County honors first “Community Heroes”


Mt. Zion United Church Outreach
Members of the Mt. Zion United Church of Christ Outreach Ministry Clothing Closet receive Community Heroes award.

The Vance County Board of Commissioners, working in conjunction with the Vance County Appearance Commission, have begun a campaign to take note of people in the county “who care about their neighbors and make Vance County a great place to live, work, and play”.

The first Vance County Community Heroes Award went on Monday evening to the Mt. Zion United Church of Christ Outreach Ministry Clothing Closet.

Since the fall of 2004, this ministry to the community has been making a positive difference in Vance County. To date, they have distributed over 21,128 items to needy families here and beyond, including victims of Hurricane Katrina and families in need in the surrounding counties of Granville, Warren, Durham and into southern Virginia.

The clothing closet operates each Thursday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. The ministry also assists people referred by social service agencies in giving them clothing, shoes, house items, and spiritual help, when needed.

The motto of the Mt. Zion program is “Ministering to the Community from the Inside Out”.

The award was given to Pastor Calvin Brooks, Sr. who was joined by Sister Edna B. Hargrove, Sister Florence Hatcher, Sister Verona Thorpe, Sister Esther Alston, and other members of the ministry.

After the award was presented, Commissioner Deborah Brown said that she had kicked off the campaign because she thought it was worthwhile. She said that she had asked the commissioners to recognize people.

She went on to say that she had begun the awards with her district, District 1. She said that she hoped that the next presentation would be to District 2, and so on.

“We can only be as successful as we make it as a board of commissioners,” Brown said.