Stories

Storytelling is such an important part of our community, and we work hard to amplify voices that represent those who care deeply about the Triangle and those who work hard to make it a better place for everyone.

All Stories Blog
Stories: Community Development

Importance of Wrap-Around Care

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Burma Spinks first came to the White Oak Foundation looking for help for her 87-year-old mother. But she ended up finding a community of support for herself as well. Spinks, who is currently in her 60s, and her mother visited…
Stories: Community Development

Giving Young Parents a Brighter Future

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Parenting a child while in high school makes college seem out of reach. But Beth Harrington got a boost when she needed it most — a scholarship that opened doors to higher education and a better life for her son,…
Stories: Community Development

One Encounter Changed Him Forever

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She walked into the rural Florida emergency food center on the arm of a disheveled, swaggering man. She was noticeably younger, she didn’t speak, and her gaze only fleetingly raised to meet Tim’s that day. The man she came with…
Stories: Regional Cultural Arts

Closing the Gap Through Art

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Spending her professional career in public policy and city planning, Carol was no stranger to the opportunity gap, particularly as it related to children and access to cultural resources. But it wasn’t until she retired that she was able to…
Stories: Environmental Conservation

A Family Commitment to Change

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How much is enough? That question stuck in Dave’s mind after participating in a JustFaith group at his church, where they met once a week to learn about major issues like hunger, poverty, racism, immigration, and more. He started adding…
Stories: Youth Literacy

Working to Ensure Kids Can Succeed

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For a man with a big heart, giving back in his community seems like a natural way to honor his daughter, Julia, who passed away suddenly in 2001. All of his families’ grantmaking is to be reminiscent of her, something…
Stories: Nonprofit Stories

The Push to Merge

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The M word. Often suggested by funders recognizing the abundance of nonprofit organizations doing similar work in a community, and equally feared by nonprofit leaders doing that work. Over the last few years, mergers have become a hot topic in…
Stories: News & Community

No Easy, Quick Answers in Equity Work

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Equity work isn’t about finding absolute answers to anything. It is about asking questions over and over and over again and making good decisions about how to address particular problems in particular areas through an equity lens. That’s according to…
Stories: News & Community

Innovation: Changing the Odds

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It’s hard to move forward when you feel like the odds are stacked against you. This is a feeling teenagers aging out of the foster care system know all too well. They face growing up — finding housing, education and…