How are North Carolinians supporting each other?

A Note from Joy

Greetings,?

Whenever I get worried about North Carolina’s future, I know it's time to close my laptop and hit the road.

While my newsfeed is filled with reports of attempts to dismantle our public institutions and divide North Carolinians, the extraordinary people of our state are working with little fanfare to help each other out.

Recently, for example, ZSR staff visited Pamlico County to meet 84-year-old Vennie Himbry, a nonprofit leader who helps formerly incarcerated people get back on their feet and stay out of prison.

We also went to Bladen, Hoke and Robeson Counties, where we met folks working to ensure students experiencing homelessness are clothed, fed, and treated with dignity and respect.

And in Swain and Macon Counties, we learned from community members who partner with nearby farms to help people feed their families with fresh, local food.

ZSR just announced new grants for the projects mentioned above and dozens of others. They fill me with hope and prove that despite attempts to divide us, North Carolinians continue to embrace our common humanity and work together for a just, inclusive and sustainable future.

I’d love to hear from you: how are people in your community helping each other? What keeps you inspired??

All For NC,

Joy Vermillion Heinsohn

Executive Director

Get Inspired

Stories of hope and action from ZSR grantees and partners

• New and compelling data further demonstrates the need for affordable quality childcare in North Carolina: insufficient childcare is costing North Carolina about $5.65 billion each year, a new report reveals. The report was released by the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation, in partnership with the NC Chamber Foundation and NC Child . ? ?
• If you're heading to a local swimming hole this summer, check out the Swim Guide app before you go. In Western NC, MountainTrue takes weekly water samples for 96 sites and reports results to Swim Guide so you can make sure the water is safe.
• NC school districts are adding more than 200 electric buses to their fleets thanks to federal funding from the Clean School Bus Program. The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy highlights that with zero tailpipe emissions, electric buses are better for the environment and for people’s health. ?
• Equity Before Birth launched the Liberated Birth Recovery Fund, which will give a cohort of working moms access to paid leave because their employers do not provide it, plus holistic and financial support to help participants in their postpartum recovery. Applications for the first cohort are open through July. ?

What's New with ZSR?

• Grant applications for our State-Level Systemic Change strategy are currently open. The application deadline is August 1 at noon. ?
• ZSR Trustees approved $1.4 million in grants within our Community Progress Fund strategy at our May board meeting. ?
• We said “goodbye for now” to our second-year fellow, Joanna Martinez, who will embark on a yearlong English teaching assistantship in Taitung, Taiwan, through Fulbright Taiwan. We are grateful for Joanna’s service to ZSR and can’t wait to see what her future holds!