In North Carolina, congregations are banding together to repurpose empty churches as community pillars to address issues like housing.

According to a study called "Twenty Years of Congregational Change," church attendance has declined, with 70% of churches seeing fewer than 100 members at their services each week.

Lynda Ferguson, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church in Asheboro, said the trend has affected churches in her area.

"Calvary United Methodist Church was a very vibrant church in our community here in Asheboro, with many members and a great ministry for many years," Ferguson recounted. "They found themselves, in 2018, declining in membership and attendance, and funding and other things."

The remaining parishioners joined another Methodist congregation in Asheboro, and rather than leave behind an empty building, they opted to transform it into another type of resource to benefit the community. It is now Lydia's Place, a temporary shelter for homeless women and families.

Ferguson noted in part, the decision was driven by a lack of resources. With support from the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, The Duke Endowment, Wesley Community Development Corporation and local partners, the former fellowship hall was renovated to provide 12 beds. It is the beginning of a four-phase project, with the goal of 50 beds and an emergency shelter.

Ferguson emphasized the importance of churches stepping beyond their traditional roles and embracing unexpected ways to use their resources.

"The most important thing is to be open," Ferguson urged. "To be open to what God is leading us to do. Being able to sense and know, what is the need in the community?"

Joel Gilland, CEO of Wesley Community Development Corporation, believes as churches repurpose their unused spaces, they establish a sustainable model to combine spirituality and social responsibility. He has been involved in projects ranging from providing housing for seniors and adults with disabilities, to larger initiatives in rural communities.

Gilland stressed the efforts allow churches to redefine their presence and offer services which may be more challenging for other groups.

"There's a real big push in churches now to roll the sleeves back up and to get back into the community and understand the need," Gilland observed. "We'll tell the church, 'If you go to a McDonald's and you see somebody trying to tutor a child in the middle of that sort of chaos, but you've got a building three blocks down the road that is empty, you're disconnected, and we need to reconnect.'"

Gilland sees church involvement in communities evolving toward a future in which religious buildings become pivotal centers of social support tailored to local needs.

As New Yorkers protest the Trump administration, some groups are advising best practices for protesting. State and national protests are occurring against GOP budget cuts and mass firings of federal employees. These have mostly been peaceful actions, but with emotions running high, there can be some incidents of violence.

Kalaya'an Mendoza, head of U.S. programs with Nonviolent Peaceforce, says having a safety plan is the best way to stay safe at a protest.

"What that looks like could be everything from making sure you have a buddy to doing some research about where the protest is happening to find your primary and secondary exit points, to also knowing who the organizers are and even doing a capacity check for yourself," she said.

Mendoza noted that risks vary based on where a person is, but they should first determine if it's safe for them to even be at a protest. Beyond outside factors, another challenge to staying safe is seeing how state security forces act at the protest. He added to remain alert since they could use tear gas or pepper spray as things change. Sometimes, people might attend protests simply to agitate the crowd or incite violence.

If a protest gets violent or someone gets aggressive, knowing your survival response can help keep things calm. Mendoza noted as much as people can try, they can't de-escalate an aggressor, law enforcement officers, or someone intent on harming you. But, he says people don't consider certain things when preparing to attend a protest, although they always should.

"Having a buddy, that's a very important thing; just like having someone watch your back or even having a remote buddy, someone that can check on you before, during, and after the protest. That you would let them know, like, 'I'm going to be here. I plan to be here,' especially for folks that may be more vulnerable or at risk for arrest or deportation," Mendoza said.

Protests regarding the Trump administration have been nonviolent, but Mendoza says this is also due to them being organized by communities which could be targeted. In his 30 years of activism, the violence Mendoza's seen at protests came from state security forces or agitators.

AARP is taking applications for its 2025 Community Challenge grants and Wyoming's state chapter encouraged nonprofits and municipalities to apply.

Since 2017, AARP has invested more than $20 million in 1,700 projects nationwide. The grants are designed for quick-action projects to help communities of all sizes become more livable, especially for those aged 50 and up.

Ron Hammel, a member of the AARP Wyoming Executive Council, runs Wyoming's grant program as a volunteer.

"Let's say you're a small community up in Wyoming and you have an idea to do something that would benefit a lot of people in that area but you have no way of getting the money," Hammel explained. "This is one place where people could get up to $25,000 to fund a project."

Last year, a total of $45,000 was awarded to four Wyoming projects. Applications for the 2025 cycle are due March 5.

The City of Evanston last year received more than $12,000 to install concrete pingpong, foosball and chess tables in outdoor spaces downtown.

Mieke Madrid, program coordinator and grant writer for Evanston Main Street, said the project helps the program meet its goal to help build lasting memories.

"It is important to create public spaces that are for people of all ages and abilities and to create a dynamic space," Madrid emphasized.

Madrid pointed out the game tables help create a "sense of place" for locals and visitors alike.

In Buffalo, Powder River American Legion Post 13 used more than $5,000 to purchase 500 veterans markers for the town's several cemeteries.

Chuck Guilford, former post commander, said it gave their efforts a needed boost.

"We've been doing it piecemeal for the longest time ordering 40 markers or 20 markers and looking at years and years to get it done," Guilford recounted. "With the funding, we were able to order a sufficient supply."

Now, Guilford added, the grave of every interred veteran in Johnson County is marked as such.

February is Library Lovers Month - and libraries across the Commonwealth are encouraging their long-time and new patrons to celebrate.

Lisa Varga, executive director of the Virginia Library Association, said the easiest way to show love to your library is by signing up for a library card if you don't have one.

For folks wanting to do more, Varga urged them to let their local public officials know just how important the library is to them.

"There are so many things that libraries do that a lot of our financial decision-makers don't necessarily know, about because there's so much to keep track of," said Varga. "So, if you are someone who has benefited from a wifi hotspot, from being able to borrow materials that you could not otherwise afford, let the people know that you enjoy and appreciate your public library."

There are 94 public library systems across the Commonwealth. That ranges from one-building to multi-branch systems.

One study finds that 63% of libraries are funded through a local city or county government, while 29% are funded through an independent library district.

Varga said libraries are important for those seeking an affordable way to do academic research - and combating the loneliness epidemic. She said it's vital that information remains free.

"We are a distinct feature in each community," said Varga, "and it's really important that access to information and access to resources be shared and be publicly available to people. "

The first lending library in the U.S. was founded in the town of Franklin, Massachusetts. Residents of
Franklin asked Benjamin Franklin, the town's namesake, to donate a bell to the town.

Instead, Franklin donated a collection of books to the town, believing "sense" was more important than "sound." The town's residents voted to make the books freely available to all of its citizens.




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