Winter 2021
We Grow Young Voters
The US saw record voter turnout in the fall 2020 election. In Durham County, this was true not just for adult voters, but also for youth, over 25,000 of whom participated in the election through Kids Voting Durham.
Kids Voting Durham is a non-partisan, youth-centered program that helps youth 18 and younger from across the county understand the power they have as engaged citizens and informed voters. The program, which is affiliated with Kids Voting USA, usually strives to replicate the adult vote as closely as possible, with ballots and voting booths that, while kid-sized, resemble their adult counterparts. This year, however, kid voting went 100% online to keep youth safe during the pandemic- with the surprising result that participation shot through the roof.
“This year we had record involvement among youth in all aspects of our program.” explained Carolyn Kreuger, Kids Voting Durham Program Coordinator.
The increased participation started with the Kids Voting Durham annual youth internship program. This year, it went virtual. As a result, N.C. Cooperative Extension of Durham County was able to host 25 student leadership interns. These interns created materials for virtual learning, even developing an Instagram version of Kid’s Voting Durham’s highly-acclaimed youth election guide. Community partnerships provided an additional boost, with IBM volunteers leading educators, youth, parents, and local tech volunteers in visioning how to adapt Kids Voting Durham election materials for the virtual classroom environment. A grant from an anonymous community foundation fund allowed the program the extra staff time required to support the leadership interns and actualize the adaptation of materials for the virtual space.
These online materials, plus a valuable partnership with Kelly Stevens, K-12 Curriculum & Instruction History & Civic Engagement Specialist for Durham Public Schools, resulted in a record 95% of Durham Public Schools participating in Kids Voting Election this year, in addition to home, charter, and private schools, as well as youth organizations.
In addition to the record 25,000 students who experienced Kids Voting Durham and the 2020 Elections in some way in their school setting or within the community, the program had extra reach this year, through partnerships with North Carolina Cooperative Extension’s 4-H program and MomsRising, which allowed kids from across the state to vote in the state and national races for the first time.
“We were so excited by these new relationships, which we hope will allow Kids Voting Durham to expand and extend our reach to more youth across North Carolina,” said Kreuger. “While the pandemic presented a number of challenges, one silver lining is that more youth had the opportunity to learn about our electoral system and what it means to be an engaged citizen.”
We Grow Local Non Profit Organizations
Every few years, Durham County Government offers local non-profits the opportunity to apply for grants through the Nonprofit Agency Funding Program. This year, the County Commissioners called upon Durham County employee subject matter experts to revamp the program with a focus on Food Security; Child, Youth, and Family Wellness and Learning; Safe and Stable Housing; and Workforce Development. Durham County Cooperative Extension was honored to have two of our team serve as subject matter experts: Early Childhood Coordinator Cate Elander, who provided expertise to the Child, Youth and Family Wellness and Learning group, and Cooperative Extension Director, Donna Rewalt, who provided expertise to the Food Security group.
This year’s Nonprofit Agency Funding Program was different from past years in many ways. In addition to the new areas of focus, the grants were also larger than in past years in order to have a greater impact. Additionally, county staff were tasked with ensuring that the grants were distributed with a focus on both pandemic response & recovery and on equity, acknowledging the ways in which the virus has disproportionately impacted Black, Latinx/Hispanic, and Indigenous communities. Cate and Donna partnered with other colleagues from the County and the City to further develop the Food Security and the Child, Youth, and Family Wellness and Learning focus areas to be responsive to COVID-related needs and to contribute to a more equitable future.
Elander shared, “With equity in mind, our focus area sought proposals that worked in partnership with the people they serve to set priorities and develop and evaluate programming. The people most affected by the problems that organizations hope to address must be viewed as capable decision-makers and experts in their experience. We are grateful to have been able to direct funding to organizations who have strong engagement and equity practices, and to lift up and raise awareness about their work. The organizations receiving County funding in the Child, Youth and Family Wellness and Learning focus on support for teachers in culturally-relevant approaches to education, financial assistance, language justice, trauma-informed and resilience-focused workshops, and parent education and peer support with teen parents.”
Both Elander and Rewalt are excited that seven of the 14 total non-profits which received funds will continue to be connected to Durham County Cooperative Extension over the next 18 months. These organizations’ grants will be administered by Cooperative Extension staff, and they will receive ongoing technical assistance and capacity strengthening support as needed.
“Durham County is stronger thanks to the efforts of these non-profit organizations”, said Rewalt. “We are so proud that the County is able to provide both financial and technical support, and we look forward to seeing the fruits of their work.”
Volunteer Spotlight
Anita Torres-Nuñez
Welcome Baby Volunteer
Anita Torres-Nuñez, a native Durhamite with roots in Jalisco, Mexico, is a busy young woman. In addition to studying for an accounting degree from North Carolina Central University, she also helps her father run his Mexican restaurant, works in the purchasing department for a plumbing & piping company, AND volunteers for Durham County Cooperative Extension’s Welcome Baby program. Throughout all of this, Anita still strives for excellence in academics and has remained on the Dean’s list.
Although she has many other commitments, Anita brings her all to her virtual, volunteer job at Cooperative Extension, where she uses her fluency in both English and Spanish to call families about the Welcome Baby car seat program.
Erin Matoko, Cooperative Extension’s Volunteer Coordinator says of Anita, “She has been an incredible and hard-working volunteer. Anita even offered to call several additional families to survey for the car seat program, way beyond her initial assignment. She has a heart for service and is a true asset to our volunteer team.”
To Anita taking time out of her already busy day is worth it if she can help other families in her hometown. “Volunteering means a lot to me, especially if I am able to work with Spanish speaking families, because as a child I remember my parents struggling to communicate with people in the community. The fact that I am able translate for other families like mine is very fulfilling.”
Employee Spotlight
Janel Ohletz
Agriculture Extension Agent
Janel Ohletz, originally from New Hampshire, now calls Durham County home. She came to North Carolina for her PhD at NC State, but is staying for love, both for her husband and the natural beauty and climate of the region. As she takes on her new role as Durham’s Agriculture Agent focused on small farms and local food, she looks forward to visiting and speaking with farmers over the coming months. She is equally excited to have joined a dynamic team of extension professionals and to have the opportunity for collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Growing up on a small family farm which had both livestock and a market garden, she brings with her a deep understanding of farming life and the hard work that comes with it. Add to that 20+ years working in the food and hospitality industry and Janel can also collaborate with the consumer side of agriculture production. She is excited to work toward building a resilient and equitable food system from the farmer side. Her passion is for bringing community together around the ‘harvest table’ so to speak, in order to find creative solutions for problems within our farming and food systems.
“I believe that food is a link that can bring us together, build cultural understanding, and nourish our hearts, minds, and bodies. Farmers are some of the most resilient folks around, but without community support, we can’t support the next generation of farmers, which are vital to the future of a local food supply in Durham. I am excited to help a diverse group of farmers develop an economically and environmentally sustainable agriculture future that nourishes the Durham community for years to come.”
Prior to moving to North Carolina to study soil science, she received her BS in Sustainable Agriculture and Food System followed by her MS in Agriculture Science from the University of New Hampshire. Her research focused on vegetative grafting of melons to squash for increased disease resistance and yields. She also worked at the family garden center and market garden where she was the resident consultant to answer soil fertility, nutrient management, and pest problems. In addition, she interned with the New Hampshire Extension entomologist, gaining experience with pest and disease scouting in vegetable crops, especially the spotted winged drosophila, a devastating pest in the berry industry across the U.S.
Janel lives in Durham County with her husband and their blended family and enjoys their backyard chickens, establishing a small garden and orchard, and looks forward to their newest addition this spring – two Nigerian dwarf goats. In the cooler months fiber arts keep her hands occupied, and homemade bread, cheese, and yogurt feed her need to create sustainable meals. “I love to create with food and I look forward to one day soon when we can again gather around the table and I can create meals from a bountiful harvest to nourish the body while the conversation around the room can nourish the soul.“
Get to know Janel better in this video, in which she shares how to make one of her favorite recipes, pear salad.
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North Carolina Cooperative Extension, Durham County Center 721 Foster Street, Durham, NC 27701* (919) 560-0525
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