CrossRoadsNews, April 4, 2009 by CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

FINANCE

WELLNESS

The job hunt is on

SPORTS

Talking tees

DeKalb’s unemployed are not leaving any stones unturned in their quest for work. Hundreds showed up last week for a career conference. 6

Kudos pour in

T-shirts on display at the DeKalb Rape Crisis Center were created by victims of sexual abuse and violence to tell their stories of hurt, healing and redemption. 7

With their basketball state championships in hand, recognitions are pouring in for three South DeKalb high schools. 9

April 4, 2009

Volume 14, Number 49

www.crossroadsnews.com

Bishop Earl Paulk stirred lots of controversy in life and death By Jennifer Ffrench Parker

Bishop Earl P. Paulk Jr., who died Sunday, will be celebrated at an April 4 homegoing service at the Decatur church he co-founded with his brother Don. The scandaplagued Paulk, who was 81 years old, died at Atlanta Medical Center after battling prostate cancer Earl Paulk Jr. for years. Don Paulk said his brother was taken to the hospital Jan. 1 with a blockage of his intestines and never left. The homegoing service will be at the Cathedral of the Holy

“[Bishop Earl] Paulk will be remembered for his abuse of innocent kids, exploitation of vulnerable adults, and his unseemly and mean-spirited legal maneuvers designed to mislead his flock and protect his secrets.” Barbara Dorris, outreach director, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP)

Spirit on Flat Shoals Parkway, also known as Chapel Hill Harvester Church, where Paulk led a racially diverse congregation that reached 10,000 in the early 1990s before a series of sex scandals depleted the ranks. “The service will begin with a horse-drawn carriage bearing the body of the Bishop followed by a walking procession of all attendees of the service,” a family statement said. The funeral service was pre-

ceded by an April 1 “Night of Remembrance” at which stories and testimonies about Paulk were shared. His body also laid in state in the Cathedral’s Narthex on April 3 from noon to 9 p.m. Paulk was born May 30, 1927, and went into ministry at age 17 in his father’s church in Greenville, S.C. He graduated from Furman University and earned his seminary degree from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University.

During his 55 years of ministry in metro Atlanta, Paulk led one of the nation’s first mega churches and fought alongside civil rights leaders. At the height of his influence in the 1990s, Paulk was a national leader among independent charismatic churches. He had a television ministry, and hosted conferences of ministers from around the world. For years, he hosted community-wide fireworks on the Fourth of July on the church grounds. But his ministry was plagued by series of sex scandals dating back to the 1960s. The scandals involved church members, some of whom accused him of molesting them as children. The scandals depleted the congregation and led to lawsuits and court settlements. Mona Brewer, wife of one of

the church’s pastors, accused him of coercing her into a 14-year affair and is suing him in court. In 2007, DNA tests ordered by the court showed that Paulk had fathered D.E. Paulk with his brother’s wife. In January 2008. he pleaded guilty to felony perjury and was fined $1,000 in the Cobb County Superior Court for lying about his extramarital affairs. He was also placed on probation for 10 years and ordered to pay $32 a month in probation fees. A portion of Flat Shoals Parkway was named for Paulk and the Georgia House issued resolutions in his honor. But the congregation shrank as each sexual impropriety came Please see BROTHER, page 5

Food deliveries leave city council member feeling warm and fuzzy By McKenzie Jackson

No matter what, Debra Griggs and her 81-year-old mother, Claudia Harris, know they are going to get a free hot meal and see a smiling face once a week at their home. The owner of the smiling face is Stone Mountain city councilwoman Beverly Jones, who always visits with a hot meal donated by Potz and Panz Gourmet Cafe in the North DeKalb Mall. Once she enters Griggs and Harris’ home in the Village of Stone Mountain, laughter and praise fill the air – along with the aromas of two freshly cooked meals. Griggs, a 65-year-old multiple sclerosis patient, said that she is thankful when she opens the door and sees Jones’ smiling face. “She is a godsend,” she said. “It is a blessing. She always has a smile on her face and something pleasant to say, and the food she brings is delightful.” Jones has been delivering the meals weekly on Tuesday to Griggs and Harris, and several other disabled, sick and shut-in elderly residents of Sherman Town in her council district since December. It is part of her Senior Home Delivered Meal Program and Jones, a two-term city council member, picks up the meals in her personal car and makes the stops herself at each home. The boxed dinners include a meat, a vegetable or starch and two sides, bread and dessert. On March 4, Griggs and Harris got baked chicken and a cookie. That week, the meal came

McKenzie Jackson / CrossRoadsNews

on Wednesday because of a city council meeting that was held on Tuesday night. But that didn’t matter to Griggs. “I’m just counting this as a blessing,” she said. “Nothing like this has ever happened before.” Jones said that she started the program with Damonica Pugh, owner of Potz and Panz, late last year to do something for seniors in her district who are unable to get to a community center. “I found out there was a need for this in the area, because there are so many elderly people,” she said.

“She is a godsend. It is a blessing. She always has a smile on her face and something pleasant to say and the food she brings is delightful.” Debra Griggs, multiple sclerosis patient

Before relocating to North DeKalb Mall last June, Potz and Panz had been on Stone Mountain’s Main Street for five and a half years. Pugh says she is happy to donate the 12 to 16 meals weekly because she feels called by God to do it. “I don’t expect anything in re-

turn,” she said. “You want to be able to fill a need. I look at myself as possibly being in a similar situation one day, because you don’t know. I would want somebody to make sure I’m fed and clothed and well taken care of.” Each week, Jones drives the seven miles to the restaurant and

loads up the meals in the back seat of her car. On her return to the village, she zig-zags around Second and Third streets, delivering food and small talk as fast as she can, to ensure everyone gets their box while it is hot. Jones has a set list of recipients weekly, but sometimes a local pastor will call and let her know who else is sick and could benefit from a meal. On her March 4 stop, Jones’ first stop was at Mamie Ella Lane’s Second Street home. While looking over her plate Lane, who had just returned from a dialysis treatment hours earlier, had nothing but praise for Jones. “Beverly, you are giving and smart,” she said “You can be smart and not have a heart for others, but that is definitely not you.” Lane’s home was one of seven she visited that evening. Paris Parson, 53, who is bedridden, looks forward to Jones’ weekly visits and her box with baked chicken and black-eyed peas. “I’m just so grateful for it,” Parson said, “just grateful for somebody taking time out to do something for people that are homebound or whatever.” Jones said the seniors can request the type of foods they want. “We are open to suggestions and always ask is there any type of medical requirement with food,” she said. Jones said she welcomes volunteers who want to help deliver the dinners. “It is truly an honor to serve them,” she said. “When I get home I have this warm fuzzy feeling all over.”

CrossRoadsNews

April 4, 2009

CrossRoadsNews

Community

“Many families in my district now have just one income, so this benefit can help pay for groceries, rent or power bills.”

Attorney General Baker enters race for governor

Stimulus tax credits kicked in April 1 with $400 to $800 more for working families

By McKenzie Jackson

More than 3.4 million working Georgia families will start to see more take-home money in their paychecks because of tax credits from the President Barack Obama’s $787 billion Economic Stimulus plan. The families will share $1.7 billion “Making Work Pay” in tax credits that kicked in on April 1 to help middle class families who are being squeezed by rising costs and stagnating wages. Over the next year, eligible families will get earned income tax credit of 6.2 percent which translate into $400 for individuals making less than $75,000, and $800 for married couples making less than $150,000 per year. A statement from the White House said that eligible families

independent contractor Ray McBerry. Democrats lost the state Stone Mountain house in 2002 when Perdue resident and 12-year defeated Gov. Roy Barnes. Georgia Attorney Since then, Republicans General Thurbert have dominated the state Baker has thrown his capitol. hat into the ring for In the 2008 presidential the crowded 2010 election, Democrats lost race for state govThurbert Baker the state. ernor. Baker has been attorney generBaker, who is a former state representative for what is now al since Gov. Zell Miller appointed House District 91 in Decatur, him in 1997. He has been elected made the announced on Wednes- three times to the office and was the highest vote-getter during his day. He became the seventh can- last statewide election in 2006. In the Georgia House, Baker didate to enter the race to replace term-limited Republican Gover- was Floor Leader from 1993 to his nor, Sonny Perdue, who will exit appointment as Attorney General in 1997. office on Dec. 31, 2010. As a state representative, he led Baker is the second Democrat and second African-American to the fight to pass the “Two Strikes enter the race. If he wins, he will be and You’re Out” law, which keeps the most violent offenders in Georgia’s first black governor. The other Democrat in the prison for life without parole. As attorney general he has agrace is former Secretary of State, Labor Commissioner and Georgia gressively enforced Georgia’s death National Guard Adjutant David penalty, helped pass a new law that Poythress. He announced last protects children from Internet predators and has given police August. The other African-American and prosecutors new tools to bring candidate is Libertarian John these offenders to justice. Baker also worked for the Mounds of Cairo, GA., who anpassage of a tough law against nounced on March 25. The Republicans, who domi- domestic abusers, including a law nate the race, are Georgia Insur- that makes it a crime to commit ance Commissioner John Ox- an act of domestic violence in the endine, Secretary of State Karen presence of a child. He is expected to run a toughHandel, Lieutenant Gov. Casey Cagle, State Rep. Austin Scott and on-crime campaign.

should see an extra $65 per month in their take home pay. “By reducing required withholding amounts, workers’ take home pay is increased immediately,” the statement said. Couples making $200,000 and individuals making $100,000 will not get the credit. Nationally, more than 110 million, or about 95 percent of US working families will benefit from the $60 billion tax relief. The Internal Revenue Service has asked employers to institute the lower withholdings for their employees effective April 1. Fourth District Congressman Hank Johnson said that the aim of the stimulus tax credits is to allow workers to keep more of their hard-earned money to help make

ends meet. “In such difficult economic times, it’s important that we do everything we can to help American families,” Johnson said in a statement Thursday. “Many families in my district now have just one income, so this benefit can help pay for groceries, rent or power bills.” The “Making Work Pay,” tax credit is part of a larger package of tax benefits for working families. On March 30, the IRS unveiled a tax credit for new car purchases. Car buyers can write off state and local sales taxes on vehicles in 2009 up to $49,500 of the purchase price. The auto credit is not available for individuals who earn more than $125,000 annually or couples making more than $250,000 a year.

Meeting seeks input on zoning ordinances DeKalb County Government is updating its zoning ordinance and will seek community input at an April 14 workshop at the Porter Sanford Community Center in Decatur. The revision is aimed at creating “user friendly” zoning by September 2009 that will implement the policies of the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan, the Comprehensive Transportation Plan and the Livable Center’s Initiatives. The 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. meeting is the first in a series of

three workshops that will be held throughout April. Participants will hear a presentation that includes an overview of the county’s zoning and the project’s status, and will be encouraged to provide feedback. Preliminary recommendations will also be provided. DeKalb’s Comprehensive Plan is a policy document that guide the county’s future development. Zoning is an effective way to implement the Comprehensive Plan. A newly revised zoning ordinance will sup-

port the Comprehensive Plan by creating regulations that will make it easier to put plan recommendations into practice. The updated ordinance will also provide design controls and unique land development options for achieving the vision adopted by the county. Admission is free. The Porter Sanford Community Center is at 3181 Rainbow Drive in Decatur. For more information, visit www.co.dekalb.ga.us/planning/zoningCode.html.

Community

CrossRoadsNews

April 4, 2009

Kids flocked to the Hope School of Excellence booth t o explore its educational display.

Scenes from the March 28, 2009 Summer Camp Expo 2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker General Manager Curtis Parker Staff Writer McKenzie Jackson Advertising Sales Cynthia Blackshear Teen rapper Lil D (right) entertained the audience with his unique and energetic style and stage presence. More than two dozen children modelled summer and Easter fashions from Macy’s at Stonecrest.

CrossRoadsNews is published every Thursday by CrossRoadsNews, Inc. We welcome articles on neighborhood issues and news of local happenings. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, nor those of any advertisers. The concept, design and content of CrossRoadsN ews are copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher.

Advertisements are published upon the representation that the advertiser is authorized to publish the submitted material. The advertiser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless from and against any loss or expenses resulting from any disputes or legal claims based upon the contents or subject matter of such advertisments, including claims of suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism and copyright infringement. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.

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Lashanne Arrington of Stone Mountain won an enormous gift basket from the Mall at Stonecrest.

Kids flocked to the Hope School of Excellence booth to explore its educational display.

Quick Read

Sandra Satterwhite, with her grandkids,won the $500 Summer Camp Scholarship from CrossRoadsNews.

Fitness guru Rae Rae Clark (right) led kids through a warmup before her demonstration on how to make healthy smoothies.

Sugar Creek assistant golf pro Daryl Martin works with a young golfer on his putting stroke.

Attorney General Baker enters Lead feet to pay a lot for race for governor 3 excessive speeding Stone Mountain resident and 12-year Georgia Attorney General Thurbert Baker has thrown his hat into the ring for the crowded 2010 race for state governor.

Stimulus tax credits kicked in April 1 with $400 to $800 more for working families 3 More than 3.4 million working Georgia families will start to see more take-home money in their paychecks because of tax credits from the President Barack Obama’s $787 billion Economic Stimulus plan.

Business group to discuss 5 effective use of technology to 6 Drivers who put the pedal to the medal grow business

on Georgia highways now face hefty fines if law enforcement catches them.

Final travel rules to start

Beginning June 1, all U.S. citizens, 16 years and older, will be required to have a passport to travel in and out of the country by land or sea.

Community cabinet meets 5 Local construction projects and MARTA are on the agenda for the April 4’s DeKalb Legislative Community Cabinet meeting at New Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur.

Business people who want to know what all the fuss is about Constant Contact should attend the South DeKalb Business Association April 7 meeting at Saint Philips AME Church in Atlanta.

Hosea program needs help for Easter 6 Volunteers and sponsors have until April 6 to pre-register for Hosea Feed The Hungry & Homeless’ eighth annual Easter Dinner on April 12 at City Hall East in downtown Atlanta.

Homebuyer workshop

A HUD-PEMCO buyer education workshop will take place April 4 at the Sanford Center in Decatur.

Meeting seeks input on zoning Job seekers line up to meet ordinances 3 employers and attend dozens 6 T-shirts tell of heartbreak DeKalb County Government is updating of helpful workshops Circulation Audited By

its zoning ordinance and will seek community input at an April 14 workshop at the Porter Sanford Community Center in Decatur.

Neither downpours of rain nor long lines could keep Calvin Hawkins from setting out on his daily job search on March 26.

T-shirts are not supposed to talk, but these do. And the stories they tell are both poignant and heart-breaking.

index to advertisers CDC Federal Credit Union.................................7 DeKalb Convention & Visitor’s Bureau..............3 DeKalb County School System..........................8 DeKalb Co. Schools-Parent Resource Center... 6

Ella’s Caring Hands Adult Day Care.................11 Ethnic Print Media............................................5 Felicia V. Anderson CPA LLC........................... 6 H & M Insurance..............................................11

Holy Union Publication.....................................8 Jones PT Physical Therapy................................7 Newburn Reynolds Photography.....................11

The Law Office of B.A. Thomas.......................11 The Mall at Stonecrest.................................... 12 Will Wilson Insurance...................................... 6

April 4, 2009

Community

CrossRoadsNews

“Most drivers don’t realize that about a quarter of our crash deaths in Georgia involved excessive speed.”

Lead feet to pay a lot for excessive speeding

Final travel rules to start

By McKenzie Jackson

Beginning June 1, all U.S. citizens, 16 years and older, will be required to have a passport to travel in and out of the country by land or sea. The U.S. government will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, made mandatory by the U.S. Departments of State and Homeland Security. The latest requirements are part of the 9/11 Commission recommendations which Congress passed in the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have a passport. Passports will be required to travel on cruises, and when driving to neighhoring Canada and Mexico. The Initiative also requires

Drivers who put the pedal to the medal on Georgia highways now face hefty fines if law enforcement catches them. On March 25, the Georgia Senate overwhelmingly passed Gov. Sonny Perdue’s “SuperSpeeder” bill that targets the worst-of-the-worst highway speeders with high fines and reinstatement fees that will support the trauma centers that treat Georgia’s crash victims. Under the new law, motorists who speed at 85-miles-an-hour or more on multiple lane highways, or at 75-miles-an-hour or more on two-lane roads would have to pay $200 in fines to the state, over and

above the cost of any local speeding tickets. Bob Dallas, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS), said passage of the “SuperSpeeder” legislation will save lives. “Most drivers don’t realize that about a quarter of our crash deaths in Georgia involved excessive speed,” he said. “Georgia suffered more than one speeding death-aday during 2007.” Dallas called the legislation unique. “Not only will it help reduce the number of crashes, deaths and severe injures,” he said, “but the fines produced will also provide revenue for trauma care in the event a crash

occurs.” Also under the law, high-risk drivers will have their licenses suspended for excessive points and they will also face safe-driver course requirements and higher reinstatement fees. Dallas said that he is looking forward to Perdue signing the law, in a matter of weeks. “And we look forward to working with all our highway safety partners in Georgia to educate the public about this lifesaving “SuperSpeeder” law before it becomes effective.” Perdue commended the bill legislation’s passage. For more information, call 404656-6996.

Brother hopes people will forgive scandals BISHOP,

from page

to light, and community activists issued calls to strip him of the state honor and remove his name from Flat Shoals Parkway. Chapel Hill Harvester, now led by D.E. Paulk, has a membership of less than 1,000. Last year, officials put the church campus up for sale for $24.5 million. Don Paulk, Don Paulk who is retired from the church, said Sunday he had forgiven his brother for committing adultery with his wife. He said he hoped people would remember his brother for his good

works and forgive the scandals. “Preachers are just like anyone else,” he said. “They’re a man.” But not everyone is as forgiving. Barbara Dorris, outreach director of the clergy abuse victims support group SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said Paulk will not be easily forgotten. “Paulk will be remembered for his abuse of innocent kids, exploitation of vulnerable adults, and his unseemly and mean-spirited legal maneuvers designed to mislead his flock and protect his secrets,” she said in a March 30 statement. “His ‘ministry’ will be forever clouded and tarnished by his selfserving and repeated abuses of power.”

In a message posted on the church’s website, D. E. Paulk said the family is grateful for the outpouring of love and support that they have received. “We were especially moved by the way in which we worshiped as a church family this past Sunday... giving thanks to God for the time that we all shared with our Bishop,” he said. “As we prepare for our Bishop’s home going service on Saturday, we also prepare to honor his legacy and celebrate his life.” Paulk is also survived by his wife, Norma Davis Paulk; daughters Susan Joy Owens and Roma Beth Bonner; sisters Myrtle Mushegan, Ernestine Swilley and Darlene Swilley; eight grandchildren; and several great-grandchildren.

citizens of Canada, Mexico and Bermuda to have a passport or other accepted identity and nationality documents when entering or leaving the U.S. The government launched the first phase of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative in January 2008, when it began requiring all international air travelers, including children, leaving or entering the U.S. to have passport or secure travel document. To travel by land or sea, a copy of US birth certificate or other proof of U.S. citizenship such as a naturalization certificate or citizenship card will be required. Groups of U.S. kids, ages 16-18, who are traveling with a sports team, social organization or school or religious group under adult supervision will also need copies of their birth certificates or other proof of citizenship. For more information,visit www.travel.state.gov/travel/.

Community cabinet meets Local construction projects and MARTA are on the agenda for the April 4’s DeKalb Legislative Community Cabinet meeting at New Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Decatur. Guest speakers at the 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. meeting include Georgia Department of Transportation board member R.L. Brown, Marvin Toliver, the manager of MARTA’s Government Relations Division; and the transportation department’s

Tom Parker, Mickey McGee, and Rachel Brown, who is the acting district engineer. DeKalb County District 3 and District 5 commissioners Larry Johnson and Lee May and state Reps Robin Shipp, Howard Mosby, Pam Stephenson and Dee DawkinsHaigler are hosting the meeting. Admission is free. New Piney Grove Missionary Baptist Church is at 2580 Snapfinger Road in Decatur. For more information, call 404656-0220 or 678-360-0742.

Finance

CrossRoadsNews

April 4, 2009

“Right now I’m pretty open to anything. I’ve been out of work for a year now so I can’t be picky.”

Job seekers line up to meet employers and attend dozens of helpful workshops By McKenzie Jackson

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Neither downpours of rain nor long lines could keep Calvin Hawkins from setting out on his daily job search on March 26. “I’m doing whatever will help me find a job,” said the Clarkston resident who was one of 575 people who braved rainy weather and long lines to attend DeKalb Workforce Development’s 2009 Career and Resource Empowerment Conference last week. Hawkins moved to metro Atlanta a year ago to try to find a job after being laid-off from his job as a forklift driver at Clark Steel in Florida. He said bad weather doesn’t matter when it comes to job hunting. “Right now I’m pretty open to anything,” he said. “I’ve been out of work for a year now so I can’t be picky.” During the daylong conference at the DeKalb Tech Conference Center in Clarkston, the unemployed attended 35 job-seeking workshops and left their resumes with 45 business and resource organizations. Unemployment continues to climb in DeKalb reaching 35,189 or 9.1 percent in February – a new 36-year high. Across metro Atlanta, the unemployment rate was also 9.3 percent. State Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said February’s

Job seekers line up March 24 for DeKalb Workforce career fair in Clarkston.

unemployment rates reflect the severity of the on-going recession in Georgia. “In 87 of our state’s 159 counties, double-digit unemployment is a sobering reality,” he said. “A rising tide of joblessness is spreading across the state.” The DeKalb career conference featured employers, universities and service organizations such as the Gwinnett County Police Department, AT&T, the D&E Group, the Georgia Department of Labor and Division of Rehabilitation Services who set up booths to interview jobseekers. Grady Health System hosted “How to get a Job Offer in less than 30 days” twice during the event and Georgia Power held “Resume and Interviewing Tips” three times. Georgia Perimeter College, UGA Small Business Development, PowerConnect, Georgia Transmis-

sion and the Coca Cola Company also held workshops. Valtencia Snow and Eboni Sloan, who are both looking for work in healthcare were confident they will find employment soon. In Georgia, healthcare is one a few industries that is seeing a massive amount of hiring. Snow quit her job of seven and a half months as a health service technician at Georgia Regional Hospital. She said that she is confident that she won’t be unemployed long. “I’ll find a job,” she said. In late March, Sloan moved from Detroit to Decatur in search of a job as a certified nursing assistant. “I’ve been doing it for about 15 years,” said Sloan, who had lived in metro Atlanta before. “I was terminated up there so I figured I would come back to where I was always the happiest.”

Business group to discuss effective use of technology to grow business

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Business people who want to know what all the fuss is about Constant Contact should attend the South DeKalb Business Association April 7 meeting at Saint Philips AME Church in Atlanta. The meeting’s keynote speaker will be Pamela Pamela Adams Adams, Constant Contact’s regional development director. She will discuss the “ins and outs” of the popular e-mail marketing tools which help business owners to stay connected with clients, prospects, employees and colleagues effortlessly. The meeting starts at 11:30 a.m.

Adams is a technology expert with more than 15 years experience helping small businesses, entrepreneurs and nonprofits achieve success. She has designed programs and trained numerous clients on how to enhance and improve their businesses through innovative and affordable Internet marketing strategies. The business association will also accept members at the meeting. Admission is free for SDBA members and $20 for visitiors. Saint Philips AME Church is at 240 Candler Road. For more information, visit www. sdba-inc.org, or call Ernest Gilchrist at 404-561-2646.

Hosea program needs help for Easter Volunteers and sponsors have until April 6 to pre-register for Hosea Feed The Hungry & Homeless’ eighth annual Easter Dinner on April 12 at City Hall East in downtown Atlanta. HFTH is seeking individuals and businesses to help out at the dinner that starts at 10 a.m. They will also help people who lack health insurance, food, housing and clothes. Elisabeth Omilami, HFTH executive director, said they have been overwhelmed

with calls and requests for rental and mortgage assistance over the last several months. She said they trying to identify where there are entry level jobs . “For this Easter instead of passing out Easter baskets, we will focus on partnering with companies that can supply jobs and conduct mini-job fairs throughout the month of April and May,” she said. For more information, visit www. hoseafeedthehungry.com or call 404-7553353.

Homebuyer education workshop A HUD-PEMCO buyer education workshop will take place April 4 at the Sanford Center in Decatur. Participants will get a Hud certificate which can be used for down payment as-

sistance when purchasing a home. The Sanford Center is at 4183 Snapfinger Woods Dr. in Decatur,. Register at www. hudpemco.com. For more information, call Bobbie Sanford at 404-289-8989.

CrossRoadsNews

April 4, 2009

Wellness

“There are always disclosures. There are people coming up saying, ‘I have never told anyone, but I was assualted as a child, or I was raped in college.’”

T-shirts tell of the heartbreak brought on by physical or sexual abuse By McKenzie Jackson

T-shirts are not supposed to talk, but these do. And the stories they tell are both poignant and heart-breaking. “You stole myself, my heart [a drawing of a broken heart], my youth,” a dark green one says in yellow letters, punctuated by a picture of a tear-stained face. “Now I am taking them back,” it adds. “I will Survive.” A red one drops a bomb: “It is rape when your 5 by best friend daddy, your 7 by best friend daddy, your 11 by family handyman, your 13 by uncle and get pregnant and had an aboration (sic),” it asks. And a bright yellow shirt offered its version of the well-known rhyme “Sticks & Stones may break my bones, but words can kill my soul.” On a white one decorated with buttons and butterflies: “You locked me up in shame, but now I am free like these beautiful butterflies.” The green, yellow, red and white T-shirts are among dozens depicting the thoughts, prayers and hopes of hundreds of DeKalb sexual assault victims and their family members. They are hanging on a clothesline on display at the Georgia Department of Human Resources in Atlanta, until April 17.

Photos by McKenzie Jackson / CrossRoadsNews

Phyllis Miller, at left, highlights some of the stories of abuse, assault and even triumph that adorn the T-shirts on display at the DeKalb Rape Crisis Center.

The display, part of the DeKalb Rape Crisis Center’s Clothesline Project, is one of many events and initiatives taking place nationwide during April, which is observed as Sexual Assault Awareness Month by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center and other antisexual assault organizations. Each shirt represents a woman’s experience, and is painted, drawn or sewn by the survivor or by someone who cares about her. Phyllis Miller, the DeKalb Rape Crisis Center’s director, said the project is cathartic for sexual as-

Children are often victims of sexual abuse Georgia’s Sexual Abuse Prevention Initiative is seeking to educate 1 million adults to prevent, recognize, and react responsibly to child sexual abuse by the year 2020. Here is how you can help: n Learn the facts; understand the risks: Realities – not trust – should influence your decisions regarding children. Experts estimate that one in four girls and one in six boys are sexually abused before their 18th birthdays and around 90 percent of the abusers are someone that the child knows. n Minimize opportunity: If you eliminate or reduce oneadult/one-child situations, you’ll dramatically lower the risk of sexual abuse for children. n Talk about it: Because of the complications of being abused by someone they know, trust, and

love, children often keep abuse a secret, but barriers can be broken by talking openly about abuse with children and with other adults. n Stay alert: Don’t expect obvious signs when a child is being sexually abused. Signs are often there but you’ve got to spot them. n Make a plan: Learn where to go, who to call and how to react. n Act on suspicions: The future well-being of a child is at stake. n Get involved: Volunteer and financially support organizations that fight child sexual abuse. Until we create a culture where children know they are safe to tell about their abuse, and until adults discuss this problem and its solutions as a community, statistics won’t improve. For more information visit www. darkness2light.org or call 678904-2880.

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sault survivors. “It’s very powerful because this is the way they are speaking to the community,” she said. “It represents their experiences and it also represents collectively how broad a problem it is in our community.” In 2008, 361 rape survivors sought help at the the DeKalb center, and most – 353 of them – were female. Miller said the victims are young, old, middle-aged, and come from a variety of backgrounds. In the 10 years that the Rape Crisis Center has sponsored the project, she said more than 500 shirts have been decorated. Among the more than 50 shirts displayed this year at the center’s downtown Decatur offices, are shirts made by children and adults. The shirts are color-coded – a white shirt is for women who have died from violence; yellow or beige, for women who have been battered or assaulted. Red, pink or orange are for women who have been raped or assaulted.

For the survivors of incest and child rape, the colors are blue or green. For women attacked for their sexual orientation, it’s purple or lavender, and black represents the women attacked because of their disability. Miller said the center’s clinical staff is also on-hand when the shirts are on display. “We often have disclosures,” she said. “There are people coming up saying, ‘I’ve never told anybody, but I was assaulted as a child or I was raped in college.’ Men and women

of all ages.” Most of the messages spoke of triumph over pain and shame. “I hung my head in shame but refuse to take blame for darkness I don’t understand,” a purple shirt says. The Department of Human Resources is at 2 Peachtree St. N.W., Suite 29-250, Atlanta. The shirts can also be viewed by appointment at the DeKalb Rape Crisis Center. For more information, call the DeKalb Rape Crisis Center at 404377-1429.

CrossRoadsNews

April 4, 2009

CrossRoadsNews

April 4, 2009

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Reader Notice As a service to you – our valued readers – we offer the following information: This newspaper will never knowingly accept any advertisement that is illegal or considered fraudulent. If you have questions or doubts about any ads on these pages, we advise that before responding or sending money ahead of time, you check with the Attorney General’s Consumer Fraud Line and/or the Better Business Bureau. They may have records or documented complaints that will serve to caution you about doing business with those advertisers. Also be advised that some phone numbers published in these ads may require an extra charge. In all cases of questionable value, such as promises or guaranteed income from work-at-home programs, money to loan, etc., if it sounds too good to be true – it may in fact be exactly that. This newspaper cannot be held responsible for any negative consequences that occur as a result of you doing business with any advertisers. Thank you.

CrossRoadsNews

April 4, 2009

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Place your MarketPlace line ad here â&#x20AC;&#x201C; up to 20 words for $25. Additional words are $3 per block of five words (maximum 45 words). Boxed Ads (with up to 3 lines bold headline): $35 plus cost of the classified ad. Send ad copy with check or credit card information and contact phone number (if different from ad) to MarketPlace, CrossRoadsNews, 2346 Candler Road, Decatur, GA 30032, or e-mail to marketplace@crossroadsnews.com. Our deadlines are at noon on the Thursday one week prior to publication, unless otherwise noted.

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