A seed was planted on June 29, 2012 at Barwell Road Community Center, grown to Worthdale Community Center where Director, Carletta Moore and City of Raleigh Parks & Recreation has partnered with Southeast Raleigh Assembly for Social Justice expression a program which falls under our Youth Ambassador Leadership Division and is designed to provide Southeast Raleigh youth, and other Raleigh residents regardless of age a way to express their voice, and talents to the community. Where so many communities are divided by crime statistic Southeast Raleigh is turning the negative tones of our communities to a positive out-come. Local Raleigh talent preforming on the Mic such as A.B. da Best and Rizio provided a voice of created energy. On Friday, October 26 SERA, Inc. launch an great evening of family, youth entertainment at Worthdale Community Center where we enjoyed a creative and inspir-ing time. Our special guest to

cap off the night was Poetic Artist Langston Fuze. SERA, Inc. would like to thank all who took the time to express an interest in hearing the people in your community activating their minds and celebrating a generation of doers. If you have not heard of SERA, Inc.’s new program “Social Justice Open Mic/Open Talent Showcase” welcomes participants between the ages of 13-27 (or Older). This program is not simply and entertain-ment venue, but involves mentors who are between the age of 20-50, and are committed to supporting the youth in developing their gifts and talents through art expression whether it be poetry, positive rap, singing, or expressive dance to face everyday life challenges with a since of pride fullness joy. Check out our website to find out about other youth focused programs.

S E R A , I N C . Y O U T H A M B A S S A D O R

S O C I A L J U S T I C E S O P E N M I C / O P E N

T A L E N T S H O W C A S E

S E R A , I N C . S U P P O R T S T H E P R E T T Y I N

P I N K F O U N D A T I O N

On October 26th, during “SERA,

Inc.’s Youth Ambassador Open

Mike Night”, SERA Inc.

Purchased 7 t-shirts for

volunteers, board members and

youth, in support of a Raleigh

based nonprofit called “Pretty

In Pink Foundation”. This

non-profit provides financial

assistance to uninsured and

underinsured North Carolinians

who have been diagnosed with

breast cancer and unable to

pay for life-saving treatment

and/or surgery. SERA, Inc.’s

commitment to health and well-

ness as a vehicle for enhancing

the quality of life for Raleigh

residents is well known.

O C T O B E R / N O V E M B E R 2 0 1 2

S O U T H E A S T R A L E I G H A S S E M B L Y , I N C .

W H A T ’ S N E W I N T H E

C O M M U N I T Y

S P E C I A L P O I N T S O F

I N T E R E S T :

Open Mic/Open Talent

showcase

SERA, Inc. Supports The

Pretty In Pink Foundation

SERA, Inc. request for

Community Support

Get Out The Vote in South-

east Raleigh

Family and Money—

Formerly Know as Women

& Money

College Internship

Innovative Multicultural

Outreach Award

Letter from the President/

CEO—Rita Anita Linger

SERA, Inc. ‘s Youth Ambassador Chairperson

Nina Simone Barrett

In the picture from top to bottom Nahjee Dunston, Carletta Moore, Angela Jackson-Mann, Leslie Robbin, Mahogany Nelson

SERA, Inc. recently applied for the Bridging The Gap Award from the Pearlman Foundation. This grant award will assist us in continue to provide quality services and sup-

port to the residents of Southeast Raleigh and the Triangle. In order for us to win the grant we need as many people as possible to go on-line and vote for our video which describes all of the flagship programs we offer at SERA, Inc. Voting start-ed on November 1, 2012 and will end on November 15, 2012 at 11:59pm PST. The Bridging Gap Award is a grant that assist charitable organizations that

provide tangible services that positively impact the lives of children and families.

Voting opens November 1, 2012. To vote you must:

1. Like the Perlman Foundation Facebook page www.facebook.com/ThePFoundation

2. Choose from the list of approved organizations

3. Vote for SERA, Inc. as your choice.

**Note: Individuals may only VOTE ONCE PER DAY

SERA, Inc. would like to thank you so much for your continued support and please forward this request to your friends and families so they can vote for us as well.

Sincerely, Rita Anita Linger

President & CEO Southeast Raleigh Assembly

SERA, Inc. is looking for college interns who have a passion for

community services. Duties include: Marketing support, supporting local

community events. Interns can act as a student ambassador while fielding

questions and concerns from youth in a personal, and professional matter.

If interested in a college internship with SERA, Inc.

please email your resume: angela.jackson-mann@southeastraleigh.org

S E R A , I N C . C O M M U N I T Y R E Q U E S T

C O L L E G E I N T E R N S H I P

G E T O U T T H E V O T E I N S O U T H E A S T R A L E I G H

event . SERA, Inc. was

represented at this event &

regularly encourages

community members to

assert their civic responsi-

bility to research candidate

positions, register to vote,

and then vote for the candi-

dates they believe will best

meet their individual, family

and community needs.

Grammy Award winning

Alicia Keys came to Raleigh

to spend time at one of our

local community gathering

places in Southeast Raleigh

“Chavis Community Center ”

with the objective of getting

people fired up to vote. She

spent time with local

volunteers and supporters at

this early voting

Page 2 W H A T ’ S N E W I N T H E C O M M U N I T Y

SERA, Inc. Board Member – Vivian McCoy attending Youth Ambassador Event

Grammy Award winning Alicia Keys

attending “Get Out The Vote” in

Southeast Raleigh

Local Raleigh Poetic Artist Langston Fuze

and Guest attend Youth Ambassador Event

SERA, INC. “Family and Money”,

Formerly Known as “Women

and Money” Series

The Original Goal Was to Teach

Women to Enhance Their Quality

of Life Through Leveraging Re-

sources

Given its rich and storied history, an

entrepreneurial culture and desire to

participant in financial growth does in

fact exist in Southeast Raleigh;

however most of that entrepreneurial

energy centers on traditional busi-

ness venturing. When we consider

declining government resources for

local community and economic devel-

opment - SERA, Inc. believes that we

as a leading flagship Southeast Ra-

leigh non-profit agency with the goal

of “Enhancing the quality of life for

Page 3 S O U T H E A S T R A L E I G H A S S E M B L Y , I N C .

Southeast Raleigh residents and

residents of the greater Raleigh area”,

need to become more actively

involved in trying to solve some of the

area’s most pressing problems

around economic empowerment.

With our “Women and Money” series

we designed an asset-building and

sustainability program which focused

on the women of Southeast Raleigh.

Women make up an over-abundance

of the population within Southeast

Raleigh and many of these women

are either managing single parent

households or are elderly. 74% of

Southeast Raleigh residents are

African American,10% are Hispanic,

and 21% are White. According to

demographic data, the median

income within historic Southeast

Raleigh is $31,189 per year.

More than a fifth of the families in South-

east Raleigh have incomes below the

poverty level. The unemployment rate in

Southeast Raleigh was more than three

times the rate for the city of Raleigh as a

whole and four times the rate in Wake

County. With the decline of the economy

and income generating opportunities for

the communities we serve becoming more

challenging, we felt this was in fact, an

opportune time to teach women how to

leverage whatever financial resources

they have, no matter how small. Building

wealth is a process which occurs with one

right action at a time.

The Community Has Asked for Help

When SERA, Inc. began holding its

Community Development Summits in

January through April of 2010, much of

what we heard were pleas from local

southeast Raleigh residents (primarily

women) informing us that they wanted to

learn how to save and spend their income

responsibility. As a result, our “Women

and Money” Series was born.

Monthly Sessions Teach Goal Setting

Women through these monthly sessions

were able to learn how to maximize the

income they currently have and learn how

to build wealth within the scope of their

current financial situation in order to

expand their financial viability. We be-

lieve part of enhancing the quality of life

for SER residents is helping those resi-

dents to understand the power of the

“purse” and how each cent earned and

each cent spent can impact an individual

and family for years to come. We now

have a waiting list for SERA women who

are eager and waiting to participate in

these sessions on an ongoing basis. The

sessions will be held monthly.

longitudinal study with attendees over

the course of several years to assess if

better financial decisions were made as

a result of the information and ongoing

support they received from SERA, Inc.,

and if in fact their income/resources are

being leveraged according to what they

have learned in the sessions. Partici-

pants are encouraged to attend all of the

entire series and will be provided with

customized support as they need it.

Program Name Change

SERA, Inc. has decided to change the

name “Women and Money” to

“Family and Money” after woman

began asking if their husbands and

partners could attend. Men were

also inquiring if they could partici-

pate. Both men and children began

attending; consequently, we have

now open this program to all family

members interested in participating.

President/CEO Rita Anita Linger with SERA, Inc. Volunteer Ajuba Joy

Southeast Raleigh Assembly, Inc.

19 West Hargett Street

Suite 200

Phone: 919-747-8423

Email: angela.jackson-mann@southeastraleigh.org

SERA, Inc. Programs

Business/Equity Programming

Civic Engagement Programming/Public Policy

Community Empowerment Programming

Health & Wellbeing Programming

Youth leadership programming

actualize the goals and objectives we set. Getting everyone to join together from the unemployed, those entrenched in poverty, middle class residents, community organizations such as institutions of higher learning, k-12 educational institutions, the medical community, other non-profits, and for profit businesses both large and small, to put their nose to the grind stone is the only way we can affect change. Don’t be afraid of change, be part of it! With our focus on community organizing

Welcome to SERA Inc.’s newsletter. Our newsletter will provide you with valuable information about Southeast Raleigh Assembly, our programs, partners, mission and values as well as how you can join us as we commit to the change necessary to enhance the quality of lives for Southeast Raleigh citizens. SERA, Inc. cannot and will not be successful if our communities do not provide us with not only articulated goals and desires, but the commitment and person power to

and community engage-ment, we can accomplish all of the goals set before us and we will.

L E T T E R F R O M T H E P R E S I D E N T / C E O

WWW.SOUTHEASTRALEIGH.ORG

On Oct. 11th, AARP honored five outstanding organizations that have demonstrated excellence in working in North Carolina with diverse communities at an awards ceremony. SERA, Inc. was a recipient of one of these awards for Innovative Multicultural Outreach. SERA, Inc.

thanks AARP NC which works and supports initiatives from advocacy to retire­ment planning. “AARP has been busy with new programs and initiatives for African American, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian communities around the country to show that real

change happens when we work as one. Collectively, we can create positive social change. We will recognize organizations that have demonstrated the power of our combined interest, energy and com-mitment to helping make life better for all,” Tyler Horton

SERA, Inc. Board Members

John Reaves, and Vivian McCoy

attending AARP Multi-Cultural Award

SERA, Inc. President/CEO Rita Anita Linger

SERA, Inc. staff members: David Brown, Rita Anita Linger, Karl Brustmeyer, Angela Jackson-Mann

S E R A , I N C 2 0 1 2 I N N O V A T I V E

M U L T I C U L T U R A L O U T R E A C H

A W A R D S R E C I P I E N T

Editors: Angela Jackson-Mann & Rita Anita Linger