Durham Nonprofits and Charities

Working with the ISA has been one of the highlights of my last decade serving the industry. Through ISA I have made great connections, worked hard at industry events, and had a great time doing so. In the words of an industry competitor, ISA events in our area consistently "punch above their weight class" in quality. I'm looking forward to continuing the ride.

Friends of Bonobos is one of my favourite charities to support! They work so hard for innocent babies hurt in the pet trade, their diligence and dedication is wonderful to see!<br>Thankyou Friends of Bonobos keep strong!

I am so proud to serve as a board member of Pro-Choice North Carolina. As others have testified, we have an extremely dedicated, creative, active, and forward-looking staff, board, and membership. In frightening times, PCNC continues to provide solid analysis, powerful strategies, and perseverance in the long-term struggle for reproductive justice in solidarity with other social justice movements in North Carolina and nationally. I am of the generation that risked life, health, stigma, and prosecution for seeking contraception as well as abortion. It is sad to see the current backlash, but so encouraging to know that younger people will carry on the fight -- never again!

My name is Chester, I'm from Houston, Texas. I had heart surgery (5 bypasses). For the operation they stopped my heart for 8 hour while they performed the surgery. I was hooked to a heart lung machine that kept my blood circulating and oxygen flowing. I can't tell you what happened during the operation, but I can vividly recall being in a completely different place and I was not alone. Everything around me was white, like the whiteness of milk. I felt soon good and relaxed as if I was supposed to be there, as if I belong there. Then, a woman slowly start to materialize in front of me. I did not know who she was but I felt comfortable, at ease, Love with her, in her presence. She spoke to me, not with words, I just knew what she was saying and asking me. She asked me where is various family members where, as if testing me to see if I knew. Remember everything around me was completely white, but I just knew in what direction everyone was and I pointed to each members. Some family members have long pass and some still here but I knew where everyone was. After what seemed like 5 or 10 minutes of with her, she began to slowly back away. As she moved backwards, she slowly started to vanish. "No, don't go. Please, don't go", I start saying to myself. I didn't want her to leave. I wanted to go with her. I felt sooo much at peace there, so good, no pain, no fear, no worries and a beautiful feeling I just can't explain in words. Then I started hearing familiar voice coming from behind me in this white void. It was my mother calling my name. Then I heard my brother-in-law, then a cousin. I turned towards the voices and began to follow them. My mother's voice got louder and louder as I got closer and closer to the source of her voice. Then like as if someone pushed me from behind, I opened my eyes. Pain,and more pain as soon as I opened my eyes. My arms where strapped down and a tube down my throat. Tubes coming out of my body everywhere, I was startled and felt trapped. I tried to move, I didn't know what was or had happened to me. The pain, so much pain. There was a nurse there softly telling me "your o.k. calm down, your o.k.". She said I just got out of surgery, she said my family is here. My mother, my brother-in-law, my cousin, they all have been in to see you and have been talking to you in the recovery room. As she, the nurse held my hand, I released her grip and with my finger I wrote "mom" in the palm of her hand. She said,"she's right outside the room, I'll get her". My mom came in an grabbed my hand and started stroking my head, saying "your o.k., you made it". I immediately released my mom's hand and wrote in her palm, "Pain". I never felt pain like this in my life, I never knew there was such a level of pain like I was feeling. My mom told the nurse and she came in with a dose of morphine. The morphine kicked in immediately and the nurse and my mom had to remind me that I just had heart bypass surgery. They had to cut me open and saw through my chest bone. My entire chest cavity had to be pried opened. Several days later, my doctor came in and explained everything they did to me during the surgery. The operation took 8 hours and had to perform 5 bypasses. They had to stop my heart for those 8 hours to perform the surgery. The heart lung machine helped to keep my blood circulating and oxygenated. That 8 hours only seemed to me about 10-15 minutes. So the question that I continuously ponder to myself is, was I alive or dead? Did something happen during the operation? I was in a different place "this white void" speaking without words to this woman whom I have never seen before. I still can feel that peace, Love, belonging and that indescribable Beautiful feel I had. I was conscious and aware and remember everything I seen in this white void during my 8 hour (heart stopped) operation. Can someone or anyone help me explain this. Is it an medical explanation or beyond. <br>

Upstream is incredible! They have inspired me in so many ways to live my life more sustainably and inspired projects I am working on to systemically reduce single-use plastic pollution in my town. Their resources, reports, and indisposable podcast have been informative and inspiring, and their staff is very knowledgeable and willing to help anyone looking for support. I don't where I would be without Upstream.

Stood in line to check out one item for 20 minutes, the clerk had to individual before me with about 30 items each, she had to check them out, wrap dishes & bowls, go get box from the back to place items in, while three other clerk wander around the store putting out items. They saw the line that was forming to check out, but none came forward to help the clerk checking out move things along faster. Finally one came up said the boss had told her to come help. I told her, her her help was needed soon, well she said I just do what my boss tells me & how corporate tells us to do it. Customers should not have to wait in line that long when you have check-outs not being used... This was at the Calabash Store in Calabash, NC

My husband and I have been volunteering with Independent Animal Rescue ( IAR ) since 2018. We work on the cat team helping at the semi-monthly feral cat s/n clinic. We have met and worked with dedicated volunteers to help the cats in our Durham community.

My name is Jeanette, The owner here was really in the business of helping and serving their consumer.

Robert Mosteller<br><br>I am a member of the Board of CDPL and a retired law professor. I strongly support CDPL for its effective work against the death penalty and its wonderfully talented and committed staff.<br><br>In 1983, I returned to my home state of North Carolina to become a law professor at Duke University Law School after working for seven years at the Washington, D.C. Public Defender Service where I was Chief of the Trial Division. A few years later in 1986, I became co-counsel for a prisoner facing execution on North Carolina’s death row. Working with two of the lawyers who headed organizations that ultimately became CDPL, we were successful after eight years of litigation in overturning our client’s death penalty and having him removed from death row.<br><br>I have served as a member of CDPL’s Board since its inception, with a few brief interruptions required by its bylaws, and for a number of those years I was President of the Board. With the passage of the Racial Justice Act (RJA), I wrote a number of amicus briefs in support of CDPL’s litigation under the RJA. I also helped author two law review articles examining the sad history of race and the death penalty in North Carolina and the promise of the RJA to correct that unfortunate history. In the last year, thanks to the inspired work of CDPL and its allies, the North Carolina Supreme Court granted relief under the RJA for a group of defendants and recognized the right of many others to challenge their death sentence under the RJA. These are momentous accomplishments of which everyone at CDPL should be proud.<br><br>My work with the CDPL Board and in assisting in small ways its litigation efforts has been deeply rewarding. The lawyers, investigators, and mitigation staff are incredibly talented and hard working, making the most of our limited resources. CDPL handles its own cases but also provides critical assistance to lawyers across the state to defend those charged with capital offenses and to represent all who have been sentenced to death in challenging those sentences. Moreover, CDPL is dedicated to systemic change to eradicate the death penalty in North Carolina and help eliminate the systemic racism in the death penalty and throughout the criminal justice system. <br><br>CDPL and its work provide a model for what can be done in opposing the death penalty and working for positive change. I am honored to have had the opportunity to play a role in its important work.<br><br>Robert P. Mosteller<br>J. Dickson Phillips Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus<br>at the UNC School of Law<br>Chapel Hill, North Carolina<br>

Housing for New Hope's staff goes above and beyond to help those experiencing homelessness. They truly care for these individuals and every person they help gets everything they need to succeed in life and get back on their feet.

I had the pleasure of meeting students from the DNS at a luncheon. I was extremely impressed with not only current students but particularly the graduates who now attend college and continue to mentor. Great job instilling core values and continuity in the students.

I've been in PYO since I was 16, I am now 19 and in college. I can honestly say that PYO has definitely helped me mature and become more aware of my surroundings and define what is truley important to me. I love the staff and all the students and friends that I've made.

I have been coaching a Girls on the Run team in the Triangle for five seasons. Even though I have been reassigned to teach at a different school in my district, I felt so strongly about the program, that I offered to coach again this year. The response from my team has been tremendous. We've doubled the size of our team, and the girls benefit so much! I've gotten a great deal of positive feedback from parents and the girls themselves about how the program has benefitted them. They feel more confident, feel part of a team, are empowered, and have such a sense of accomplishment between the running and the completion of our community service project. Coaching is one of my favorite roles and I can't begin to describe how much the experience has impacted me.

I have been a long time supporter of NC Arts in Action. This organization generates so many benefits for NC communities and operates so efficiently that I am happy to donate my time and some money every year.<br><br>Keep up the great work!

A nonprofit organization that is effecting positive social change by confronting head-on the fight against the eradication of contaminated water globally by conducting water research and building water plants to provide clean water to millions. A timely and just cause.

This museum is a great favorite of our family, including grandparents, adult children, grandchildren. I'm talking kids, toddlers to teens, just enthralled! It has outdoor as well as indoor activities and displays attractive to all ages, is very educational as well as being loads of fun: our family favorites outside are the playground, petting zoo, wild animal exhibits, wind and other nature exhibits, dinosaur trail, butterfly house, and the train. Inside favorites are special events (e.g. robots!), exhibits on weather, insects, physics exhibits, especially specialized play areas for children of different ages. There are fees but discounts for county residents and also annual passes. Check it out online and do come!

Thank you, Cornucopia, for helping me cope with my illness - my doctors do a great job with my physical well-being, and you are my go-to resource for emotional well-being. What a wonderful resource for this community!

Peace and Hope Partnership International is an organization created in response to the atrocities committed by the Shining Path terrorists in Peru and which now advocates for the rights of women and the unjustly abused/accused in Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. Its staff is small but highly qualified in the domains of law, administration, and relief. It holds a sterling financial record. I have been grateful for the kindliness with which the staff serves the needy and their courage in defending the defenseless. This organization is worthy of strong support.

As a volunteer for two years, I consider the FHS a unique and invaluable archive and research center for all things related to forests, the wood industry, and environmental history. If they don't have what you are looking for, their archivists know where you can find it. Any level of information request, from grade school research projects to published authors, is given professional consideration, free of charge. The staff is passionate and knowledgable as well as a surprisingly friendly group that seem to truly enjoy their work. Their research and publications expand our understanding of forest and envrionmental history and how it relates to our world today. <br> <br>

Agape Corner is changing. It is moving to be a boarding school for disadvantaged boys. The change is from a boys and girls academic school to one that is a trade school with emphasis on academics, and will only be for disadvantaged boys, and who must be recommended by their parents. Trades emphasized will be plumbing, carpentry, electrical, and landscaping, along with the usual academic studies. The school will start year one with only 12 students and expand gradually to a maximum of 36 students in three years. The school is located in East Durham and is across the street from the house where the students are boarded. <br>

I have been volunteering with Durham Habitat for over a decade. The organization continues to be extremely involved in local community development. The staff work with community members -- rather than providing a top-down, "hand out" series of initiatives -- to maximize the effectiveness and long term impact of the organization's efforts. The staff members exude passion for the Durham community and for social justice within it. The pluralistic approaches to programming and fundraising are inclusive to a diverse array of volunteers and donors. <br> <br>With regards to fundraising specifically, Durham Habitat staff make the overhead expenses transparent and openly answer questions about allocation of donor dollars. The development team does an excellent job of ensuring all donors -- regardless of giving level -- feel needed, important, and valued. The organization does not over-solicit and is quite conscious of eschewing donor fatigue. <br> <br>While I have not lived in Durham County for over five years, I continue to invest my time and financial resources in this Habitat chapter because of the tremendous work the entire Durham Habitat community continues to do.

SpiritHouse challenges me, as a white suburban middle-aged woman. That challenge is one I value more highly than I can say. SpiritHouse challenges all of us by uncovering the economic, social, and systemic roots of the pipeline that shuttles black children into prisons to work as our new 'slaves'. SpiritHouse gives those same children a voice that can't be ignored. When I hear those children sing, and see them dance, and get hit upside the head by their poetry, I can't imagine wanting to live in a world that would shut them away. That is a truly precious and rare gift, and I hope you'll rate them as highly as I.

This was an amazing children's museum for children ages 7 & under. Unfortunately, it went out of business in 2002, and was bulldozed down by the landlord of the shopping center where it was located in 2005.

Awesome Place! Thank heavens they are focused on humanities, not libertarian values. Well executed and highly organizaed services. Resources, especially for teaching, are very helpful. I would highly recommend.

StoriesWork shared interesting and discussion-oriented tales with a group of young ex-offenders and senior adults. The stories were short and very thought-provoking, and the staff did a great job of encouraging conversation after sharing the piece. The seniors walked away very happy to have participated and continued some of the discussions after the formal class.