Blog 193: An Appeal for Suze and Frandy

By Kenneth Simmons

Guest Writer

Several months after the horrific earthquake devastated Port-au-Prince in Haiti, I was commissioned along with a colleague, Ms. Judith Cowan, to travel to Haiti to teach English as a second language to a small group of college students who had attended the University of Port-au-Prince before it was destroyed. Our mission was sponsored by the “I Have a Dream” Foundation which is based in Richmond, Virginia.. 

The students with whom we worked lived in a small mountain town, Hinche, which is located about fifty miles northeast of Port-au- Prince. It takes two and a half hours to drive there from the capital city because of the rugged roads that traverse the ravines  and rocky mountain sides.  The majority of the citizens of Hinche have never had electricity, and roughly five percent are employed. The average earnings for a day’s work is  approximately five dollars.  Though poverty is rampant, the people were rich in love, and spirit, and decency, far more than most of those I have encountered in my homeland.  The Catholic Church where we lived was filled with the town’s people at six o’clock every morning and at regular mass on Sundays.

Our assignment was to help the students reach an acceptable level of English proficiency so that they could succeed in our American Colleges. The foundation had promised to bring our eight students to the United States and enroll them in colleges where they were to be supported until they graduated. Afterwards, they were to return to their home country as strong leaders. The students were extremely motivated and worked diligently with us from eight in the morning until three thirty in the afternoon as  we tried our very best to immerse them in the English language. Never in my thirty plus years of working with young people in our public schools had I experienced the pleasure of such good manners, motivation and a willingness to learn as when  I  worked with the students in Hinche, Haiti .

We returned to the U.S. in November of 2010; four of the students arrived in August of 2011 and were enrolled in J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Virginia. The other four students were to arrive at a later date because of a lack of funding, but to this day, they still remain in Haiti. After one year of studying at Reynolds, the students were informed that the foundation had depleted its funds. Two white families quickly picked up two of the students for sponsorship. One family enrolled one of the female students, Lude, at Averett University in Danville, Virginia. Lude is doing very well and has almost completed her studies there. Berry, one of the male students, was picked up by another family and is about to complete a four year degree at Elizabeth City State University on the coast of North Carolina. He is doing well also. All four have maintained 3.0 averages and above.

Our concern at this time is the well-being of brother and sister Frandy and Suze Prince. They have been on their own for the last year and now are at risk of losing their student visas if they are not able to receive assistance right away. All four of the students were issued student visas in order to come to the US.,  which means  that they must be enrolled in school on a full-time basis. If the students lose their visas, they will have to return to Haiti with dreams and hopes deferred. Frandy and Suze have not been able to acquire sponsorships but did receive some assistance for the last year from a community organization and an attorney and her family. The attorney and the organization made it clear that their resources were temporary. As of August 1^st, the two students have been abandoned.  The “I Have a Dream” Foundation does not feel any obligation to continue to support Frandy and Suze. The brother and sister have completed their studies at the community college and were informed that as of August 1, 2014, they had no place to live in Richmond.

Thank God, Frandy and Suze were admitted to Johnson C. Smith University for the fall semester. Fortunately, we have been able to assist the two students in acquiring an apartment near the university.  JCSU was able to give each of them five thousand dollar for the year which means that we must raise thirteen thousand dollars for each of them for the entire year tuition making it a total of twenty-six thousand dollars in all. We are seeking an additional six thousand dollars for rent which gives us a total need of thirty-two thousand dollars.  We know that after this first year, the students will be able to earn full academic scholarships for next year based on their academic performance.

We have not been able to find a family or even a church in our community to sponsor our two students; therefore, we desperately are asking you to assist us in making a tax deductible donation so that these two young people can complete their education and return to their home country prepared to lead Haiti into a future filled with promise, hope and prosperity.

Please mail your donation to:

The Suze and Frandy Scholarship Fund

c/o Mechanics and Farmers Bank

P. O. Box 33594

Charlotte, N.C. 28216

Thank you for your support.                                                           

About the Author

Kenneth Allen Simmons is a graduate of West Charlotte High School and the University of North Carolina. He has served in fifteen administrative positions with the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System and is active in many professional and community organizations.

Blog 192 A. Rudolph Hendricks: A Retired Presbyterian Minister Conducts a Multifaceted Ministry in a Baptist Church

By Vernon M. Herron, family members and others

Guest Writers

Have you met the Reverend Doctor Amos Rudolph Hendricks? If not, this is a “must.” This distinguished personality and versatile soul is a scholar; a teacher; a husband; a father; a grandfather; a musician (organist and pianist); a choir member; a farmer; an animal-raiser and lover; a dress-code trend setter; a loyal fraternal brother; a retired Presbyterian minister; and an active member of a Baptist church ministerial staff, conducting a multifaceted ministry.

The Rev. A. Rudolph Hendricks has been married to the former Barbara Parks for 52 years. She is the critic and proof-reader for the Herron Speaks blog. She is a retired school teacher and administrator. She also teaches Latin at the Youth Opportunity University at the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Charlotte, NC.

Dr. Hendricks is also the father of three children. His two sons are successful in their respective fields, and his daughter is an accomplished school teacher. She directs the children’s musical program at the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. The entire family is musical.

Dr. Henderick has seven grandchildren, two of whom were introduced in blog 138.  He sings in three church’s choirs, farms, is a lover of and raises farm animals, including dogs and horses; is an immaculate dresser; and is an active member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Greek fraternity. But the two dynamic forces of this unusual personality, are a retired Presbyterian ministry and a multifaceted Baptist ministry.

Rev. Hendricks served as pastor of four Presbyterian churches located in the Charlotte, Shelby, Huntersville and Shreveport, LA. areas. After retiring from a dynamic Presbyterian ministry, he and his family joined the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Charlotte, NC seven years ago. He sings in three church choirs, is a member of the ministerial staff, consisting of serving as a worship leader, preaches, is a church greeter, assists in funeral and mid-week worship services, participates in the drama ministry and seasonal presentations.

In his own words, Dr. Hendricks says, “the transition has been easy. Serving on a ministerial staff in a Baptist church has allowed me to continue in the familiar role of leading the worship experience. Singing in three choirs provides many opportunities for me to use my musical skills. I remain cognizant that the denominational designation in a church’s name is secondary to its mission.  ‘Only what do for Christ will last.’”

This preacher is also the grandson of a Baptist minister. Friendship Missionary Baptist Church of Charlotte, NC loves and welcomes this brother to its membership and staff where he is conducting a fantastic multifaceted ministry. The Friendship Baptist Church family is the richer because of the Hendricks family.

Blog 191: YEN – Young Entrepreneur’s Network

By C. Maria Macon

Guest Writer

Have you ever wondered what would happen if a group of young business people got together and began to create a microcosm of the infamous “Black Wall Street”?  Just such a group has emerged, and they have begun the process with 20 small businesses. Their mission is to create a clearinghouse of young business-minded entrepreneurs-in-training as they develop a system for future resources sharing. Their goal is to set into motion a structure to facilitate wealth retention among today’s young Black entrepreneurs.  

Stay Tuned…..

Blog 190: NAACP

By Ahmad Daniels

Guest Writer

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s decision to come out in support of same sex marriage is being proudly lauded by some and vociferously castigated by still others in the Black community.  This bold decision to equate gay rights with Civil Rights will be debated for years to come in many Black households and faith institutions. The NAACP has long fought a battle against those who claim that the oldest Civil Rights organization in the nation has outlived its usefulness. This audacious and prudent decision shows there continues to be much work for it to do.

To your journey!

Blog 189: The Civil Rights Act

By Ahmad Daniels

 Guest Writer

The U.S. Supreme Court has asked Congress to reconfigure the formula that will determine which states and municipalities are mandated to submit proposed voter related changes to the Justice Department. There are many who believe the election of a Black president is proof positive the times of changed and the Civil Rights Act of 1965 is anachronistic. Yet, many of the states who are listed in the “penalty box” of Section 5 are states that did not vote for President Barack Obama. Can a Congress, wrangling with immigration, expediently and impartially address issues related to so-called minority voting?  Stay tuned.

To your journey!

Blog 188: The Fourth of July

 

By Ahmad Daniels

 Guest Writer

It has been said a word takes on its meaning at the moment of its conception. And while time and pop-culture may attempt to give new meaning to words, the essence of words is immutable.

Such is the case with the “N” word and what inevitably will become the “R” word presently used by a Washington NFL team.  Perhaps the same rule applies to historical events.

On July 5, 1852, Abolitionist Frederick Douglass delivered a speech at Rochester, New York entitled, “What to the American Slave is Your 4^th of July?”  Mr. Douglass knew the irony in speaking of an independence that Afrikan people had never known.

Which begs the question; Can the “Fourth of July” be divorced from a day of remembrance that embraced the enslavement of Blacks in 1776?  Or, can one apathetically dismiss the history of the day and blindly “jump on board” as has long been the case with the “N” word?  Each person must decide this for him/herself.

To your journey!

Blog 187: Starting a Non-Profit Organization or Business

By C. Maria Macon

Guest Writer

If your passion is helping others, you can start a nonprofit organization and avoid expensive legal fees. Getting a nonprofit agency up and running is not as difficult as you may think. Here is a brief checklist to assist you in taking the most appropriate steps:

[  ] Mission Statement - Craft a mission statement in a few sentences that communicates exactly what your nonprofit organization intends to do. Or, what societal “ill” you want to be a part of helping to solve.

[  ] Articles of Incorporation - To legally establish your nonprofit and register a name and purpose, you want to become an entity by filing Articles of Incorporation with the secretary of state, in the state that your nonprofit will have its primary office.

[  ] Tax Identification Number - which is an Employer Identification Number (EIN). This number will provide your nonprofit organization with an identification number. This is similar to your personal Social Security number.

[  ] Board of Directors - This is a group of individuals that you bring together around the mission of the organization.  This group comes with skills to benefit the organization and carry your mission forward. This group also has the legal and fiduciary responsibilities of helping to set policy and procedures for the organization and raise funds. Boards are temporary peopled with volunteers who from time to time move on.

[  ] Bylaws - This is a document written specifically for your organization and serves as the governing document (rules & regulations) for your board of directors. This document defines how your nonprofit will be managed, which duties directors, officers and committees will have. In addition, how those responsibilities will be carried out.

[  ] Budgeting - Think realistically about the potential earning power of your organization and the annual expenses. Create a list of the anticipated start-up expenses that your organization will have. Then create a start-up expense sheet, project the first and second full year of expenses. Give some consideration as to where the revenues could reasonably be generated. Once you have this, set your projections before the newly created board of directors for feedback and approval.

[  ] Tax Exempt Status - Only nonprofit entities can apply for tax-exempt status. Once you have completed the above six steps, your legally established nonprofit can then apply for tax exemption through a process that can take as few as ninety (90) days, depending on the scope of activities in your nonprofit. This status is sometimes called a 501(c) (3) tax-exempt status.

[  ] Fund Raising Committee - One of the first committees that you should establish is a fundraising committee. This is a group of individuals that should include some board members and outside folk with a vested interest in the mission of the organization. This group seeks continuous funding to run the nonprofit organization you have just established. Your bylaws should allow for committees.

[  ] Grants - It is most advisable that your nonprofit organization has received 501(c) (3) tax-exempt status before applying for grants. Grants are the process of securing money for the day-to-day operations, to promote the mission, programs and activities of your nonprofit organization.

Have you always wanted to run your own business? Then think about starting a small or large business. Either way, you will need to map out your road to success; which is referred to as a “Business Plan” to assist you in this endeavor, we have listed an outline and its order of what should go into your business plan in the form of a table of content.

Business Plan

Table of Content

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY (this is the last thing you write, but should comes first in the business plan layout)

 

THE INDUSTRY, THE COMPANY, AND ITS PRODUCT

A.   The Industry

B.   The Company

C.   The Product or Service

MARKET RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS

D.  Customers

E.   Market Size and Trends

F.    Competition

G.  Market Share and Sales

MARKETING PLAN

H.  Overall Market Strategy

I.     Pricing

J.     Sales Tactics

K.   Advertising and Promotion

OPERATING PLAN

L.    Location

M. Facilities and Improvements

N.  Strategy and Plans

O.  Labor Force

MANAGEMENT TEAM

P.   Organization

Q.  Key Personnel

R.   Management Compensation and Ownership

S.    Board of Directors

THE FINANCIAL PLAN

T.   Sources and Users of Funds

U.  Pro Forma Cash Flow Analysis

V.   Profit and Loss Forecasts

W.Pro Forma Balance Sheets

APPENDIX

Polish I.N.C. an international Business and Nonprofit Consulting company can initiate and prepare all of the above mentioned documents and work-related preparation for you. Just give us a call at 980/202-9149

POLISH, INC.

1101 Sunset Road Unit # 681805

Charlotte, NC 28216

Ph: (980) 202-9149