NCNW newsletter Spring 2015

NCNW 2nd

Annual Mother

Daughter Brunch a huge

success!

Education Committee

tutorial program has a great

first year!

Chaplain and Education

Chair nominated as

section’s Valdosta Woman

of the year!

NCNW Goes RED!

2nd

Vice President

recognized as one of

Valdosta’s 4 Under 40!

Local newspaper gives a

round of applause for

S.E.L.F.I.E. Conference!

Vol. 3 No. 2

The Valdosta Lowndes Section of the National Council of Negro Women, Inc (NCNW) along

with the Maceo Horne Learning Center hosted its first. S.E.L.F.I.E. Conference for females 16-

25 years old on Saturday, March 7th. S.E.L.F.I.E. is an acronym that stands for Success,

Education, Leadership, Finance, Innovation Empowerment. The purpose of the conference was

to equip the young ladies with tools for mobility and to encourage them to begin thinking early

about furthering their education, career and managing their finances. The Entrepreneurial

Committee of NCNW which is led by Attorney Karla Walker and Co-Chaired by Mrs. Vivian

Cody developed the conference as a way to provide resources for young ladies who may also

need more information on how to pursue their GED degree as well as empowering them to work

towards their goals despite life’s road blocks. High school and college ladies from various

churches, schools and organizations such as the Valdosta State University Section of NCNW and

Delta Gems were in attendance in great numbers. Workshops were led by various leaders in the

community including Valdosta Mayor Pro-tem, Alvin Payton, Anya Burns, Charmaine Thomas,

Helen Jackson, Realtor and 2014 Valdosta Woman of the Year, Victoria Copeland, Iris Brown

and Wiregrass Georgia Technical College representatives, Brooke Jamillo and Betty Smith.

Special recognition was given by the Section President, Sharah Denton to the Entrepreneurial

Committee for spearheading and developing the event, and the sponsors Maceo Horne Learning

Center and Staff, Southwest Georgia Bank, V-96.7, Caribbean Delight, Trina Braxton Hair

Collection and to the lunch sponsors, Two Wheel Riders and V-Town Chicks Motorcycle Club.

Greetings Sisters, Friends and Affiliates!

It is difficult to believe that this August 3rd

our section will

be celebrating five years of our chartering! Time sure flies by

when you are busy doing work for your community! I am so

honored to serve alongside women who are committed to giving

back to the community in various ways!

In one year our Education Committee has begun their

tutorial program for local students in K-5 at no cost to their

parents, our Education Chair Mrs. Bettye McClendon was

nominated as a candidate for Valdosta Woman of the year; our 1st

Vice President spearheaded the 2nd

Annual Mother Daughter

Brunch where our sister, Dr. Beverley Richardson-Blake served as

the keynote speaker! And not to forget the efforts of our

Entrepreneurial Committee who successfully implemented the

inaugural S.E.L.F.I.E. Conference which serviced teen girls and

young ladies in college! NCNW has had a very busy and

productive year! A special congratulations to our 2nd

Vice

President, Victoria Copeland who was just named one of

Valdosta’s 4 Under 40 Leaders in the community!

NCNW has also been active in the Habitat for Humanity builds,

fundraising and planning for our upcoming events in the fall. And

the icing on the cake- our membership has significantly grown to

over 75 members! That is truly a blessing!

I hope you find this newsletter not only informative, but inspiring

and uplifting as we highlight the many activities and initiatives

our section has been diligently implementing! Enjoy and thank

you for supporting our local section!

Yours in Service,

Sharah N. Denton, M.S.

Section Founder/ President

The Valdosta-Lowndes Metropolitan Section of the National

Council of Negro Women (NCNW), Inc. hosted their 2nd

Annual

Mother Daughter Brunch, A Hat and Glove Affair on Friday, May

9th

. Keynote speaker was Dr. Beverley Richardson-Blake who

spoke centered on the event’s theme, “A Perfect Cup of Tea”. In

her speech, Blake spoke on the various steps in brewing tea by

relating it to how she raised her daughter, Brittanye Blake. “Teach

her to be a lady, to respect herself and others, to always keep it

classy- with less sassy,” said Blake. The brunch was also filled with

live music courtesy of soloist, Iborya Jones who sang a rendition of

Living My Life like its Golden and the Valdosta High School chorus

who sang songs such as, Money Can’t Buy Me Love. Each mother

and daughter was given a complimentary photo of themselves with

their guest; the Mistress of Ceremony, Carolyn Haigler entertained

the crowd by reassuring them that mothers and daughters have an

unspeakable bond. The chair of the brunch, Tiffany Vinson who is

also the 1st Vice President of the section was presented with a token

of love from Section President, Sharah Denton on behalf of the

brunch committee for her leadership. The brunch welcomed over

300 mothers and daughters, grandmothers, nieces, aunts, cousins

and friends. It was a successful event due to the support of the

Rainwater Conference Center, Commissioner Joyce Evans, Anna

Battle (Simply Anna Fashions), Tieka Skrine, Southern OB/GYN,

Harvey’s (Quitman), Darlene Wooten, India Demps, Kappa Eta

Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Crossing Jordan Baptist

Church, The Pink Gift Shop, Zaxby’s (Perimeter), Attorney Karla

Walker, Valdosta High School Chorus and Iborya Jones.

NCNW shows support to their sister Education Chair and Chaplain,

Mrs. Bettye McClendon as the NCNW nominee for the Valdosta

Woman of the Year. McClendon has spearheaded the Education

Committee’s initiatives since the sections chartering in 2011. Under

her leadership and direction, the Education Committee has

successfully implemented the Tutorial program for free to local

students in K-5. Congratulations on your nomination and all that you

do!

Above: Our Education Committee held its

last session for the Spring quarter the last

week in May!! It is only the first year of the

program and it has been a major success!!

Thank you to Valdosta City Schools,

Volunteer Tutors (retired teachers, current

teachers, volunteers and college

students/tutors), Parents, Commissioner

Joyce Evans, Mayor John Gayle and

everyone who has supported this initiative on

behalf of the Education Committee Co-

Chairs, Mrs. Bettye McClendon and Ms

Carolyn Haigler! The Education Committee

also implemented a summer tutorial

program!

NCNW, Kappa Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha

Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Valdosta Alumnae

Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta, Inc. and Zeta Tau

Alpha go RED for heart disease education!

NCNW shows support during the Valdosta Alumnae

Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Breathe Easy 5K

Asthma walk!

Left: NCNW Financial Secretary, Dr. Beverley

Richardson-Blake is pictured as the keynote speaker during

the annual Mother Daughter brunch. She was introduced

by her daughter, Brittanye Blake. The theme, A Perfect

Cop of Tea” allowed Blake the opportunity to highlight

wisdom to mothers when raising daughters.

Above: Our Section’s 2nd

Vice President,

Victoria Copeland was recognized as one of

Metro Valdosta’s 4 Under 40 this year!!!

The Valdosta Lowndes Chamber of

Commerce has implemented this program

for the past five years to recognize local

leaders throughout the community!

Copeland was also the 2014 Woman of the

Year! All four recipients traditionally go on

to get nominated for the Georgia Trend 40

Under 40.

Below: In April, section members partnered with the local battered

women’s shelter, The Haven to host a sock and underwear drive for

women and children the shelter serves. A special thank you to the

members who donated items!

The Valdosta Daily Times gave a round of applause for our

collaboration with the Maceo Horne Learning Center for the 1st Annual

S.E.L.F.I.E. Conference! Awesome job Entrepreneurial Committee!!!

Sisters take a photo after completing the

sections annual road clean up on the

section’s adopted road.