Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation

Earlier this month, ZSR staff got to be "Principals for a Day," shadowing two public school principals in our hometown of Winston-Salem, NC. The experience made it clear that our local public schools are doing amazing things to prepare our children to live, work and lead in North Carolina. Our local public schools also need and deserve more support. And right now, North Carolinians are suffering a decades-long campaign to disinvest from them – most recently by?diverting taxpayer money to fund private school vouchers?for wealthy families. Our January newsletter reaffirms ZSR's commitment to championing excellent public schools for ALL kids in NC, offers stories of hope and action from our grant partners across NC, and provides updates from ZSR.

Every person, regardless of their background or immigration status, deserves to feel safe and be treated with common decency here in North Carolina.? This Spanish-language guide from El Pueblo, Inc., ACLU of North Carolina and North Carolina Justice Center provides essential guidance to help immigrant communities understand and exercise their civil rights.

The vast majority of NC’s children are educated in public schools, and North Carolinians overwhelmingly support investing more in them rather than diverting money to private school vouchers. So, how do we strengthen our schools? In a WRAL op-ed, Mary Ann Wolf, head of Public School Forum of North Carolina, says that now is the time for NC's lawmakers to find consensus and make sure our local public schools have the funding they need to be the best in the country.

Resident-owned communities (ROCs) are cooperatives where residents individually own their manufactured homes and collectively own the land beneath their homes. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development recently awarded ROC USA a $38.1 million grant to strengthen ROCs across the country, including here in NC. ROC USA announced the news from Oak Meadows Community Association, a 58-home ROC in Asheboro. ROC USA’s model puts ownership in the hands of residents, creating long-term stability and economic security. With this funding, more communities will have access to the capital and technical support they need to preserve housing affordability and build wealth for their members. Learn more about this transformational investment:

Lots to appreciate about this op-ed from The Fayetteville Observer, but this quote from Joshua James, board chair of North Carolina Immigration Law and Justice Center, stands out: “The greatest influx of communications we’ve gotten is from people who want to volunteer.” In Fayetteville and across the state, people are stepping up and taking action to protect their immigrant neighbors from harmful rhetoric and policies. This is who North Carolinians are: good, fair-minded people, who believe that every person, regardless of their background or immigration status, deserves to feel safe and be treated with common decency in our state.

Last month, former ZSR Executive Director Tom Lambeth was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, the Governor’s highest award for service to North Carolina. ZSR leaders past and present — pictured here with Governor Josh Stein — attended the ceremony. Tom led ZSR for two decades before retiring in 2000. Joy Vermillion Heinsohn, ZSR's current executive director, went to work for Tom in 1998. She recently reflected on what she learned from him: "From Tom, I learned to approach our work with humility and respect for all North Carolinians; to show up, build relationships, break bread, and get to know our neighbors across the state. To this day, that culture of showing up and building personal relationships is a hallmark of how ZSR operates." We're grateful for Tom's service to ZSR and to the people of North Carolina. Learn more about Tom: https://lnkd.in/ei4YpT-V

As North Carolinians grapple with the impacts of climate change in our daily lives, offshore wind is gaining momentum as a viable clean energy source. According to Southeastern Wind Coalition's Katharine Collins, Virginia has begun to capitalize on offshore wind, using the energy source to create jobs, reduce harmful carbon emissions and strengthen the energy grid. North Carolina can learn from Virginia as we work toward a sustainable energy future. #sustainableenergy #cleanenergy

A North Carolina powered by clean and sustainable energy is possible, and solar energy will help us get there. Halifax County native Mozine Lowe founded the Center for Energy Education to educate rural communities about solar energy projects and create stronger partnerships between companies and communities. ? Learn more about the inspiring work the Center is doing for and with communities across North Carolina.

United Way of Forsyth County is a critical supporter of organizations working to improve people's lives in our hometown of Winston-Salem. They support nonprofits working in economic mobility, student success, housing and neighborhood revitalization, and more. ZSR recently committed $100,000 to these efforts, joining Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust and The Winston-Salem Foundation to help ensure United Way and the nonprofits they support can continue their important work.

Residents and advocates are concerned about Duke Energy's plan to replace two coal-fired units at the Marshall Steam Station on Lake Norman with natural gas plants. At a public hearing, CleanAIRE NC advocacy manager Brittany Griffin warned of potential health risks from pollutants like volatile organic compounds. Clean Water for North Carolina and other advocacy groups are challenging Duke Energy’s environmental practices, including its handling of toxic coal ash. These efforts are uniting people from all walks of life in collective advocacy for a healthier, sustainable future. Get to know more about the residents and advocates working to prevent harm to their communities: