (the sprint, just before the final stretch, back to a stricter eating plan) n Pace (allows you to catch your breath) n Vigorous (the final module to lose those last few pounds) The key to a successful diet plan is often the plan’s adaptability to real life. Can the rigid constraints of the Induction and the Push modules transfer to an individual’s everyday life?

Testing it out is probably the best way to answer that question. Smith’s plan is about much more than his four-day modules and is worth a look for that reason. P

by Angela Haigler

“People want to lose the weight immediately, but they don’t take into account that they didn’t gain it immediately.”

— Dr. Ian K. Smith

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

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by Lori K. Tate photos by Greg Briley

MEDICINE Howard Gaines fills prescriptions while fulfilling his dream of helping people

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Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

MAN

Below: Products at Medicine and More.

A

customer knocks on the door at Medicine & More 30 minutes before the pharmacy officially opens. Ignoring his store’s hours, Howard Gaines welcomes the customer and asks how he can help. After discussing his symptoms, the customer buys what he needs and goes on his way.

“That’s the way it is all day,” says Gaines, who has owned his own pharmacy for more than 20 years. “In a way, the front of the store is almost like our living room. …

People come in, and we shoot the breeze a little bit. I feel like it’s a comfortable atmosphere.”

Located on The Plaza, Medicine & More offers prescription medication, over-thecounter products, natural supplements, immunizations, as well as diabetic shoes and supplies. However, the customer service keeps people coming back. “It’s more personal service. We try to get to know our customers,” says Gaines, 51. “We have a lot of repeat customers. We know a little bit more than just their names and faces.”

Working for the future

Born in Clovis, N.M., Gaines did not always know that he wanted to be a pharmacist, but he did know he loved math and science. “My father recommended pharmacy,” recalls Gaines. “I had the option of going to pharmacy school either in Monroe (La.) or in New Orleans. I loved New Orleans, but I thought I would be an academic casualty down in New Orleans so I elected to go to school in Monroe.”

In 1979 he earned a bachelor of science in pharmacy at the University of Louisiana

at Monroe and later earned his doctorate in pharmacy at UNC-Chapel Hill in 2003. He was inspired to go back to school because of changes in the pharmacy industry.

“They are phasing out the bachelor of science degree in pharmacy and only offering the doctorate in pharmacy,” says Gaines. “I felt like just moving forward; I like to be a part of the future instead of the past.”

That mentality has fueled Gaines throughout his career. After coming to Charlotte in 1981, he worked as a pharmacist for Eckerd, Kroger, Bi-Lo and Presbyterian Hospital. While at Kroger, he learned the company was planning to sell its Charlotte stores, leaving the future of his job uncertain.

“In an effort to not be looking for a job with all the people I was working with, I went ahead and took a full-time position with Presbyterian Hospital, and I worked those two jobs at the same time for about nine months,” explains Gaines, adding that he worked at least 84 hours a week during that time.

“In a way, the front of the store is almost like our living room. …

People come in, and we shoot the breeze a little bit. I feel like it’s a comfortable atmosphere.”

— Howard Gaines

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

21

Above: Jessie Pike Top right: Howard Gaines helps customer Bobbie Aiken.

Right: “Rex the Robot,� the automated prescription filler.

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Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

“He (Gaines) has been my pharmacist for about 15 years,” says Aiken. “I don’t know what I’d do without him. I depend on him so much.”

— Bobbie Aiken, a 62-year-old widow who lost her sight during a series of strokes.

After Bi-Lo bought Kroger, Gaines learned that his job was safe. At first, he thought he had two options — either go with Bi-Lo or Presbyterian. Then the option of buying into a pharmacy franchise presented itself. Because he had been working two full-time jobs, he had the capital to pursue his dream of having his own store. That was in 1989.

“When I first graduated, I worked for a small independent chain in Louisiana called Pearson’s Drug,” says Gaines, who lives eight minutes away from his business with his wife and two sons. “I think that really fueled the fire as far as wanting to own my own store.”

Personal treatment

For 20 years Gaines operated his Plaza location, and for four years he co-owned another location on West Boulevard. Last March, he opted to go completely independent and simply kept his Plaza location.

Now he has five employees, including him, and although there’s a CVS down the street, business is good. “When you own your own business in pharmacy, when you own your own business, there’s always a giant in the land. There’s always something on the horizon. It’s just, can you continue to do what you do? Can you find the rock in the sling?” says Gaines. “We’ve been able to do that. We just basically provide the best

service that we possibly can and do our best for people. Personally, I try to treat my customers like I would want my parents to be treated. My parents live far away (Alexandria, La.), and I often worry about how they’re treated.”

Bobbie Aiken, a 62-year-old widow who lost her sight during a series of strokes, is thankful for Gaines’ attitude. “He (Gaines) has been my pharmacist for about 15 years,” says Aiken. “I don’t know what I’d do without him. I depend on him so much.”

Gaines prepares Aiken’s medicine tray each week and personally delivers it to her home.

Free delivery is one of the services he’s able to offer as an independent pharmacist.

“It’s a blessing to have him,” says Aiken, who takes almost 30 pills a day. “I just thank the Lord for him.”

For Gaines, that’s what being a pharmacist is all about. “I mainly enjoy helping people get well or stay well,” he says. “I work a lot of hours. When you own your own business, you’re going to work a lot of hours and you’re going to wear a lot of hats.” In addition to being the pharmacist at Medicine & More, he’s also a consultant for several assisted living centers in the area, making his workweek approximately 65 hours long.

Sure, there have been challenges along the way, but he doesn’t attribute them to race. “As an Afro-American pharmacist there may have been some times in the past where

I felt like there may have been some unfair treatment, but that was in the past,” he says. “For the most part, there have mainly been issues relating to the business itself.

Pharmacy has to evolve like any business.

It has to evolve through time in order to continue to stay around, and so there’s been issues relating to third-party reimbursement and things like that. …trying to meet the needs of the public.”

Jessie Pike, the third-generation owner of Pike’s Pharmacy in Charlotte, has known Gaines for 20 years. “The thing that impresses me the most about Howard is his enthusiasm for his work and his neverending energy supply,” says Pike, who frequently shares inventory with Gaines when appropriate. “I know that Howard goes well beyond the scope of practicing the profession, as most people know it, to take care of his patients.”

While Gaines’ main concern is the health of his patients, he also caters to their mental well-being by selling kites in his pharmacy.

“We sell kites because one of my hobbies is kite flying,” he explains. “I like doing things that are on the opposite end of the spectrum from what I do every day. With kites, there’s no correlation, at least I can’t make a correlation, between flying a kite and being a pharmacist, plus it’s peaceful.”

Just what the doctor ordered. P September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

23

by Hannah Miller photos by Greg Briley

Jonathan Pullin, left, confers with Mark England, owner of Charlotte Energy Solutions.

24

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Efforts to save the environment multiply, and AfricanAmericans have opportunity to be key players

What

‘going green’ means to us

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

25

Van Jones

As it seeks $6.7 million in stimulus money to “go green,” Charlotte can already claim some notable efforts in that direction, some of them led by African-Americans like environmental chemist Jonathan Pullin.

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Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

“I have kids. My kids will have kids,” says Pullin, whose Environmental Group of the Carolinas (www.teg-inc.com) helps individuals, businesses and organizations change their practices to better protect the environment. His goal, says Pullin, is to pass on to those children a planet that’s reasonably clean.

Going green, he says, means different things to different people. “It can be as simple as returning reusable hangers to the dry cleaner or as complicated as installing solar, wind or geothermal (using Earth’s heat) technology into a residence or commercial structure.”

“The lifestyle we’re living as a people is unsustainable,” he says, because Americans are using up their resources. “That which is unsustainable ceases to exist.”

“Going green,” he says, “has shifted from being a “tree-hugger” or “do-gooder” into a need to take more personal responsibility for survival of our planetary ecosystem, including air quality, water quality and land preservation.”

Across the nation, the “green movement” has taken root as never before. Perhaps its biggest boost came from former Vice President Al Gore’s eco-documentary, “An Inconvenient Truth,” which garnered two Oscar awards and heightened awareness and debate about how best to combat global warming.

One person who joined the green debate was Van Jones, a black social activist and environmentalist in California. Jones is the author of “The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems.”

In a 2007 review of his book, New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman noted that Jones, “using his (Ella Baker Center for Human Rights) in Oakland … has been on a crusade

to help underprivileged African-Americans and other disadvantaged communities understand why they would be the biggest beneficiaries of a greener America. It’s about jobs. The more government requires buildings to be more energy efficient, the more work there will be retrofitting buildings all across America with solar panels, insulation and other weatherizing materials. Those are manual-labor jobs that can’t be outsourced.”

Altering the size of our environmental footprint Jonathan Pullin studied chemistry and then specialized in environmental chemistry at UNC-Asheville before receiving his master’s degree in environmental chemistry from UNC-Chapel Hill. He serves on the board of the Public Health Foundation of the UNC

Mark England, above and below, with Jonathan Pullin.

Charlotte Area Transit System planner Romand Robinson.

Gillings School of Global Health.

“As a trained environmental scientist,” he says, “my concern is how the chemistry and biology of our daily activities impact the environment in which we work, live, rest and play.

“In simple terms, sustainability can be defined as continuing an activity while having little or no impact on the environment. In other words, can we continue heating and cooling our homes or businesses while having little or no impact on the surrounding air quality?

“The answer is yes, although there will be a financial impact and/or a change in lifestyle.”

Pullin’s 11-year-old company is expanding from advising businesses on things like asbestos and mold removal to advising homeowners, churches, not-for-profits and other organizations on ways to go green. It will also train workers for green jobs, like solar panel and geothermaloriented HVAC installation.

The overall strategy of his business plan, written with the help of Wachovia, Edmonson Associates and the Carolinas Minority Development Supplier Council, “is to help reduce dependence on fossil fuel and thereby strengthen our nation’s energy security position,” he says.

“This includes developing a training program for the installation of solar panels as well as the utilization of other renewable sources of energy such as geothermal and solar thermal technologies,” he says.

“The plan is national in scope and seeks to assist nonprofits, workforce development agencies, community colleges and high schools in growing a green workforce.

“What better trade than going green because now it’s the thrust of this nation?”

Pullin asks. “It creates local solutions, jobs that cannot be outsourced.”

Besides solar panel installers and geothermal HVAC engineers, he says, such jobs include wind farm technicians, wind resource analysts, bioprocess engineers and 0fuel cell technician/engineers.

In June, the N.C. State Energy Office received $30.4 million as part of the federal stimulus package designed to create jobs and create a more sustainable environment. “A new revolving loan fund will be created to provide no- and low-interest loans to businesses, along with competitive grants that will be available to businesses and organizations with innovative clean energy projects,” Pullin says.

The $6.7 million the city of Charlotte is seeking comes from another part of the stimulus package, but both efforts are designed to turn the country from its energy-wasting ways.

“We’ve got to do something, and the president is saying, ‘I’ll kick-start it,’” Pullin says.

“It’s important that we as African-Americans participate and not feel it’s somebody else’s issue,” he says. “Any individual can participate in this effort by simply deciding that they will recycle, eliminate wasting water and purchase more recycled materials.

“Our community can also participate by holding our elected officials accountable for implementing and tracking the use of renewables and clean energy technologies locally, regionally, statewide and nationally.”

Declaring war on dirty air “From the city’s perspective, air quality has to be job No. 1,” says Anthony Foxx, mayoral candidate and city council member. Fox was instrumental in forming the council’s first environmental committee, which he chaired.

For the past two years, the city’s air has

failed to meet federal standards on ozone, a harmful chemical created when auto exhaust meets summer heat. By July, this year’s record appeared better, but Air Quality Director Don Willard was still pessimistic that the region’s three-year average won’t pass federal muster next spring, possibly endangering federal funds for roads. He’s hoping for an extension of the deadline.

“The best automobile for the environment is the one not being used,” Foxx points out.

“Right now, we’ve got three (rail) projects in various stages of study, the Northeast line to UNC Charlotte, the North line on existing track up through Davidson and the east-west streetcar. All three of those projects will improve air quality.”

Debra Campbell, director of the citycounty planning department and a 20-year planning veteran, says the existing Lynx Blue September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

27

Right: Doctoral student Brett Tempest.

Below: Architect Darrel Williams.

Line is attracting the high-density, in-town development that reduces sprawl and increases green space.

“We’re trying to redirect growth back in those areas where you have the services, the street network, that can accommodate that development,” she says. That way, existing green space is spared, she says.

In combating smog, Foxx says, “We forget about buses a lot, but 50 people on a bus is better than 50 people in cars.” Hybrid buses are even better, and Charlotteans, who drove CATS’ combined bus-rail ridership up 12.2 percent last year, are getting five more hybrid buses to ride.

The five, which join two others already in the fleet, operate on automatically recharging batteries when traveling below 45 mph. The initial cost per 44-seat bus is $250,000 to $300,000 over the $300,000 to $350,000 of a regular bus. But once that cost is met, in this case by a grant, they offer a big savings in gas mileage, says CATS planner Romand Robinson.

Designated the Sprinter service, the new 28

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

green-painted hybrids were set to start running on Sept. 14 along a Wilkinson Boulevard-airport route with more frequent service and more amenities.

Buildings get an environmental makeover When it comes to negative impact on the environment, says architect Darrel Williams, “Buildings have a big role, by using up so much energy.”

When Williams’ Neighboring Concepts architectural firm designed the parks system’s new Revolution Regional Sports and Learning Academy, it made the most of sunlight hitting the Revolution Park site “If you get enough daylight coming in, you don’t need to have the lights on. You’re just wasting energy,” Williams says.

The building, on track to receive LEED Gold certification, uses recycled materials and nontoxic paint and even has windows that open.

“You can’t get fresh air in a lot of buildings,” Williams says.

“Green is becoming a more important color, and not just because it’s the color of money,” jokes former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt. Learning to respect and protect natural resources “is going to be a lifesaver for us on this planet.”

The Gantt Huberman architectural firm, where Gantt is a principal, recently built two municipal buildings that won high ratings from LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for their built-in energysaving features.

In the LEED Silver building that Gantt Huberman designed for ImaginOn learning center uptown, purplish granite in the storytelling tower was waste left over by a tombstone-maker. “We retooled it,” Gantt says.

In a 2008 Environmental Services Facility that Gantt Huberman designed for the citycounty utilities department, interior and exterior “fins” direct sunlight into the building, where light bounces off reflective paint. These and other measures resulted in a 20 percent energy savings and a LEED Gold certification.

Green efforts save more than the environment For several nonprofits, energy savings are a side benefit to their mission of helping people.

Multi-county, anti-poverty agency Gaston Community Action insulated 133 Mecklenburg homes last year to help low-income and elderly people cut their heating costs. The agency has a branch office at 801 N. Tryon St., and it’s looking to work with the city of Charlotte in weatherization, Director Joseph Dixon says.

Second Harvest Food Bank distributes 25 million tons of mostly donated food annually to 700 humanitarian agencies in 19 counties.

Things like bent cans and broken boxes are their stock in trade, says Operations Manager J.D. Fuller. “We inspect it. We toss anything harmful. We keep the good stuff. We pick up everything from canned goods to corn flakes

to snacks that these retailers would otherwise maybe dump.”

“There’s enough food wasted in this country to feed everybody who’s hungry,” Fuller contends.

Sustainable Communities Inc. (www.sustainable.ci.org) doesn’t want to see whole communities go to waste. The startup nonprofit intends to help stabilize low- and middle-income Charlotte neighborhoods that are experiencing crime by buying homes, turning them green, and reselling them. Solar hot water, window insulation and Energy Star-rated appliances would be used.

“We don’t want to gentrify neighborhoods, but we want to . . . do as much as possible so the person living there will have lower operating costs,” says CFO Marcus Williams.

So far, nonprofits and government have been leading the green charge, with ordinary citizen involvement trailing behind.

A little fewer than half of the 206,000 Charlotteans who have recycling bins use them weekly, says Victoria Garland, director of solid waste services for the city.

Pullin says the desire to protect the environment is there, but many people who would like to help are put off by the upfront cost, either in money or lifestyle change. They don’t see the savings that would come down the road, he says.

The city’s stimulus grant application is designed to create jobs in the energy field and to get more people involved. The idea, says planner Campbell, “is to . . . actually create a green industry, which would involve the development of small businesses to help with solar paneling and those kind of green initiatives.”

Michael Nettles Sr. of Huntersville is one of those small businessmen. His Creative Enhancement System Integrators, besides installing security systems, installs solar panels and does free energy audits.

Bottom left: J.D. Fuller, operations manager at Second Harvest Food Bank.

Below: Jonathan Pullin and Mark England look at Segways.

Want to go green?

You can take the city’s green pledge at www.charmeck.org. Look under city of Charlotte, click “Focus on Environment,” then click “learn how you can get involved.”

Or you can participate in Duke Energy’s Save-AWatt program, which offers everything from a free home energy audit to money-saving coupons for energy-saving light bulbs.

Check out the Energy Savings section on the utility’s home page, www.duke-energy.com. When you click “learn more,” you’ll find printable coupons and, on the left side of the page, a link to information on the free home energy analysis and the Smart Saver rebate programa.

With Smart Saver, customers buying high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment can receive cash rebates.

The Save-A-Watt program’s cost is being passed along to the utility’s customers for about $1 a month in their utility bills. The energy it saves is intended to keep them from having to pay for new powerplant construction.

Small businesses like his will be the rebuilders of the economy, he thinks, and as such, the stimulus money should provide training for their employees. He plans to provide some training.

After conducting a survey to see if green jobs will be available to its graduates, Central Piedmont Community College this fall starts a two-year associate’s degree in sustainable technology. UNCC teaches sustainability through a number of its programs, and students in its Daylight and Energy Technology Lab not only research energy-saving materials and practices, they assist local businesses on construction projects.

And in UNCC’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, African-American doctoral student Brett Tempest, supervised by the department’s Janos Gergely, is leading an effort to turn a hazard into a useful commodity. A Department of Energy grant supports part of the work, which turns fly ash into geopolymer cement.

The average Charlottean’s planet-saving measures won’t be nearly as dramatic, but Jonathan Pullin urges: “Do as much as possible on a personal level. That little small amount you do makes a big difference from a global perspective,” he says. P September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

29

Romand Robinson

Harvey Gantt

Anthony Foxx

The Charlotte Area Transit System is adding five hybrid buses to its fleet.

Gantt is principal of the Gantt Huberman architectural firm, which built two municipal buildings that won high ratings from Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.

Foxx helped form the council’s first environmental committee.

Brett Tempest

Joseph Dixon

CATS Planner

Architect

City Councilman

‘Green’ giants J.D. Fuller Operations Manager Second Harvest Food Bank

Doctoral Student UNCC

The food bank distributes 25 million tons of food annually to 700 humanitarian agencies.

In UNCC’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, Tempest led an effort to turn fly ash into geopolymer cement.

Debra Campbell

Victoria Garland

Marcus Williams

Through light rail, Campbell says the city and county are trying to redirect growth and spare existing green space.

Garland says about half of the 206,000 Charlotteans who have recycling bins use them weekly.

Williams’ nonprofit intends to help stabilize low- and middle-income Charlotte neighborhoods by buying homes, turning them green and reselling them.

Director CharlotteMecklenburg Planning Department

Director City of Charlotte Solid Waste Department

Dixon’s agency insulated 133 Mecklenburg homes last year, helping lowincome and elderly residents reduce heating costs.

CFO Sustainable Communities Inc.

Darrel Williams

Michael Nettles Sr.

Williams’ Neighboring Concepts architectural firm designed the park system’s Revolution Regional Sports and Learning Academy, which uses recycled materials and nontoxic paint.

Nettles’ company installs solar panels and conducts free energy audits.

Architect

30

Director Gaston Community Action

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Owner Creative Enhancement System Integrators

5800 Sardis Road • Charlotte, NC 28270 • 704.887.6000 • www.providenceday.org

Providence Day School exists to inspire in its students a passion for learning, a commitment to personal integrity, and a sense of social responsibility.

ADMISSIONS OPEN HOUSE DATES Monday, Oct. 19, 7 p.m. | Sunday, Nov. 1, 2 p.m. | Wednesday, Nov. 11, 9:30 a.m. | Multicultural: Tuesday, Nov. 17, 7 p.m.

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

31

ByFaith

In good health

P eople should use faith as a guide for protecting, improving their well-being

by Rev. Ricky Woods

A

s a person of faith, I believe in the power of prayer to provide healing. I have seen it occur many times, sometimes through ways that could be called miraculous and through other occasions that simply look routine. There are countless occasions in scripture where healing is mentioned in connection with faith.

In Mark 2:1, a paralyzed man is healed because of the faith of his four friends who brought him to Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Your sins are forgiven� (Mark 2:5) and the man was healed. In Acts 3:1, a crippled beggar seeking financial assistance was immediately given the strength he needed to stand and walk.

Medical researchers tell us that attitude and outlook have a direct impact upon how patients respond to care and treatment. Every week, houses of faith are empowering people throughout this community with the skills to

negotiate a world that can be the source of struggle and strain leading to health issues from hypertension to chemical abuse. Being a person of faith and having faith does not just mean seeking to use that faith in moments of illness, but it means using that faith in the choices one make that foster

Being a person of faith and having faith does not just mean seeking to use that faith in moments of illness, but it means using that faith in the choices one make that foster a healthier lifestyle.

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Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

a healthier lifestyle. In every faith, the body is considered a gift to be cherished and cared for in ways that can ultimately be an asset for the broader community. When we allow our faith to inform our choices, we are not just making moral decisions but decisions that can impact the health

of a community.

I urge you to live your faith in ways that make you healthier and better. In doing so, you are changing your community for the better. P The Rev. Ricky Woods is senior minister of First Baptist Church-West.

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September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

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by Hannah Miller photos by Markus K. Perry

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Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Ama Bey is co-owner of Kamit Natural Foods.

Courtney Rasby, right, conducts a workshop at Kamit Natural Foods.

Healthy OUTLOOK Merchant provides a wellness resource for westside and beyond

K

amit Natural Foods exists not only to teach healthy lifestyles but to help strengthen Charlotte’s westside, says Ama Bey, co-owner with her husband, Ameen Bey. Kamit — more a wellness center than a store — became a part of the community during the 13 years it operated out of what she calls “a cubby” on West Morehead Street. A move several blocks down Tuckaseegee Road last September provided more space but didn’t change its character as classroom, counseling center and natural-foods store.

“People who come here are people who live right here,” Bey says. She lives five minutes away, and “I could walk home from here.”

People come to Kamit Foods to sample the foods and food supplements; to participate in an organic-foods co-op; and to learn nutrition, meditation, healthful cooking, exercise routines, yoga and gi gong, a meditative form of movement similar to tai chi.

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

35

Ama Bey helps customer Radea Sharp.

Naturopathic practitioners like herself, says Bey, rely on the natural world for remedies to physical and emotional ills. Those she advises call her “Dr. Bey,” and shelves in Kamit’s renovated duplex hold tinctures derived from plants as well as honey, tofu and other naturally occurring edibles.

Fostering a longstanding sense of community On any given day — hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday — Bey might be asked to re-bandage a dog bite, give advice about digestive problems or function as “life coach,” helping others determine what they want out of life.

One day a month, Kamit Foods’ porch becomes a mini-farmer’s market, as a RaleighDurham area organic farmer sets up shop there. Co-op members are notified, and they get first choice.

“They’ll come just to get the collards and the sweet potatoes,” Bey says.

The kind of services she provides are meant to recreate on the westside the kind of community she grew up in in Monroe.

36

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

“Everybody provided a service. Everybody took care of each other,” she says.

She credits that community with keeping her family together when both her parents, Virginia and Horace White, died young, She was the oldest child at 17, and when she said she wanted to look after her four younger brothers and sisters, people in the community told a judge determining the family’s fate, “If she wants to keep them, we’ll keep an eye on them. They allowed us to stay together, even though we were teenagers.”

‘How to get back to that’ She raised her siblings, first in Monroe and then in Charlotte, and while she did, she pondered her parents’ early deaths, her mother at 35 and her father at 40.

Her father had cardiovascular disease and her mother’s problem was obesity. “She was about 4 feet wide,” her daughter remembers.

They’d moved from a farm, where their food came from the earth, to the city, where it came from cans and contained large amounts of salt and sugar. “The garden disappeared. The activity was less,” she remembers.

The earth-connected life had been good for

them, she concluded. “I’m going to try to figure out how to get back to that.”

In Charlotte, she started cooking at health food stores, looking forward to when she would have her own establishment. She was also a storyteller at the Afro-American Cultural Center.

She read books and went to seminars.

Though her involvement in midwifery now is limited to counseling, she once traveled extensively as a midwife. Everywhere she went, she says, she tried to learn something. In Ghana, it was that country’s herbs.

A dedicated vegan, there was a time when “I’d drink so much carrot juice, the bottoms of my hands and feet were orange.”

Now she doesn’t push the vegan lifestyle on others, preferring to stress healthy choices.

It’s a message Kamit Foods spreads at community events like the annual Juneteenth celebration, and also at the 2715 Tuckaseegee Road location, where a restaurant and juice bar are being added and a supper theater is envisioned. An on-site Kamit Festival will be held Sept. 26.

Bey is building community as she builds Kamit, she believes. “For me, it’s fulfilling a mission.” P

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September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

37

CreativeArts

by LaTonya Mason photos by Lee Stewart

One for the ages Multigenerational project on community yields a common definition

T Quentin Talley, top, and with collaborator Lee Stewart, above.

Right: “Generations Eye to Eye” participants cut and tear out items from magazines to make collages.

38

hrough a grant obtained by the Mint Museum of Art and the Charlotte Links service organization, photographer Lee Stewart helped produce the “Generations Eye to Eye” program. More than 40 participants worked together to answer the question: What is community?

“I was responsible for the visual arts part of the project. It was amazing to see grandmothers, mothers, daughters and aunts work together, to not only define community but to visualize it as well,” Stewart says.

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Inspired by Romare Bearden’s style of artistry, Stewart taught participants to use shapes, bright colors, words, fabrics and textiles to create their works. Bearden, a Charlottean, was a writer, artist and master collagist. Stewart took the project participants’ original works and put them into a setting that looked like a community, including Charlotte’s buildings as a backdrop. Stewart calls the displays “windows of expressions.”

Participants also had an opportunity to express themselves through writing.

Local playwright and poet Quentin Talley conducted poetry workshops in which participants wrote poems to describe “community” by using their five senses.

Their poetry was included in the collages.

“There were no rules and barriers, and participants were given impromptu instructions to create their work,” Stewart says.

The Mint Museum provided construction paper, art supplies, fabrics and textiles, and Stewart brought in a collection

Ruby Britt-Height

of magazines. Participants cut and tore out photos and letterings from the magazines to make their collages. Common themes of the participations’ discussions, artworks and poetry included communication, safety, forgiveness, love and unity.

Ruby Britt-Height, director of community relations for the Mint, is proud of “Generations Eye to Eye” and Stewart and Talley’s collaboration.

“What we found is that when we come together generationally, whether we’re 16, 35 or 65, we still define community the same. We see it eye-to-eye.” P

Above and right: Images from the exhibit.

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

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by Angela Lindsay Hilst photos courtesy of Castle & Cooke

Scientific solution Hub in Kannapolis to advance human health research, alter local economy

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Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

The North Carolina Research Campus is on the site of a former textile mill in Cabarrus County.

Clyde Higgs says historically black colleges and universities will have an “integral role” on the campus and will be “key players,” particularly given the campus’ diverse approach to its research initiatives.

Higgs says African-Americans have an opportunity to get involved on the ground floor in some of these studies, and such participation will ultimately improve the health of all African-Americans.

O

nce on the brink of economic implosion from factory closings and job losses, Kannapolis is poised to revamp its economy and, in the process, become a center of nutrition and disease research as the site of the North Carolina Research Campus.

NCRC is the vision of David H. Murdock, the real estate tycoon and owner of Dole Food Co. The sprawling $1.5 billion, state-ofthe-art facility sits on land once occupied by a textile mill that Murdock once owned. The center’s mission is to foster collaboration and further advancements in biotechnology, nutrition and health. The campus will be a base for cutting-edge research and discovering ways to create a better and prolonged quality of life for all people.

Clyde Higgs, vice president of business development with NCRC campus developer Castle & Cooke, says NCRC aims to be the hub for human health research. He adds that Murdock chose to locate NCRC in Kannapolis because he wanted “to see more economic opportunities happening in this region. He owned Cannon-Fieldcrest sometime ago, so he really has a strong connection to the Kannapolis/Cabarrus County/Charlotte area. He wanted to see jobs and economic empowerment come to this community that can’t be easily transported overseas. That’s based on knowledge-economy jobs — jobs that you do based on what you can manipulate with your mind as opposed to what you can make and manipulate with your hands.”

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

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‘Work, live, play and learn’ on one site Currently, the 350-acre campus houses four buildings, including the David H. Murdock Research Institute. The institue houses the world’s only 950-megahertz nuclear magnetic resonance machine that allows chemists to get a more definitive view of the components of certain compounds and how they interact, ultimately aiding in improved research and treatment for diseases.

Clyde Higgs A five-story Core Laboratory Building has been built, and a Biotechnology Training Center is under construction. Higgs expects a “critical mass of activity” on the campus in the next three years. The physical campus is expected to eventually consist of more than 3 million square feet of labortory, office and retail space.

“Mr. Murdock’s big vision is to make this into a science community,” explains Higgs. “So it’s not just a place where you would work, but it’s a place where you would work, live, play and learn all on one site.”

Private businesses and universities will have the opportunity to test, explore and advance scientific knowledge across a variety of disciplines on the campus. Two large academic buildings house seven UNC universities and Duke University. A new branch of Rowan-Cabarrus Community College will be built, providing on-campus training and degrees in biotechnology.

Two of the institutions participating in projects at NCRC are N.C. A&T State University and N.C. Central University. NCCU’s Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute conducts research to identify and evaluate how what we eat is metabolized in the body so researchers can discover better therapies for diseases such as cancer and diabetes. N.C. A&T State University’s Center of Excellence for Post-Harvest Technologies will conduct research in post-harvest technologies, which focus on improving the quality and safety of food after it has left the farm.

Higgs says historically black colleges and universities will have an “integral role” on the campus and will be “key players,” particularly given the campus’ diverse approach to its research initiatives.

42

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Two of the institutions participating in projects at NCRC are N.C. A&T State University and N.C. Central University.

NCCU’s Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/ Biotechnology Research Institute conducts research to identify and evaluate how what we eat is metabolized in the body so researchers can discover better therapies for diseases such as cancer and diabetes. N.C. A&T State University’s Center of Excellence for Post-Harvest Technologies will conduct research in post-harvest technologies, which focus on improving the quality and safety of food after it has left the farm.

“A lot of things that Mr. Murdock is pushing here on the campus to be studied,” such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer, require researchers to ensure “they have a strong diversity in patients that they study in these particular disease areas,” explains Higgs.

Increased participation from the AfricanAmerican community in clinical studies helps ensure the validity of research work. Higgs says AfricanAmericans have an opportunity David Murdock to get involved on the ground floor in some of these studies, and such participation will ultimately improve the health of all African-Americans.

Future payoff for a spectrum of industries If Murdock’s vision for NCRC takes shape the way he has planned, Higgs says the campus might create 37,000 jobs in various fields, such as landscapers, bookkeepers, hotel workers, suppliers of goods, etc.

“We believe that the research campus will ultimately be an economic engine that provides opportunities for everyone,” Murdock asserts.

It is this economic impact that Higgs says he, too, is most excited about, as he sums up NCRC’s potential for the surrounding community in just three words: “There’s opportunity here.” P

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September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

43

EyeCare

Optical hazard Connective tissue diseases can wreak havoc on the eyes

by Dr. Paula Newsome

W

hat do lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and Sjorgren’s disease have in common?

All affect collagen and are more commonly called connective tissue diseases. Connective tissue forms the framework or support structure for our bodies and also provides protection for organs and binds the body together.

Connective tissue ailments, previously called collagen vascular diseases, affect almost every part of the body and tend to be inflammatory. Because the body is held together by connective tissue, almost no part of it is immune from these diseases. The main components of connective tissue are collagen and elastin. So what does this have to do with the eye?

Almost the entire ball portion of our eyes is collagen; therefore, any disease that affects collagen can and usually does affect the eye. The white part of the eye, the sclera, is collagen as is the cornea, which is the clear part of the eye and similar in function to a crystal on a watch. In order for you to see well, it is important for the cornea to remain clear to allow light in.

The most common eye ailment that is a connective tissue disease is Sjorgren’s syndrome. Sjorgren’s is characterized by dry mouth and dry eyes and is an autoimmune inflammation resulting in destruction of the lacrimal and salivary glands. The lacrimal gland is necessary for our tears, which keep our eyes feeling moist, and the salivary glands are responsible for producing saliva to keep our mouths moist. As we age, our

44

eyes tend to become more dry; however, Sjorgren’s tends to present as a more severe form of dryness. It is also common for patients suffering from Sjorgren’s to complain that their eyes feel gritty.

Another disease often associated with connective tissue is an inflammation of the eye called an anterior uveitis. Its hallmark is a very red, painful eye that is typically very light sensitive. If you experience this, go see your eye care provider immediately.

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

People of color tend to be more at risk for connective tissue diseases for some unknown reason. Additionally, these diseases tend to affect females more than males. So if you are a person of color and female and have aching in your joints, dry eyes and a family history of connective tissue diseases, make sure you have a comprehensive eye examination.

The connection might be a connective tissue disease. P Dr. Paula Newsome is president of Advantage Vision Center.

Almost the entire ball portion of our eyes is collagen; therefore, any disease that affects collagen can and usually does affect the eye.

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September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

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DentalCare

Simple, but effective

by Dr. Michael Stout

Flossing and brushing are the key to preventing gum disease

A

ll too often, dentists get calls from patients who want to make appointments for dental cleanings. Upon examination, dentists discover that patients’ gums are bleeding when they floss, or dentists detect bad breath or plaque and tarter buildup on the patients’ teeth.

In far too many cases, a dental cleaning will not treat the problem.

Regrettably, more than 70 percent of the population has some form of gum disease. It could range from gingivitis to severe periodontal disease.

Gingivitis is a common and mild form of gum (periodontal) disease. Gingivitis causes swelling of the gums. The most common cause of gingivitis is poor oral hygiene. It is important to take gingivitis seriously and get it treated because it can lead to a more severe periodontal disease that affects the bone and surrounding tooth structures.

Signs and symptoms of gingivitis could be bad breath, tender gums, and red or bleeding gums. However, most of the time, there are no obvious symptoms at the early stage of the disease. That is why frequent visits to the dentist (at least twice yearly) are important.

46

Sticky situation begins with plaque Gingivitis is initiated by plaque accumulation. Plaque is the invisible, sticky film that is composed of bacteria, starches and sugars. Plaque that stays on your teeth for a day or so can harden and become tartar (calculus), which acts as a reservoir for bacteria. The bacteria produces toxins that eat away at the surrounding tooth and gum structures. In time, your gums swell and bleed and your teeth may loosen as well. This condition is called periodontitis and may increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, and preterm birth for pregnant women. Patients with illnesses like diabetes, hypertension and autoimmune diseases (lupus, multiple sclerosis, etc.,) should see a dentist regularly to lessen the chance of getting gingivitis.

Diagnosing gingivitis is generally simple. Your dentist will look for plaque and tartar buildup on your teeth and examine your gums, tongue and surrounding tooth structures. Your X-rays will be evaluated to determine if there are obvious signs of bone loss. A periodontal probing might also be done to measure the amount of bone loss. The hygienist will sometimes evaluate the effectiveness of your oral hygiene by using a plaque-disclosing tablet to show the areas where you are not brushing effectively, leaving plaque.

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Most dentists do not recommend over-the-counter mouthwashes due to the high alcohol content. The alcohol works as a drying agent and might reduce your salivary flow, which causes more cavities.

Skip many over-thecounter remedies In many cases, treatment of gingivitis starts with a dental scaling and depending on the progression of the disease, might require multiple visits and the use of anesthesia. Your dentist might also recommend mouth rinses that have proven to reduce plaque. One of the most beneficial oral rinses is chlorohexadine.

Most dentists do not recommend over-the-counter mouthwashes due to the high alcohol content.

The alcohol works as a drying agent and might reduce your salivary flow, which causes more cavities.

Don’t rely on other gimmicky products like tartar-control toothpaste, whitening toothpaste, breath mints and gums, etc.

These products might make your breath smell better, but they are a temporary cover up that ultimately could cause more problems. Nothing can replace adequate brushing and flossing.

Repairing broken or decayed teeth and faulty dental restorations also aids in keeping gums healthy by reducing harmful bacteria in the mouth.

Brushing and flossing effectively

contribute greatly to plaque reduction. Ideally, you should floss and brush after each snack or meal because plaque starts to accumulate almost immediately after eating.

I have discovered, however, that many patients have never learned the proper brushing and flossing techniques.

Following are some other things you can do to help reduce or control gingivitis and periodontitis: n Use a soft toothbrush and alternate it daily, allowing it to completely dry after it is thoroughly cleaned. Get your dental hygienist to teach you the correct way to brush and floss. n Consider using an electric toothbrush with a sanitizer that cleans your brush of harmful bacteria. Use your toothbrush for no more than three months. n Get regular professional dental cleanings and checkups on a schedule recommended by your dental hygienist and dentist. P Dr. Michael Stout is a Charlotte dentist.

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September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

47

by Hanna Miller photos by Greg Briley

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Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Staff Sgt. Vera James, center, and her adoptive daughters, Cassandra, 19, and Shawneshia, 16.

Foster program, agencies’ goal: Shelter kids from family turbulence, prepare them for future

Handled With

Care

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

49

For Vera James, center, adopting older children has been “a great experience that I thank God for.”

50

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

F

oster care is meant to provide temporary safety for children caught up in their parents’ problems.

After a court has moved them from their stressful situations into a foster home, “You see a child who is just kind of withdrawn and not being a child, not able to just be a kid, and then you see that transformation . . .” says Tonya Wood, volunteer of the year for Mecklenburg’s Guardian ad Litem program.

GAL volunteers, says Wood, provide a neutral advocate, someone for the children to talk to while parents are working out their problems so the family can be reunited.

They see that the children are kept safe and their needs are met.

Sometimes there’s no parent-child reunion, and the children remain in foster

care through the county Department of Social Services’ Youth & Family Services division until they “age out” at 18. At that point, monetary support generally ceases, which brings a whole new set of challenges.

Many miss out on teachable moments Just because you’ve turned 18, says former foster child Tonya Harris, doesn’t mean you’re ready to enter the world.

She’s now 42, married and manager of the virtual office at financial strategist Wealth Builders Inc., but she’ll never forget the loneliness of being in foster homes in Indiana her entire childhood.

“It’s still part of who I am.”

Babies are top choice for adoptees Because of prospective adoptive parents’ enchantment with babies, older children often get overlooked for adoption, says Ruth Amerson, director of the nonprofit Another Choice.

There are still an estimated 300 young people ages 13 to 18 in foster care in Mecklenburg, plus another 162 ages 18 to 21 who have aged out but still maintain some contact with the state and county’s independent-living program, the Phoenix Project.

Having endured the trauma of separation, from not only parents but siblings, they’re likely to have more problems with school and employment than “your average Joe,” says Tricia Nielson, coordinator of the Phoenix Project.

Tonya Harris

Photo courtesy of Sean

Questions like, “How much money do you need to live?” “How much money do you need to save?” can be totally foreign to a foster child, says Harris. “Those are the things most parents help their children with.”

She and her husband, Tyree Harris, are planning an “Empowered Directions” program to help former foster children acquire knowledge they might have missed along the way.

In families, important lessons are passed along. Vera James, who adopted several years ago through Another Choice for Black Children, did just that with two adopted daughters and a foster daughter.

They’d lie there (in the bed) and tell ghost stories, and talk about their lives and families.

“It gave us a sense of who we are,” says James, a staff sergeant in the Army Reserves.

“As I was teaching them, they were teaching me. I know some dances. I even ended up liking rapper Lil’ Wayne.”

Tonya Woods

Tanisha James

Sean, who grew up in foster care and recently graduated from Johnson & Wales University, credits mentor David Lamothe and Youth Homes Inc. for guiding him.

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

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Ruth Amerson, right, founder and CEO of Another Choice, talks with staffers Estell Collins, left, the agency’s office manager, and Deborah Simmons, adoption specialist.

What bothers Youth & Family Services emergency foster parent Rasheda McMullin the most, she says, is that when children leave her home after the one-month limit, they move to another school. “The kids get really discouraged by that, having to go from school to school.”

Once a child has aged out, joblessness, and with it, homelessness, are the major threats, says Nielson. Of the 162 she knows about, five or fewer might be homeless at any given time, she estimates.

The recession, she says, “has definitely taken a toll on our young people. People who have degrees and are better trained are taking the jobs our young people would have.”

The Phoenix Project teaches life skills like personal safety and budgeting, and introduces young people to the worlds of work and college before they turn 18.

Beyond that cutoff point, “we can help them look for housing and employment,” Nielson says.

“There’s funding available for postsecondary education or vocational training.

We can help them with all kinds of things like rent, utilities, household supplies, work uniforms. We help them with bus passes.”

But it’s nothing like the help young people can get from a family if jobs dry up and they have to move back home. “There’s not enough money to, like, pay their rent for a year,” says Nielson. “We might be able to help them with their rent a couple of times.”

The country’s economic stimulus package is helping, by providing money for summer 52

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

jobs. “I know we had a bunch of kids get hired at Carowinds,” Nielsen says. And Phoenix Project’s number of employees has grown, which she hopes will mean closer relationships with young people.

Detour from trip ‘down the wrong path’ Alexander Youth Network, which contracts with the county to provide emotional and mental health treatment to foster children, last year started a Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care program for older youth. It extends three months past the 18-year cutoff. There’s been one “graduate” so far, says Tanisha James, program supervisor. “He’s been able to sustain a job. Which is awesome.”

This past spring, Johnson C. Smith University started an informal mentoring program, with five former foster children, all JCSU students, linking up with 10 agingout youth for social activities like the CIAA basketball tournament.

A success story at Johnson & Wales University owes a lot to another mentor.

Sean, a 2009 Johnson & Wales graduate who grew up in foster care, credits mentor David Lamothe and the people at Youth Homes Inc. with helping him turn his life around.

“When I was 17 years old, I was definitely headed down the wrong path. It was either the Navy, go to jail, be dead or go to college,” he says. He shared a love of cooking with

Lamothe, a lawyer, and wanted to be like him.

“I picked college,” he says.

Nontraditional adoptive parents fill void “No child should have to age out of foster care,” believes Another Choice’s Amerson. Her agency, which focuses on older children, is built on the belief that all children, no matter their age, deserve a home of their own. “Kids need somebody to be in their corner,” she says.

A 17-year-old was recently adopted, one of more than 1,000 children the agency has found homes for since it began 14 years ago, she says.

To find those homes, the agency has sometimes looked outside the traditional pool of parents, helping some 20 single African-American men to adopt. Financial strategist Brian Willis, a Charlotte admirer of the agency’s work, says that goes against the stereotype of African-American men: “That we aren’t loving. That we don’t know how to do hair.”

One family pairing is made up of Staff Sgt. Vera James and her daughters, Shawneshia, 16, and Cassandra, 19.

For James, adoption of an older child has been “a great experience that I thank God for.”

For Shawneshia, it means, “I have a home to go home to.” P

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HospiceCare

Tender testimonial Family member shares experience of loved one’s care and passing

by Andrea B. Powell

E

very day, Hospice & Palliative Care agencies help the communities they serve understand the value of end-of-life care. So often we hear how families wish they had known about hospice earlier, and how they regret not putting their loved one under our care sooner. A hospice referral is not a death notice. In fact, independent studies have shown that patients under hospice care live an average of 29 days longer than those who have not been referred. Hospice patients are happier, their pain is better managed, and they receive care from an expert care team who understands them and treats them with the dignity they deserve. The story that follows is from Teri, whose father-in-law passed away under our care. The experience she and her family had is a perfect example of a patient allowed to live his final months at home, surrounded by those who loved him: “It was late October 2005 when my father-in-law got the terminal diagnosis. He already had emphysema and we thought his pain and hospitalization was associated with that diagnosis, but after several days of testing we got the bad news about advanced metastatic cancer.

“We obtained a second oncology opinion to confirm the prognosis of 3 to 4 weeks and to help him determine whether he would pursue curative measures. After the second opinion confirmed what he had been told, he decided he would not seek chemo or radiation and HPCCR brought him under care

54

right away. He not only lived beyond the 3 to 4 weeks, but he lived until Thursday, 8:22 p.m. on March 2, 2006.

“The quality of his life during that time could not have been better. He was up and dressed every day and his pain was under good control. He helped with the housework and was in fact running the vacuum two days before he died. A Tuesday evening in early spring brought a major turn and he took to his bed. Two days later he died very peacefully surrounded by his whole family.

“I tell this because it would have been a much different story if it had not been for his hospice care. I believe with all my heart he would have died much sooner and I think he would have suffered. Instead, his family had him for another Thanksgiving, another Christmas, and he almost made it to his 57th wedding anniversary on March 17. It makes me think of other patients and families who would like to have a similar experience.

“My family knows firsthand that hospice care makes a difference. As the HPCCR mission says, the goal is to ‘relieve suffering and improve the quality and dignity of life through compassionate hospice care for those at the end of life.’

My father-in-law got his full measure of that mission and I, for one, am thankful.

The care that Teri’s father-inlaw received was covered largely

by Medicare. Many of our patients have Medicare and Medicaid, as well as private insurance. However, ability to pay need not be a barrier to receiving

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

A hospice referral is not a death notice. In fact, independent studies have shown that patients under hospice care live an average of 29 days longer than those who have not been referred.

our care. We can care for any patient, regardless of their financial situation, thanks in part to funds raised from special events, donations and corporate grants. This open-access policy is a privilege for us and a service that not all hospices can offer. It

allows us to more completely provide for patients in our eightcounty service area. P Andrea B. Powell is marketing and community awareness specialist at Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region.

Dore Academy does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, marital status, disability, religion, or creed or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational programs, admissions, and financial aid policies, or its employment practices.

Specializing in making children Our goal is to ensure your child’s visit to our office is an enjoyable and educational experience, and that we exceed your expectations. As a pediatric practice, we offer comfort and compassion and see every child as an individual. It’s important for every child to feel good about oral health and a healthy smile contributes to overall health and self-esteem. We motivate children to take responsibility for their oral health because nothing makes us happier than seeing our children take pride in their smiles. We are deeply committed to preventative dentistry, so don’t wait, call us today and schedule an appointment for your child.

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55

MedicalMyths

Believe it — or not If you’re not careful, food fallacies can jeopardize your health

by Carol Land

M

edical experts know that nutrition misinformation abounds.

Unfortunately, many laypeople — who rely on Web sites, old wives’ tales and the like — don’t. Here are five dietary tales you can forget about for good. n A low-fat diet is the best way to lose weight.

Good fats are important to eat because they are vital to many different body systems.

There are more than 20 different fatty acids that need to be balanced in our bodies.

Bad fats, like hydrogenated fats, should be avoided entirely and certainly reducing fats, if your intake is too high, is appropriate. However, avoiding all fats creates metabolic problems. For instance, one study showed that consuming fat-free salad dressing with a salad prohibited absorption of antioxidants like caroteins and lutein. Low-fat dressings had about half the absorption of full-fat dressings. Excessively dry skin can be a sign of fatty acid deficiency. n Keeping cholesterol levels down to a low range, by following a low cholesterol diet, prevents heart disease.

What you eat does affect your heart and blood vessels, but focusing on cholesterol isn’t enough. Cholesterol levels are just one factor and current research is showing other, perhaps even more important factors. For example, inflammation is equally significant and can be measured by blood levels of markers.

56

Myth: If I follow the government’s general dietary guidelines, I should be getting the nutrition I need.

Keeping glucose levels low is also critical for preventing plaque buildup. Having a regular exercise program is also important. n If I follow the government’s general dietary guidelines, I should be getting the nutrition I need.

Everyone is metabolically different because of genetic makeup. Eventually, there will be blood tests to determine our optimal diets, but there needs to be more research before this becomes a reality. For instance, not everyone responds to eating food cholesterol the same way.

About 30 percent of people in the U.S. need to restrict dietary cholesterol because it raises their blood levels, but about 70 percent will not show an increase of LDL (bad) cholesterol when eating high-cholesterol foods.

Your best bet is to consult with a registered dietitian and get blood tests to determine your present nutrient levels to ensure adequate intake. n A recent study in Germany on taking fish oil supplements

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

showed no improvement in sudden death from heart attacks over the control group. Does that mean I don’t need to take my fish oil supplements?

The problem with isolated studies is that there might be variables that haven’t been accounted for, but the media might jump to conclusions on the basis of a flawed study. Omega 3s in fish oil help prevent sudden death if people don’t already have adequate levels in their bodies.

It’s quite likely that people who participated in the German study already had adequate levels of Omega 3s and additional supplementation didn’t help.

Fish oils are well documented to help increase HDL (good) cholesterol. Fish oil has also been shown to help prevent Alzheimer’s disease, decrease blood clots, decrease inflammation and improve immunity. So, keep taking your fish oil!

n I can’t get going in the morning without several cups of coffee.

People who rely on stimulants, like caffeine, most likely are dealing with stressed-out adrenal glands — that release three hormones, including one that controls the “flight or fight” response to stress — or adrenal fatigue. Saliva tests will show your level of cortisol (the principal hormone secreted by the adrenal glands). Restoring the adrenal glands to proper functioning with nutritional support (like panthothenic acid, licorice and adrenal glandulars) and adequate sleep will help create energy levels that don’t need to be primed with potentially harmful stimulants. P

Carol Land holds a master of science degree and is a registered dietician and licensed dietician/nutritionist with Carolina Compounding and Nutritional Pharmacy.

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

57

by Stacee M. Cross photos by Markus K. Perry

Dr. Kaisha West is with Tebby Chiropractic & Sports Medicine Clinic.

Major adjustment 58

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Chiropractic field evolves, gains popularity among patients

F

Above: Dr. Kaisha West treats a patient.

Top Right: Dr. Kaisha West with assistant Lisa Parks.

or more than 100 years, there have been misconceptions about the field of chiropractic. Dr. Kaisha West of Tebby Chiropractic & Sports Medicine Clinic, says, “Contrary to what most believe, chiropractic has been shown to treat a list of conditions including high blood pressure, diabetes, asthma, carpel tunnel, scoliosis, ADD (attention deficit disorder), ear infections, allergies and vertigo. Anywhere there is a bone that can move, chiropractic can help!”

As a medical school student, West experienced the effectiveness of chiropractic after being injured in a car accident.

Conventional treatment and medication provided little relief, but after chiropractic treatment she immediately felt better and was able to resume her daily activities without the assistance of prescription drugs.

Difference between ‘straights’ and ‘mixers’ Not all chiropractors are alike in their practice. Chiropractors who believe in the traditional practice are known as “straights.”

These chiropractors believe patients should be treated by spinal manipulation alone, while “mixers” advocate a multidisciplinary approach that combines spinal adjustment with other methods such as physical therapy, massage and dietary changes. “Chiropractic cannot heal everything,” says West, “but it can help in the prevention of illnesses and disease.” The use of various instruments that aid in diagnosing patients has played a role in “mixers” becoming the majority group of chiropractors more likely to work with mainstream medicine.

Those skeptical of chiropractic say it lacks September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

59

scientific proof of effectiveness and does not consistently treat illness and disease.

Dr. Eric Hudson of Hudson Chiropractic understands that there is a lack of scientific evidence but believes the body can heal itself through the manipulation of the spine. “The lack of evidence doesn’t mean there was no effect, just a lack of consistency,” Hudson explains. “Patients react differently to treatment and because there is a lack in consistency we can not claim it as a guaranteed treatment for everyone. Fortunately, this drawback has not stopped the success that chiropractic care has achieved over the past 50 years toward becoming mainstream, nor has the overwhelming number of patients that have benefited from it either.”

her with a knee injury and severe migraines.

“Since visiting the chiropractor, I was able to go back to work, run, bend down and wear heels again. There is nothing else that could have given me these results.”

Kaisha West likens visiting a chiropractor to taking your car to a repair shop for an alignment. “Anytime your car starts to sway, you know it’s time to take it back in for service. Unlike a vehicle, you cannot buy a new spine, so regular visits are vital.”

Eric Hudson says no matter which chiropractor you choose, it is important for patients to continue treating their conditions at home through diet, exercise and stretching.

Maintaining a consistent routine at home will decrease the recurrence of injuries and visits to the chiropractor.

Shirley Floyd

Dr. Eric Hudson

Dr. Eric Hudson and patient Barbara Young.

Able to wear high heels again As at any doctor’s office, the chiropractor checks patients’ vital signs and range of motion, and positions the body in different ways to diagnose the problem. “During my consultation I was completely educated on the steps that were taken to treat my injuries. I felt safe … and really, really good every time I left,” says Shirley Floyd, a patient of Tebby Chiropractic & Sports Medicine Clinic. Floyd’s physician recommended that she visit a chiropractor following a car accident that left 60

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Chiropractors and other physicians share similar education requirements but differ when it comes to prescribing medication. An undergraduate degree in science or a related field is required when applying to chiropractic school. Chiropractic colleges in the United States generally require a minimum of four academic years of professional residential study, including supervised clinical experience. The Council on Chiropractic Education accredits chiropractic programs and institutions. Like many licensed professionals, chiropractors must pass an examination and may only practice in states where they are licensed. P

PersonalTraining

Flex time

by Shabaka Amen photos by Greg Briley

For maximum results, incorporate stretching into your fitness routine

Kay Cain learns proper stretching techniques.

D

o you want to experience your best body ever?

Are you willing to do what it takes to achieve it? The first question probably made you shout, “Yes, I want the body of my dreams!”

Perhaps, the last question silenced you because you know you must commit to making some kind of lifestyle change.

The reality of achieving the health and body image that you want depends upon adopting healthy lifestyle practices. As a healthy lifestyle coach, I’d recommend that your action plan incorporates stretching.

When practiced regularly, stretching has benefits of which you might be unaware.

The health of our bodies depends on how flexible we are: how far we can bend, reach or turn, and the range of motion around a joint or set of joints. I consider flexibility one of the “fitness powers” that we inherit. Generally, all of us start out with super flexibility that seems to diminish over time. I’m sure you’ve observed babies or older children and perhaps envied their flexibility.

And you’ve surely seen how flexibility diminishes with age. But is a loss of flexibility inevitable, or is inflexibility preventable?

According to several studies, there is a relationship between age and degree of flexibility.

However, regular stretching can enhance positive tissue adaptability. This means that our muscles and tendons get lengthened or elongated.

Stretching not only increases flexibility in joints but has been shown to: n Increase the blood supply to joints n Promote the circulation of nutrients and water throughout the body n Improve muscular balance and postural awareness n Decrease the risk of lower back pain n Decrease the risk of injury Stretching can also be a powerful mind-body exercise with numerous wellness benefits.

When stretching is combined with a method of deep breathing that I teach called Optimal Breath Training, or OBT (deep, slow and rhythmic breathing), it induces a state called the “relaxation

As a healthy lifestyle coach, I’d recommend that your action plan incorporates stretching.

When practiced regularly, stretching has benefits of which you might be unaware.

62

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

exercise. This promotes elasticity of muscles and all other connective tissues. n Always warm up large muscle groups prior to cardiovascular and resistance exercises. It is safe to stretch after a warmup, between sets and following a workout, but never stretch prior to a warmup! At the beginning of my sessions with clients, response.” This is the reason for yoga’s effectiveness and its popularity in America.

As a mind-body fitness trainer for the past 11 years, I’ve instructed clients to “lead with the breath, so that the flexibility with follow!” Inhaling deeply and exhaling slowly during stretches helps you relax and ease further into the stretch without straining.

But breathing shallow or holding the breath are what most people do while performing stretches.

This ineffective approach to stretching only heightens the “stretch reflex,” a natural pain response. The function of this reflex is to protect the muscle from potential damage. Many of my clients have noticed how much easier stretching is when they’re using the OBT method.

So the next time you stretch, focus on the breath and you’ll experience these benefits: n Greater energy n Greater relaxation and calmness n Reduced stretch reflex/pain n Reduced stress Finally, there are two things you must do prior to stretching to ensure that you have a safe and effective experience: n Drink water throughout the day, and prior to and during

they warm up with the Lung Expansion Breathing technique, slow stationery jogging, torso twists and shoulder rotations.

Follow these suggestions and you’ll experience the health and wellness benefits of stretching.

Then you can achieve your best body ever. P Shabaka Amen is a personal trainer.

Drink water throughout the day, and prior to and during exercise. This promotes elasticity of muscles and all other connective tissues.

Shabaka Amen, right, checks Kay Cain’s form.

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

63

Style&Profile

Great get-togethers

by Tiffany L. Jones

W

elcome to Style & Profile, a new column in Pride Magazine featuring photos from recent events. I will show you what’s hot in the Queen City… who, what, when, where, why and how!!!!

For example, The Young Professionals for Anthony Foxx hosted a meet-and-greet at Loft 1523 on June 17. Then there was the golf event of the year, The Gray Classic at Skybrook on July 18. Doctors, lawyers, politicians, architects, entrepreneurs, etc., were in the mix of about 75 golfers that day. There were even six ladies who got out there and represented. Skybrook never looked so good. Golfers were dressed like they were prepared for a photo shoot for Nike. Even those who couldn’t play were outfitted from head to toe … they know who they are!

That same night we partied at a red-carpet fundraiser for the Urban League at Zink. The event, “A Summertime Party with a Purpose,” was hosted by Herb & Felicia Gray and Patrick Graham and sponsored by Coca-Cola and Digital Divas. This event brought out 300-plus movers and shakers who came out to have a good time.

The red carpet was filled with men in seersucker suits and pinstriped suits. Ladies were stunning in short dresses, maxi dresses and everything in between. Charlotteans enjoy getting dressed up and that’s exactly what they did that evening! It was a beautiful sight.

Go to www.digitaldivasevents.com to see more pictures and to read my latest blog. P 64

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Scenes from The Gray Golf Classic, Urban League fundraiser at Zink and The Young Professionals for Anthony Foxx for Mayor meet and greet

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

65

PrideBusiness Blueprint for the future Program for students at Garinger introduces them to construction industry Emmanuel Munn, a Garinger graduate, works at the Ritz-Carlton construction site uptown.

Here’s how to rebound from financial setback If buying a home, take your household’s ‘financial pulse’ Changing jobs?

Assess, volunteer and network Boost credit score and your financial freedom Business spotlight: Cabarrus Health Alliance

The intent of Pride’s business section is to provide information on real estate, small business and personal finance only. The opinions and analyses included in this section are based on factual information obtained from public information and other sources deemed to be reliable and provided in good faith; however, no representation or warranty, expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, completeness or correctness of such information.

Please consult with real estate, business or personal finance professionals before making any decisions.

PrideBusiness

by Angela Lindsay Hilst photos by Markus K. Perry

Feature

Blueprint for the future

Program for students at Garinger introduces them to construction industry

R

.T. Dooley Construction Co., Access Services and the Charlotte-Mecklenburg chapter of Communities in School launched a program called Careers in Construction at Garinger High School, where, last school year, students learned about various aspects of the construction industry.

During a field trip, students visited the Ritz-Carlton Hotel site uptown, which Access Services and R.T. Dooley are working on together. They also toured Dooley’s headquarters.

Frank Johnson, vice president of Access Services, left; Kevin Smith, president of Access Services; and Emily Scofield, R.T. Dooley’s safety and environmental director, at the Ritz-Carlton construction site.

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Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Frank Johnson, vice president of Access Services and a 1980 graduate of Garinger, says the idea for the program grew out of an article he read about some of the challenges that existed at Garinger. He decided he wanted to help.

“I know a lot of times people perceive everybody in a certain area or everybody in a certain school a certain way,” Johnson says.

“I felt that there are a lot of good kids there, and I know that there are a lot of kids that have a lot potential, but a lot of times we … assume that there’s nothing good coming out of certain places. So it is a little small part that we can play in trying to really show these kids that somebody else cares a little bit about them.”

Johnson discussed the idea with Emily Scofield, safety and environmental director at R.T. Dooley, and they partnered up.

“R.T. Dooley has a firm belief in giving back to the community . . .” she says. “So, they encourage that on an individual level, but the company as well leads by example and is involved financially and volunteer-wise in different organizations throughout the community, and this is one of them that we felt was important.”

Experience in the classroom and in the field

Access, which provides construction assistance, labor and services, and Dooley enlisted Sophia Davis, CMCIS site coordinator for Garinger, to identify students to participate in the program. Davis chose about seven students who demonstrated interest in construction, architecture and entrepreneurship, and whom she says could also benefit from receiving mentoring.

“With the budget cuts, they cut out a lot of programs and basically they don’t have anything that’s focused outside of the core classes,” says Davis. “There’s not a whole lot of electives . . . I thought that it was just a good thing that (CIC) came in and picked that up . . .”

The students attended four sessions involving classroom meetings and field experience. In class, they were taught about the jobs available at various skill and educational levels in construction and the components of construction such as architectural plans, budgeting, how the materials are selected, and the new emphasis on constructing environmentally friendly buildings.

Stressing the importance of entrepreneurship

During a field trip, students visited the

Sophia Davis, CMCIS site coordinator, identified students to participate in the program.

Ritz-Carlton Hotel site uptown, which Access and Dooley are working on together.

They also toured Dooley’s headquarters were they viewed mockups of rooms for the Ritz-Carlton and office space for the Duke Energy Center.

“We wanted to let these folks know that there are a lot of great opportunities to have long-term careers, and there’s a great opportunity to earn a good living in this industry. It’s not all about the guys in the hard hats . . . ” explains Johnson. “I am a very big proponent of business ownership, and one of the things we shared with them was that each component of a construction project is filled with folks that own their own businesses.”

Finally, students participated in a mock campus building project, constructing small, permanent picnic benches around Garinger’s campus, and they improved a bridge over an area where heavy rain tends to pool.

‘There’s always a job in construction’

Scofield says the reaction of the students to the program “speaks for itself” in that at least two of the students are pursuing construction-related degrees in college.

One student, Emmanuel Munn, applied for and was hired for a summer internship with R.T. Dooley.

Munn, a 2009 Garinger graduate, planned to attend N.C. A&T State University this fall

and major in architecture or civil engineering.

He hopes to own his own company one day. Munn feels the CIC program offered him invaluable exposure.

“I figured this would be a good opportunity to get my foot through the door … and maybe, after graduation from college, they could have some contact numbers or a job ready for me,” he explains.

Given the impact that the CIC program has had in its first year, Access and Dooley have decided to continue it and are already talking about how to expand the program to more students at Garinger and possibly more schools in the future.

Munn says he would recommend the program to peers to gain the practical benefit of learning a new trade.

He observes, “With the way the economy is, if you lose a job, they always need laborers or skilled laborers . . . There’s always a job in construction.”

Scofield agrees. “All you have to do is drive through the communities surrounding Charlotte and Charlotte’s downtown to see the tower cranes in the air and the cones blocking off lanes of traffic for construction, and you can see that it’s thriving,” she says. “Despite the economy, there’s still construction going on, thankfully. So, there are definitely opportunities right in their community for these students to have a career after high school or after college.” P September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

69

Eye Plastic Surgery and LASIK Procedures

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Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates offers comprehensive eye care and specialized optical services. That means we provide everything from routine eye care and optical wear to LASIK procedures and advanced retina care. The region's premiere provider for eye, ear, nose and throat care for adult and pediatric patients for more than 80 years, you'll enjoy the convenience and reassurance of the latest techniques and highest quality care.

your dream “If you love to eat, but fear the – even dazzling kitchen, – meal follow Stacey’s Stacey s mad e by you Simms kitchen, to the stove – yes, you! which skills. A is boun . Imag Plus, the fun, helpf d to make ine delic fire depa ul, and ious you feel rtment yumm so much has had y read! better to visit about Sheri co-h your own culinary ost and beststory?

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ACCESS A Synergized World

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An Energized Business r Living Your Ultima te Life

by Marilyn L. Carpente

work and a fulfilled life.

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… Living Your Ultimate

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that which “Stacey Do you know how to ACCESS has been a long to thrive? Could it be as simple When her two you needtime advocate year old password for the to ACCESS a secret knowing comm son was Juvenile … itted volunas diagnyour dreams? Like Diabetes teer. She goals and fulfill osed your , she imme Research have to is not willing live the Foundatio diately Sesame? rest to acce went from Open n. of their help find pt that advocate lives with her son a cure diabe to fully and millio and impro tes. Thank learn: In this book, ns of other ve theyou will Patrick you, Stace lives of s may McF for y for all so many JDRF Intern eeleny The toughest practice that you .” ational do to of all stripes to master.

Boar workers d Mem put prosperity will ber that n The three attributes forever. within your easy reach, you what n How to discover value. do to create the most the work that you love. n How to find love. job doing the work you n How to get the who you need,what n How to ACCESS need it. you need, whenever you for rewarding n The foundation

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the lucky ones who knew by If you aren’t one of the to be when you grew age of ten what you wanted quite sure—READ THIS BOOK! up, and you still aren’t on the money for the Finally—a book that is right for Why It’s All About ACCESS worker! OPEN SESAME: 21st Century is written against the New Worker of the post-2008 the and age global the backdrop of our your current belief about recession. Carpenter turns the hidden truth about work on its head to reveal power you hold—right you, your talents and the productive work meaningful, do and now—to find For those who have lost and live a prosperous life. or disengaged with their n making their jobs or are dissatisfied “Sherré isAndrese a living you should in 2005.to the to testimony and Kroghiethat understand power of synergy and has shows that it’s possible Roy Willis ion meeting current work, Carpenter shattered the misconception an associat that tion people don’t have control atatyour work differently, look another job” or “at least presenta of what happens in their move from “I’ll never find and personal lives.” business at she shows you how to look Sesame ACCESS.” You’ll I have a job” to “Open you Lincoln Times News struggle to flow, how to your work differently. If learn how to move from the with “Sherré hasut transition of a way oy you to take a gifted for and how to place of getting are in aAbo A deC look at things in a whole find the work you are uniquely olin perspective new s stopHer want to talent in the process.

CAr you makes if that sense. tor career, leC your ideas are actionable, backed become an irreplaceable Colof what examples by real-world ion just you or ifothers have creatively done. It’s in fear, CiAt working rs Asso empowering.” work is (a grind, Busting myths about what Decoy Collecto this book is better, work to Carolina want day), fit our The Chuck part of Boyle, Managing Principal non-pro a paycheck, the worst private and there.” ion is ato Boyle Consulting Engineers, get you catalyst the Associat ed to promote ent the worker, to redefine PLLC Carpenter leads you, tion establish g environm organiza the worker , collectin providing while on SuSan Schweiger decoy work as a source of joy, of the associati enhance the s. The goal A national contributing writer external circumstances with a monthly for its member members and promote how-to for overcoming its newspaper column, Savvy comeback!

Business Owner, g. is to educate that are blocking your decoy collectin has meetings Sherré DeMao has guided interest in more than 200,000 on usually - entrepreneurs The associati to excel in their business include buy-sell and life. decoyHer creative year which programs, solutions have earned numerous twice each , educational meetingsawards including swap sessions the Telly, PICA, ProAd, and events. These social learn IABC to and Crown. A Small Business displays, collectors Administration Women place for new g and meet the in Business Champion, a National are a great Leadership Award decoy collectin s. more about winner for small business advocacy, and named fellow collector members dealers and among the 50 Most Enterprising on and its Women in North The associati all decoy America, hips with Sherré brings 25 years of working with maintain relationsentities, such as auction entrepreneurs to poignant related reality in Me, Myself & Inc. collecting collecting other decoy waterfowl companies, carvers guides, associations, l festivals. and waterfow is museums these entities about s.

Information new collector ed a decoy available for on establish which sets The associati Conduct” “Code of decoys collectors or trading for selling s can guidelines New member as a members. among its ced member an experien initial be assigned make their help them to the mentor to be brought be Decoys may purchases. d public to by the intereste meetings or sold. appraised

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kers and leaders alike.

ers to email her at mlc@vjames.net .opensesameaccess.com.

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09-CEENTA-1262_EYE-AA_3.625x6.25Page 1

ul duck after a successf with Maggie, N.C. in 2004.

Kroghie, Mattamuskeet, hunt at Lake

I Can’t

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the AboutAndresen has enjoyed hunting in Kroghie early teens s since his l and the outdoor His waterfow Carolina. shot eastern North ces began when he in the hunting experienfrom a stake blind scaup of fifteen. two lesser at the age Bath Creek has mouth of for hunting his passion since then flourished. for First grown and as a banker for worked Kroghie Wachovia, l Bank, now union Nationa before retiring in 2004. years with ion three thirty no connect work had his hobby Though his to pursue continued While hunting, he from work. time away wife ross, during spare in 1979, his living in raleighfirst decoy to decorate his n him collectio a bought den. This started North their new into over 1,100 to that has grown An early decision , Carolina decoys. n to Back Bay, Virginia very limit his collectio decoys led to a tried Carolina and North Kroghie always nce of collection. specialized and provena nt the history tion on many to docume informa of The lack him to research his decoys. decoys led as well North Carolina unidentified carvers ly many previous well known. This research are have as those that of collecting decoys years and thirty book. with this in Civil culminated a B.s. degree and Kroghie received Citadel in 1966 from The ty Engineering Carolina universi from East an MBA currently reside and his wife two grown in 1971. He have te, N.C. They in Charlot and Hailey. children, Clark

Cook, But I K Some now Who Cone an

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She has somehow convinced in town to share the best their favor restaurants Many ite recip of the featu es for this red chefs offered book. have gene practical advice, rously to help along both seriou with their s foodi cooks recipes, es and like Stace hopeless y. home Recipes range from Albón and Cucu digas, mber Soup Bruschetta Bread … to White , Pudding, Chocolate Yam Souffl Lamb. é, and Some of the recip New Zeala more comp nd es are easy, other licated, delicious but all s of them results. yield

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Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

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71

PrideBusiness

by Bill H. Means

Career Advice

At a crossroads Time to change jobs? Assess your strengths, be a volunteer and utilize your network

A

friend of mine was recently laid off after 13 years of employment with a major telecommunications company in Charlotte. Although, given the state of the economy, I was not surprised to hear of such a layoff but was surprised by her relief to be let go.

She had climbed the corporate ladder to become a division manager, responsible for the work of more than 200 employees. However, she had come to a dead-end in her career, and was bored and no longer challenged. She had always dreamed of being a high school teacher and viewed her unemployment as an opportunity to pursue her dream.

As a career development professional with more than 17 years of experience, and having counseled many job seekers, I was not only relieved for her but also impressed with her well-adjusted attitude. If you ever find yourself laid off or ready to change careers, here is the advice I gave my friend and have found to be effective over the years.

Your resume is your best marketing tool. Once you have decided on your next best job or career, tailor your resume accordingly. Think about your strengths and skills, including transferable skills, which are more suited for the job, and communicate them on your new resume.

Examine your interests, skills and values

Perfect your interviewing skills

Retool and retrain to improve marketability

Don’t forget to network

Tailor your resume and include key words

Volunteer and gain experience, exposure

There are many career assessment tools such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, John Holland Self Directed Search and The Strong Interest Inventory. These allow you to uncover your passions and identify careers suited for your personality. Individuals are much happier and successful with work that they really enjoy.

Hopefully, you have maintained your skills through training, certifications or education while you were employed. If not, it may be necessary do so to locate that next job, particularly if you plan to change careers.

For instance, if moving from a corporate position to high school teaching, one would need to enroll in university courses to prepare for a teaching certification.

Your resume is your best marketing tool.

Once you have decided on your next best job or career, tailor your resume accordingly.

Think about your strengths and skills, including transferable skills, which are more suited for the job, and communicate them on your new resume. A good approach is to use key words on your resume from the job description. Also, add a profile section.

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While a well-crafted resume might get you the interview, a solid interview gets you the job.

Today, most employers ask behavioral-based interview questions. Employers want to know if you have solved problems effectively in the past.

An example of a behavioral-based question would be, “Tell me about a time when you had to motivate a team that was not motivated to achieve a particular goal.”

One out of three jobs are obtained through relationships that we have. Once you begin your search for that new job, let everyone in your personal and professional networks know you are looking. Join professional organizations for your industry or intended industry if changing careers. The key to effectively network, however, is to build genuine relationships with people prior to when you need them.

If you find yourself out of work and unable to locate another job immediately, volunteer your services and skills at your church or favorite nonprofit organization. It will be beneficial to the organization and you get to include the work on your resume. P Bill H. Means is director of internships and career programs at Queens University of Charlotte.

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September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

73

PrideBusiness

by Glenda Gabriel

Buying a Home

Reality checkup Want to buy a home? First, take your household’s ‘financial pulse’

Homeownership is not for everyone. But you will never know if it is right for you until you take a close look at the “financial” health of your household.

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Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

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onsumers in Charlotte who dream of homeownership should give their household finances a complete checkup to see if owning a home is a healthy proposition for them.

Your financial checkup takes into account what you earn and what you spend. If you subtract all of your fixed expenses and

discretionary spending from what you earn, you’ll have a good picture of what you will have to apply toward a house payment. An easy way to begin your process is to visit www.bankofamerica.com/homeloans. This home loan guide has a number of online resources to help you make the bestinformed decision. While you’re browsing the

Internet, also click on www.bankofamerica. com/homebuyereducation for more online homebuyer tools.

Determine how much you should borrow

The real prescription for homeownership is not how much home you can buy but how much home can you comfortably afford.

Don’t get in over your head. Second, don’t wonder, “How much can I borrow?” but “How much should I borrow?” This is central to making the best — and most affordable — housing decision.

Your timing could be good. According to a Standard & Poor’s housing study, home values have declined in the double-digit range in the past year. That brings housing into the affordability range for many multicultural consumers in the metro area. But that improvement comes with one significant caveat: In North Carolina, the Census reports average housing costs are 30.7 percent of household income. This is a good guideline, but the percentage differs from household to household. Of course, you’ll need to factor in property taxes and other costs (such as homeowner association dues if you own a condo). African-Americans in North Carolina value homeownership; more than half (52.5 percent) own their homes. That is higher than the national average (46.3 percent).

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Sponsored by the Founders’ Circle Ltd. The Mint Museum is funded, in part, with operating support by the Arts & Science Council.

Larger down payments reduce monthly payments

You will also need to look at sources of down payment. Typically, borrowers should aim for a down payment in the 10 percent to 20 percent range. Every dollar you contribute can lower your monthly payment. Check your credit score at free Web sites such as www.annualcreditreport.com. While you save for a down payment, you can use that time to improve your credit score.

There are local nonprofits that can help you through the home-buying process.

For example, Contact Community Link in Charlotte (www.communitylink-nc.org, 704-943-9490). Community Link holds no-cost homeownership classes that include sit-down sessions with a counselor to help you evaluate your homeownership status.

Classes can also help you identify potential sources of down payment assistance.

Homeownership is not for everyone. But you will never know if it is right for you until you take a close look at the “financial” health of your household. P Glenda Gabriel is neighborhood lending executive, Bank of America.

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

75

PrideBusiness

by Emma S. Allen

Budget

Ask Emma Don’t let financial setback devastate you; here’s how to rebound

Q

: I recently lost my six-figure income at a bank, and I believe I am depressed.

I am paralyzed by the fear of becoming financially ruined. I am unable to do anything but eat, sleep, drink and shop.

I need some direction to turn my situation around!

Consult a financial adviser ASAP and make plans for preserving your 401(k) money. Doing this now will help you resist the temptation to use these funds for living expenses.

A:

Find a coach

So many people are in your position.

I empathize with you on how you find yourself emotionally. I would recommend that you first see your physician. Depression is certainly treatable.

Once you see your physician I recommend that you get out of that bed and get your life back. While change is scary it can also be exciting. Soon enough you will be able to say how this change manifested in your life in a positive way. Here are some things to get you going.

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Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

It is important that you find someone to guide you through this process. This person should be a motivator when you are unmotivated, a disciplinarian when you have deviated from the plan you chart for yourself, and a source of comfort and encouragement when needed. Please choose this person wisely (Note: You do not want to form a pity circle, but you do want to connect with folks who are thriving despite adversity). Should you wish to e-mail me directly for some stimulus to your plan, do so at emma@emmasallen.com.

Access your financial timeline

Use the spending journal and workbook at www.emmasallen.com to determine exactly how much it takes for you to live on a monthly basis. Also use this to determine how much cash you have coming in monthly and how much you will receive over a certain period.

This will tell you how long you have to find a new opportunity. If you have severance pay, it is important that you work to extend your severance package by reducing your spending now to cover you in the event that your job search lasts longer than anticipated.

Protect your retirement nest egg

Consult a financial adviser ASAP and make plans for preserving your 401(k) money. Doing this now will help you resist the temptation to use these funds for living expenses. Premature withdrawal of retirement funds is one of the biggest financial mistakes you can make.

The tax penalty is tremendous and such withdrawals eat away at your future.

Pick up some extra income

While you are seeking your new destiny, get creative about generating some additional income, even if you have severance pay that covers your expenses. For example, check out www.chacha.com, which allows you to answer questions for callers within your area of interest and expertise (Note: You are paid for every question you answer). You can work from home and set your own schedule.

Dream a little every day

What looks like a tragedy is often your triumph. Define what you want for your life.

What activities provide joy and fulfillment for you while at work? Make a list of the workrelated activities that provide a sense of accomplishment and where you excel. This list will help you evaluate new opportunities.

Decide whether or not you enjoy working with others or independently. Do you prefer a structured work environment or would you like to work remotely?

Start your own business

Even if you decide to return to work, having your own business can provide a tremendous tax benefit, additional income and an outlet for your passion.

So get out of that bed, put down that hot dog and get out of that mall … You’ve got work to do! P

IN THE MIDDLE of a major life change

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John H Harvey, Insurance 4108 Park Road, Suite 106 Charlotte, NC 28209 Bus: 704-525-9995 john@johnharvey44.com See a local State Farm agent for more details on coverage, costs, restrictions, and renewability.

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Emma S. Allen is CEO of Emma Allen Enterprises.

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

77

PrideBusiness

by Brian Wil is

Personal Finance

Multiply your options

Boosting your credit score is a major factor in attaining financial freedom

T

here are so many changes in the world of credit that I hardly know where to begin. Between the new credit scoring models, federal credit card reform and the unprecedented reduction in credit to consumers and businesses, we have been on a roller coaster ride and I can’t honestly tell you when the ride will stop. I can tell you, however, that no matter what changes occur, one fact remains: The higher your credit score, the more options you have.

I am a financial adviser who has specialized in the credit process for more than 15 years. I generally begin my financial seminars by asking: “By a show of hands, how many people are happy with their credit score and their knowledge of the credit process?” This question always evokes a collective groan from the audience, very few hands are raised and every once in awhile a few expletives are whispered. When I ask the same question during one-on-one credit training classes, people often: n Roll their eyes in annoyance. n Make excuses for past financial mistakes. nA cknowledge that they are unaware of the problem, don’t care to be aware and simply want the problem to be fixed.

I don’t blame anyone for wanting to avoid the mess of untangling credit issues; it’s not a fun thing to do. But as my grandmother always said, ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away.

That ostrich approach to this touchy subject has gotten you nowhere, and aren’t you tired of pretending that your credit issues don’t exist? The good news is, there’s never been a better time to begin improving your credit. The first step to doing so is improving your financial responsibility.

You must adopt good financial management habits in order to improve and maintain your credit. Remember that every dime matters when you are trying to rebuild your credit, so you cannot spend without analyzing what and why you are spending.

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Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

You must adopt good financial management habits in order to improve and maintain your credit … If you’re drowning in credit card debt but continue purchasing unnecessary items via credit, why are you choosing to sink deeper in debt?

Changing your financial outlook means making tough decisions and sometimes even breaking destructive relationships. If your friends, children and other relatives borrow money from you and never pay it back, why do you continue lending it?

If you always pay your bills late and end up paying hundreds of dollars a month in fees, why do you continue doing so? If you’re drowning in credit card debt but continue purchasing unnecessary items via credit, why are you choosing to sink

deeper in debt? If your credit is bad and you’re doing nothing about it, why are you surprised when you are denied new credit?

Here are a few tips to help you improve your credit score: nC heck your credit report and scores at least twice per year. Check for evidence of identity theft and for erroneous accounts. nC orrect inaccurate personal information errors (name, Social Security number, birth date, etc.,) on your credit report. nP ay off any collection accounts less than 3 years old. Negotiate a reduced payoff amount if possible. nC ontact a credit counseling service. Make sure it is a member of the National Foundation for Consumer Credit. nM ost important: Stay away from any organization that promises instant credit repair.

Credit improvement is a journey and will take some time, but it is well worth it to see that score go up and those credit options become reality. P Brian Willis is senior adviser at www.wealthbuildersnc.com.

BusinessSpotlight

by Angela Lindsay Hilst photo by Greg Briley

A healthy alternative

T

hrough a grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust, the Cabarrus Health Alliance’s Healthy Lives, Healthy Futures program collaborates with the Cabarrus County Department of Aging to target underserved residents of Cabarrus, Mecklenburg and Rowan counties. Its mission is to prevent chronic diseases through changes in physical activity and nutrition, and reduced tobacco use. HLHF focuses on low-income African-Americans because this population experiences disparities in chronic diseases and poverty at higher rates than whites.

HLHF works with nine AfricanAmerican churches in Cabarrus, Mecklenburg and Rowan counties.

During its first year (2008), 272 new participants were enrolled and the numbers have increased to 450 participants. The HLHF staff also provides community health education. For more information, contact Jenn West, community wellness coordinator, at (704) 920-1337. P

Top: Members of the Cabarrus Health Alliance team.

Left: Residents participate in an exercise class at Price Memorial AME Zion Church.

September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

79

EventsCalendar

Please log on to our new online community calendar, at www.pridemagazine.net, where you can view and list your event or meeting.

Meetings Third Sundays Charlotte-Mecklenburg Black Political Caucus

Nonpartisan organization that seeks to promote political education and increase voter participation among African-Americans. Little Rock AME Zion Church, 401 N. McDowell St., 6 p.m. Details: Caucus Chair Dwayne Collins, (704) 777-4313.

Fourth Sundays West Charlotte High School National Alumni Association This nonprofit group provides financial and volunteer support to West Charlotte High School. All alumni and friends are welcome. No meetings in July and August. Northwest Neighborhood Services Center, 2324 LaSalle St. 4:30 p.m. Details: Veronica Davis, president, (704) 399-2171.

Mondays Community Link

Learn how you can become a homeowner and build wealth through a Homeownership Education and Counseling Program. Free introductory sessions are every Monday, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. For more information, call (704) 943-9490.

Mondays and Thursdays ELS Enterprises

Financial-mentorship presentation to teach people how to enhance credit points, eliminate debt, etc. 9510 University City Blvd., Suite 204, 7 p.m.

Free. Details: (704) 905-3767 or www.fdirep.com/elsenterprises.

Second Mondays CHADD of Mecklenburg

Children/Adults with ADD meets and hears speakers from September to November and January to May, 7 p.m.9 p.m. at the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. Consolidated, 4100 Coca-Cola Plaza (formerly 1900 Rexford Road), Charlotte.

80

Third Mondays The Carolina Screenwriter’s Group

American Business Women’s Association, University Chapter

Fourth Tuesdays Friends of Beverly

Fourth Thursdays Mecklenburg Black Republican Council

Now meeting at 7 p.m., the new location is: Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church, 3307 Rea Road, Charlotte.

Info: Tracy Poole: (704) 293-5113.

Nonprofit support group for professional women that practices intentional diversity.

Pewter Rose Restaurant, 1820 South Blvd. 6 p.m. For other monthly meetings and details: www.friendsofbeverly.com.

Third Tuesdays Kwabena Book Club

Beatties Ford Branch Library, 2412 Beatties Ford Road. 7 p.m. Details: (704) 336-2882.

Second Wednesdays American Business Women’s Association (Charlotte Charter Chapter)

This is a professional organization for working and retired women of diverse backgrounds. Crowne Plaza, 201 S. McDowell St. Reservations: (803) 548-1820. Dinner is $23.

First Thursdays Concord Area Metrolina Real Estate Investors Subgroup

Networking, 11 a.m., includes lunch/ meeting. $15. Ciro’s Italian Restaurant at The Shoppes at University Place, 8927 J.M. Keynes Drive. Contact Pam for more information: (704) 549-4863.

Special events Sept. 17-20

First Saturdays Metrolina Minority Contractors Association

Sept. 19

Minority Contractors Resource Center, 125 N. Irwin Ave., 9 a.m. Details (704) 332-5746.

Second Saturdays Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Inc.

Noon-2 p.m. For meeting location, contact Beta Omicron Sigma Charlotte alumnae Lillie Hibbler-Britt at (704) 309-3176.

Second and Fourth Saturdays Tailoring Teens for Success Girls 11 to 16 years old meet with professional facilitators for interactive discussions: First Ward Recreation Center, 610 E. Seventh St. Sept. 8-Nov. 10. Details: The Girl Talk Foundation Inc., (704) 373-2256, extension 201, or visit www.girltalkfoundation.org.

Third Thursdays N.C. Association of Black Substance Abuse Workers

Third Saturdays Gamma Phi Delta Sorority Inc. Beta Eta Chapter

Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

Professional organization and support system for music studios and individual musicians of all levels. Details: (704) 905-2671.

Mecklenburg County Republican Headquarters, 1313 Mockingbird Lane, Suite 213. 7 p.m. Details: Vincent James, (704) 846-9091, or www.meckgop.com.

Education and networking in relation to real estate investing.

McCabes Steakhouse Restaurant, 316 Brookdale St., Kannapolis, 6 p.m. Contact: (704) 490-2001, http://metrolinareia.org or e-mail concordncreia@yahoogroups.com.

Chemical Dependency Center auditorium, 100 Billingsley Road.

Noon. Details: (704) 376-7447.

Second Sundays Piano Studios Network of Charlotte

Founded in 1943, Gamma Phi Delta Sorority Inc. continues to seek ways to “Answer the call and accept the Challenge.” Meeting location varies.

Proof of membership required. Details: Tonia Linder at (704) 492-1994.

Southern Women’s Show

The Park (formerly the Charlotte Merchandise Mart) Details: (704) 376-6594 ext.110

2009 Sunset Jazz Festival

Symphony Park at SouthPark mall Details: (704) 375-9553, www.charlottesunsetjazzfestival.com for updates.

Oct. 8

Thurgood Marshall Awards of Excellence Dinner

Westin Charlotte The Thurgood Marshall College Fund Awards of Excellence dinner recognizes leaders nationwide who exemplify professional and civic excellence and individuals who share the late Supreme Court Judge Thurgood Marshall’s concern for civil rights and his passion for justice.

Details: (201) 227-8427 Oct. 11

Latin American Festival

Symphony Park in South Park The 19th Annual Latin American Festival offers local, nationally and internationally known musicians, Latin American cuisine and more.

Details: www.festivallatinoamericano.org.

Jan. 16, 2010

Pride Awards

Westin Charlotte Details: (704) 375-9553.

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Pride Magazine | September-October 2009

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September-October 2009 | Pride Magazine

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