After organizing a sponsoring committee in 2001, CHANGE held it’s Founding Convention in 2002. 26 congregations signed the charter and adopted the name “Communities Helping All Neighbors Gain Empowerment”. Since then we have become one of the largest and strongest organizations of our kind in the southern United States.

CHANGE Accomplishments Before 2010

Leadership Training & Development

• More than 1,450 people in Forsyth County have attended local leadership training sessions over the past eight years. Approximately 75 leaders have attended national or regional IAF training. Each calendar year leaders have the opportunity to attend a 10-Day intensive community organizing training, or one of two regional IAF trainings. To supplement these trainings CHANGE leaders offer “mini-workshops” focused on various aspects of leadership development throughout the year.

• Over the past six years CHANGE has provided eight-week community-organizing internships for 41 graduate, college and high school students.

Shaping Agendas Based on Community Input

• In 2002, CHANGE leaders conducted house meetings with approximately 1,800 people in Winston-Salem and Forsyth County to establish priorities for 2002-2005.

• In 2005, more than1,000 people participated in a second round of house meetings. Priority issues identified were public education and quality-of-life issues, including health care, jobs and living wages, community/urban development, public transportation, and affordable housing.

·In 2009, more than 40 institutions and 1,000 people participated in our third round of house meetings. Public Education, Access to Healthcare, and Economic Development where overwhelmingly cited as the problems most vital to our community.