Rutherford Weekly

The Grahamtown Community Center is officially open for business. Located at 129 First St. in Forest City, the new community center location will be a place for the GTeam but will also provide a location for seminars, classes, youth activities and small business office space. "The Grahamtown Team (GTeam) has been around for about 10 years," said Kisha McDowell, board secretary. "Some of the projects the team has undertaken is lighting and weatherization of homes, putting in sidewalks, community beautification and neighborhood cleanups." As the board began to make plans going forward, members decided to take a focus on health living and active lifestyles. Those who lease office space in the building will be those businesses who also offer similar programs. Healthy living youth education has already begun with students from local schools coming to the Grahamtown Community Garden to learn about where their food grows. "During the summer and breaks from school we'd like to offer classes for the community on preparing foods in a healthy way," McDowell said. A food pantry for the community will also be housed at the community center. A computer lab with space for 12 computers is in the works, and there will be a board for presentations and teaching, McDowell continued. "We will have different things we will offer, and it is all geared toward the community," she said. McDowell said she envisions the center as being similar to one in the community where she grew up. "It provided a gym and structured programs during the day," she explained. "That's our hope for summer - that there will be reading, crafts, gardening and then healthy meals. When there was no place else for kids to go, there was the community center." Cooking classes at the Grahamtown Community Center are set to begin in January. Other planned classes include debt management and criminal record expungement. For more information on activities offered at the Grahamtown Community Center or how you can be involved, call 828-229-3380. OUR 24 th YEAR • ISSUE NO. 45 • November 3, 2016 RutherfordWeekly.com 828-248-1408 FREE FREE ©Community First Media Community First Media Come in and register to win 188 Whitesides Rd., Rutherfordton 828-287-3272 Husqvarna 460 Rancher chain saw! Husqvarna 460 Rancher chain saw! No purchase necessary. Mon-Fri 7:30-5:30, Sat 7:30-2:00 farmersfriendfeedseedandsupply.com ©Community First Media Community First Media Located Located inside inside NOV. 4, 5 & 6 FRI•SAT•SUN • LIGHT REFRESHMENTS • LIGHT REFRESHMENTS • DRAW FOR YOUR SECRET DISCOUNTS RANGING • DRAW FOR YOUR SECRET DISCOUNTS RANGING FROM 10% TO 30% AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. FROM 10% TO 30% AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE. FOREST CITY FOREST CITY 720 South Church St. 720 South Church St. • • 828-245-7274 • 828-245-7274 • Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 1-6pm Mon-Fri 9am-9pm, Sat 9am-7pm, Sun 1-6pm WE PROUDLY SUPPORT OUR VETERANS WE PROUDLY SUPPORT OUR VETERANS Yokefellow shares the burden with those in need Cherry Smith was already familiar with the services and programs offered through Yokefellow Service Center in Spindale before becoming the organization's executive director earlier this year. Smith has been with the organization for six years, working in client services. Yokefellow Service Center has provided assistance to those in the community, as well as programs such as the prison ministry, for almost 50 years. While leadership may have changed in 2016, the offerings provided will continue - and grow, Smith said. The organization's thrift store has already undergone updates with computerized registers, and a new logo has been unveiled. "We spent a lot of time thinking about the logo, because one of the questions I'm most asked is 'What does Yokefellow mean?'" Smith explained. "The best definition is that a yoke is a burden, and a Yokefellow is a working partner," she continued. "I wanted to maintain the yoke in the image so you can see it and relate, and to also say what we're about." What the organization is about is offering a variety of assistance to those in crisis. "It's very rare that we send someone out the door without any help at all," Smith said. "The hardest part of seeing clients is making decisions. We have to make them based on their needs along with what we are financially able to help with." Yokefellow began in 1967 when the pastor of First United Methodist Church and a church member visited the National Headquarters of Yokefellow in Indiana. It was initially created by Christians of all denominations to develop opportunities for the disadvantaged, and was staffed by volunteers. Services were funded by donations by churches and individuals, just as it is today. Many donations come through items donated to sell in the thrift store. And, there's always a treasure to be found, Smith explained. "Once we had someone come in and buy a pack of baseball cards for $3, and it contained a card worth $350," she said. "We get antiques and military trunks, books you can't find anywhere else." Volunteers help to make the thrift store a success, Smith said. "Our volunteers are the most amazing, and they are so faithful," she said. "We have 35 to 40 volunteers - and each job they make theirs. They are my daily dose of cheer." Seeing the difference made for clients is what inspires Smith and other employees. "We had a little girl come in with her grandmother, who had just moved here from another state. They had nothing," Smith said. "So as I talked with the grandmother, I asked the little girl if she wanted to draw. As we talked, I learned that her dog had gotten run over … I asked if it was OK to give her a stuffed animal. "I offered her a stuffed dog, and she grabbed and said 'I'll love it forever.' For someone, you make a difference." If you would like to volunteer or make a donation to Yokefellow Service Center, call 828-287-0776 or email yokefellow1@att.net. Articles By: Allison Flynn, Rutherford Weekly Articles By: Allison Flynn, Rutherford Weekly LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL BUY The Grahamtown Community Center, located at 129 First St., Forest City, will be the hub for activities and classes for those who live in the community. New center will be hub for Grahamtown Community Students from Forest City-Dunbar have been visiting the Grahamtown Community Garden this month, learning about how to grow the foods that we eat. Cooking classes, which will provide instruction on the healthy preparation of the garden foods, will be offered beginning in January.

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