Caraway Foundation provides students with tools to succeed

WADESBORO- The Caraway Foundation provides students with the resources to succeed and prepare for life after graduation. It also supports those who have experienced and are going through a chronic illness by providing resources that can assist them with their needs. And it all began with a fateful trip to Kroger grocery store.

Angela Caraway went shopping in 2007 to pick up some milk, eggs, and cheese. As she walked passed the Back-to-School aisle, she heard a voice in her head telling her to purchase all the backpacks that were on the shelves. Caraway didn’t even have a shopping cart with her at the time and chose to ignore the disembodied voice.

Once Caraway picked up her groceries, she found herself at the Back-to-School aisle once again and noticed a shopping cart that wasn’t there before. She also saw that the backpacks were on sale for $3 apiece. “I can never pass up a good sale,” said Caraway. “$163 later would be the start of the Caraway Foundation. I always tell people that was one expensive milk, eggs, and cheese run.”

“After the trip to the grocery store, I went home and I wrote out what were the details of the Caraway Foundation,” said Caraway. The Foundation had a bit of a rough start, “We created this ‘How to Prepare for College’ seminar,” explained Caraway. “I would stop by Burger King, get some croissants and then I would get to the library and no one would show up or just one person would show up. It was discouraging for awhile.”

Caraway didn’t let discouragement get the best of her and pushed forward. “I proceeded to find ways of starting the connections within the community and creating the partnerships with other organizations,” she said.

One of the connections Caraway made was with the Kramden Institute, who “provides technology tools and training to bridge the digital divide.” The Caraway Foundation partnered with the institute in 2013 and created the Refurbished Computers Award wherein any Anson County household with at least one student between third and twelfth grade who doesn’t have a working computer becomes eligible for a refurbished one.

Another program the Caraway Foundation provides is the Anson Youth Leaders Academy, which teaches middle-school age children leadership skills, philanthropy, and volunteerism. The Anson Youth Leaders Academy hosted Blacks in Wax Museum on Saturday, Feb. 8 at the Hampton B. Allen Library. As part of that event, students dressed in character as a person from black history, like a living wax museum, and told their stories to the audience.

Though it’s currently on hold now, the Foundation also provided a Male Mentor program. As part of that program, 16 young black men were taken to Washington DC and received a letter from President Obama.

“I wanted these young black boys to see someone in power that looks like them. For them to understand and know that they can to be that person, that they can have that title,” said Caraway, who added, “We were at one point a county that had three prisons, a high illiteracy rate, a high drop out rate, and a high teen pregnancy rate. I wanted these young men to have positive role models in front of them and to be able to see and meet other black men that are doing great things.”

Caraway was diagnosed with Stage III colon cancer in 2016 and that prompted the creation of Village of Strength. As part of that program, the Caraway Foundation partners with Atrium Health in Anson County to provide support groups to not just people dealing with cancer, but anyone who is dealing with chronic illness.

Giving back to the community has always been part of Caraway’s family, “It’s part of my DNA. Growing up, my grandmother was all about the community. When she cooked holiday meals, it was not only for the family but for the community as well.”

“My grandmother talked about the importance of your name. Everything we do represents our family,” said Caraway, “It’s called the Caraway Foundation and that means a lot to me. It means we have to make sure our t’s are crossed, i’s dotted and people walk away with an experience or with feelings of love from us and they know we care about what we’re doing.”

The Caraway Foundation’s next fundraising event is called Dinner on Wade and it will be held in Wadesboro on April 18. As part of that event, Wade Street will be shut down in order to have a huge outdoor dinner on the street. “People need to come ready to make a donation,” said Caraway.

Angela is the founder/executive director of The Caraway Foundation since its inception in 2007.

https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_1-5.jpgAngela is the founder/executive director of The Caraway Foundation since its inception in 2007.

The Anson Youth Leaders Academy concentrates on building personal leadership skills, philanthropic responsibility, and character traits indicative of community leaders.

https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_2-5.jpgThe Anson Youth Leaders Academy concentrates on building personal leadership skills, philanthropic responsibility, and character traits indicative of community leaders.

Members of Male Mentoring Program during their White House Visit.

https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_3-1.jpgMembers of Male Mentoring Program during their White House Visit.

If a household has at least one student between the third (3rd) – twelfth (12th) grades and does not have a working computer, they would be eligible for a refurbished computer.

https://ansonrecord.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/web1_4-2.jpgIf a household has at least one student between the third (3rd) – twelfth (12th) grades and does not have a working computer, they would be eligible for a refurbished computer.