The Rise & Shine Story
The Beginning
Today Rise & Shine is a thriving afterschool and summer program serving scholars in grades K-12, but the roots of this bright organization grew from a very dark chapter in local North Carolina history.
In 1988, with overt racism and KKK marches taking place in downtown Brevard, a forward-thinking group of black and white community members began meeting regularly to engage in productive dialogues around racial reconciliation.
A key social activist named Fay Walker invited residents to gather monthly at St. Philip’s Episcopal Church. In 1992, the group, who had been meeting monthly for years, organized a 1200 person petition to be published in the Transylvania Times, opposing a planned KKK march. Things were beginning to change, the Klan marches stopped, and community interest grew.
Ideation and Collaboration
Gaining steady momentum, Fay Walker joined forces with Pastor Frederick Gordon of the Bethel A Baptist Church, who was also interested in dismantling racism by taking a collective, community-based approach. Together they explored opportunities to support the children in the neighborhood.
By 1996 the goal was clear:
To dream, design, and plan an afterschool program that would provide one-on-one tutoring and academic enrichment for the Bethel A community.
The outcome?
Rise & Shine Afterschool Program. Est. October 1996
Coming Together
The program continued to take shape as teams of volunteers were recruited from area churches and service organizations. The United Way contributed $3000 of initial funding, while parents and teachers and parents began to refer the first students. These students walked through the program doors in 1996 and quickly became known as Rise & Shine “scholars.”
Growth and Development
Today Rise & Shine is a vibrant, thriving program under the guidance of its parent organization, Neighbors In Ministry, Inc.
Rise & Shine relies on a large, enthusiastic corps of volunteers, talented staff, and dedicated parents. We are not a religious organization. We do “partner” with churches in the communities we serve to secure space, volunteers, and financial support, while enhancing “standing” in the community. This initial partnership generates trust with the families we seek to serve, prior to establishing a Rise & Shine location within a community that needs it.
And our scholars? Well, they’re incredible.
Improving graduation rates, honor roll, rising GPAs, college graduates, some are even doctors now…these are just some of our successes since 1996.
Meet Our Team
William Mills
Executive Director
Laura Leatherwood
Tutor coordinator
Bonnie Gordon
Enrichment Instructor
Dianne Gardin
Office Manager
Regina Blount
Program Director
Tyrone Gordon
Network Administrator
John Lawson
Grant Writer
