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FEATURES PAGE 3B | THURSDAY, october 18, 2012
Help families this holiday Unfortunately, there is a large population of families in this country who are in desperate need of financial help. There is an urgent need for food, water, shelter and other basic life necessities, but there isn’t a steady income to provide these things. Significant needs like these seem to become more of a burden during the winter months due to Farah plummeting temperatures and even the holiday season — some Bohannon families may not have the finanColumnist cial means to make this time of year special for their loved ones. Luckily, there are ways to reach families in need in our community. Jackson County Family Connection and Barrow County Family Connection both strive to develop, implement and evaluate plans that address the serious challenges facing the community’s children and families. There is a strict planning process that identifies needs and resources, sets goals and priorities, evaluates programs and practices and measures and reports results for their county. The main purpose is to improve the quality of life throughout the community. When the holiday season approaches, Jackson County Family Connection and Barrow County Family Connection both implement the Holiday Connection, a volunteer-based cooperative effort. The purpose of the Holiday Connection is to serve children and families so that duplication of families receiving assistance is minimized. This group is even in close contact with other similar organizations in the community to ensure no duplication. Families will be able to obtain new toys and presents – thanks to generous donations. Now that the holiday season is quickly approaching, it is time to figure out how you would like to help a less fortunate family this year. The Holiday Connection groups accept monetary donations as well as new toy and new clothes donations for children ages 0-18 for the Holiday Toy Store. The Holiday Toy Store is a compilation of donated toys that are set up like a store — that way, parents can easily shop for age-appropriate toys for their children. In a nutshell, this allows families to find holiday presents for children. There are a few ways to help this year with the Holiday Connection. The first way is to “adopt” a family, or multiple families. Volunteers can adopt any type of family — families with young children, middle aged children, teenagers, disabled, shut-ins or senior adults. Volunteers can also donate new toys to the Holiday Store or a gift card for approximately $20-$25 for teenagers. A stocking stuffed with age appropriate goodies will accompany the gift card. Lastly, if it is difficult to make a decision about where to help, volunteers can make a monetary donation that will go toward toys and gift cards. Please consider being a part of the Holiday Connection this year — it is always rewarding to help someone who truly needs it. Learn more about Barrow County Holiday Connection from coordinator Meg Loggins at 770-868-2910 and about Jackson County Holiday Connection from coordinator Niki Adams at 706-367-3021. Farah Bohannon is a freelance writer living in Winder. She loves to utilize her skills to write inspiring stories. Reach her at farah.bohannon@gmail.com
Katie Justice The Paper
Aurora Lazo, center, and Mariela Del Rio, right, discussing which states border Mexico while going over flashcards as Pat Carpenter observes during a recent Citizenship class session at the Braselton Library.
On the path to citizenship By KATIE JUSTICE kjustice@clickthepaper.com Every Thursday, a group of students sits around a table eagerly awaiting the day’s lesson, a lesson that discusses everything from American Indian tribes to geography and American territories. However, despite the pencils, papers and note taking, this isn’t the scene from a classroom at a local K-12 school. These are the pupils of Pat Carpenter’s weekly citizenship class at the Braselton Library. Each Thursday from 5:30-7 p.m., a group comes together to better prepare for the test that determines whether or not they can become American citizens. “You people are going to end up knowing much more than the average citizen,” Carpenter says as she goes over facts about the United States. Oct. 11 was Benjamin Nazanjo’s first night in the class. Nazanjo completely rearranged his work schedule to come. “I want to be a citizen. This is my only day off, and I changed it to come to this class,” said Nazanjo. The citizenship test is divided into four parts including speaking, reading, and writing in English and a series of questions about the U.S. government and history. The class is free and open to anyone in the U.S. legally who is planning on taking the citizenship test in the future. In fact, Carpenter encourages anyone interested to come join the class. The only possible cost to the students is the option of purchasing a $25 workbook that goes over every possible question students may be asked. Carpenter teaches the class on a purely volunteer basis, receiving no monetary compensation. “I love our country, and I love its his-
tory. I like working with people, especially working with internationals,” said Carpenter, whose goal is to help students pass the almost $680 test on their first try. Throughout the hour and half long class, students begin with the pledge of allegiance and then move on to the thought for the night. On Thursday, Oct. 11, the thought for the night was a poem entitled, “No, Freedom Isn’t Free.” When the poem mentions unmarked graves at Arlington, Carpenter stops to explain the military cemetery and its
This flag is a mystery to be solved. It has 43 stars with one gold star. Its owner suggests it may have been a covering for a casket. If you can help solve the mystery, contact the Hoschton Heritage Arts Council at 706-654-2693.
See CITIZENSHIP, page 4B
Katie Justice The Paper
Blanca Guevara and Vilma De Jesús Pineda discussing the benefits of citizenship.
Fiber as art
See more photos by LeAnne Akin at ClickThePaper.com
role in America. After discussing the meaning of the poem, all the students bow their heads as Carpenter says a brief prayer. Carpenter gives thanks for being free, prays for those serving our country in harms way and prays for the students’ success with the test. Then, Carpenter provides a lesson sheet which has vocabulary words and sentences to practice for homework.
The Hoschton Heritage Arts Center, located at 74 White St., in Hoschton, hosted its Fiber Art Exhibit over the weekend highlighting the importance of fiber in our lives and the transformation fiber must go through to become clothing and other useful items. From feed sacks to hats, from handwoven blankets to quilts, from hip clothing from the 1960s to delicate embroidered home decor, the exhibit had local connections to business, industry and families. Walking from room to room, guests could see Karen Beckstine (R) of Mockingbird Hilltop Farm and Sawmill demonstrating how to knit. She also talked about Alpaca and Mohair yarn and how it is readied after being sheared, washed and prepared for knitting. Ogeal Webster (lower, R) had a demonstration setup of weaving. The weekend netted two new memberships and forged a working relationship with a local Brownie Troop. One young exhibit-goer signed up for a knitting class and the gift shop made $300. “I think it was a marvelous weekend,” said HHAC board president Robbie Bettis (below). Those contributing items to be displayed for the exhibit were Dianne Blankenship, Lynn Page, Astra Graham, Jo Nan Watwick, Dawn Warwick, Len Sturkie, Braselton Antique Mall and Auction Ventures.