Forsyth County Newsletter

Dec 2024 - Vol. 3

2024 Festival of Lights opens at Tanglewood Park.

Help for Low-Income Households This Winter

Forsyth County Social Services is accepting applications for two programs to help low-income households this winter.

Emergency Assistance Funding

The Emergency Assistance program helps households with water, rent, and utility bills. Individuals may be able to receive up to $800 for rent and/or $600 for utilities. Along with facing a crisis and meeting income requirements, there must be a child under the age of 18 in the household. Applications may be submitted in-person at the Department of Social Services, 741 North Highland Avenue, or via telephone at 336-703-3800.

Low-Income Energy Assistance Program

Forsyth County residents can now apply for help paying their heating bills. Forsyth Social Services Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) helps eligible families pay a portion of their heating bills during the winter.

The application process opened Dec. 1 for residents 60 years-old or older and for people with a disability receiving services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services (DAAS). Disabilities can include those that qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Administration (SSA), or Veterans Administration (VA) disability benefits.

Starting January 2, all other households can apply.

Program eligibility is based on income and household size. Payments are made directly to your heating provider. You can apply in person at the Department of Social Services, 741 North Highland Avenue, by phone at 336-703-3800, or online at epass.nc.gov.

2025 Property Reappraisal Information Sessions

Come learn about the 2025 Property Reappraisals in Public Information Sessions being held by the Forsyth County Tax Department from 6 - 7:30 p.m. at the following library branches:

Tuesday, Dec. 3 - Lewisville Branch Library
Wednesday, Dec. 4 - Malloy/Jordan East Winston Heritage Center
Tuesday, Dec. 10 - Paddison Memorial Branch Library
Wednesday, Dec. 11 - Reynolda Branch Library
Tuesday, Dec. 17 - Walkertown Branch Library

In addition, there will be two sessions held on the fourth floor of the Forsyth County Government Center, 201 N. Chestnut Street, on Tuesday, Dec. 3, from 9 - 10:30 a.m. and on Monday, Dec. 9, from 12:30 - 2 p.m.

Residents are encouraged to attend and learn about the property reappraisal process, which is conducted every four years to adjust real estate values used for property taxes to reflect the current real estate market.

County Manager

County Manager Shontell Robinson highlights Forsyth County's communication efforts.

County Commissioner Update

Commissioners and County staff attend the 2024 NCACC Legislative Goals Conference.

Forsyth County Commissioners have had a busy month that included attending the 2024 NC Association of County Commissioners (NCACC) Legislative Goals Conference with commissioners from across the state who voted on NCACC legislative goals for next year. The five top priorities are supporting legislation that:

Promotes teacher and classified school personnel recruitment and retention, including state funding for increased salaries.
Repeals a state law that excludes 80 percent of the value of a solar electric system from county property tax or requires the state to make up the county tax revenue lost from the law.
Provides increased funding for farmland preservation initiatives and additional flexibility to counties for farmland preservation.
Expands state funding for essential medical, mental health, substance use disorder and social services to those incarcerated in local detention facilities.
Funds counties that have limited resources for construction of critical facilities.

Commissioners also attended the historic marker unveiling for Brown Elementary School held by the Forsyth County Historic Resources Commission on Nov. 21. Brown Elementary opened as Woodland Avenue Elementary School in 1910 for black students. It was renamed for longtime principal Robert Brown in 1941. It became integrated in 1971 and later closed in 1984. The marker is located in front of what is now Brown School Lofts, 1125 Highland Ave Winston-Salem, NC. To view pictures from the event, please see our Flickr page.

Commissioners will also hold an Organizational Meeting on Dec. 2, so the commissioners who won reelection, Richard Linville and Gloria Whisenhunt, can renew their oaths. Commissioner Gray Wilson will renew his oath during a special meeting on Dec. 12. The meetings will be held at 2 p.m. in the Commissioners Meeting Room in the Forsyth County Government Center, 201 N. Chestnut St Winston-Salem, NC, and will be streamed on the County's website, Facebook, Youtube, and Vimeo.

PulsePoint

Are you ready to be a community first responder? The PulsePoint Respond app lets people who’ve trained in CPR know about nearby cardiac arrests so they can respond and perform CPR until Emergency Medical Services arrives. The app will also direct users trained in using automated external defibrillators (AEDs) know the exact location of the closest AED that they can take to the scene of the emergency. CPR and AEDs can dramatically increase the chances of survival when used promptly after a cardiac arrest.

For more information, visit the PulsePoint website.

Video provided by PulsePoint App.

Experience the Festival of Lights!

The Festival of Lights is happening nightly from 6-11 p.m. until Jan. 1, 2025 at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons. The route has been altered this year due to construction, but all the lights from previous years are there with four new displays added for this year! The festival is also looking for a sponsor for next year.

For more details, see the Festival of Lights website.

Public Health Spotlight: Family Planning

The Forsyth County Public Health Family Planning Clinic specializes in providing friendly, compassionate and inclusive care for the community. Its services include preconception counseling, contraceptive methods and counseling, cervical cancer screening, screening for sexually transmitted diseases, preventive health counseling, pregnancy testing, emergency contraception and vasectomy referrals.

Costs for services are based on your household size and income, and many clients qualify for free or reduced cost services. The clinic also accepts Medicaid and some other forms of insurance. Family Planning is located at Forsyth County Public Health, 799 N. Highland Avenue. To schedule same day appointments, call 336-703-3324.

Hours:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday: 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Thursday: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m.
*Every fourth Thursday: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Domestic Violence: Help is Available

The holiday season can bring out the best in us, but it can also bring to light what lives just below the surface throughout communities: domestic violence.

Forsyth County was a leader when we created the Bridges to Hope Family Justice Center as a single location where individuals and families experiencing domestic violence, sexual assault, child maltreatment, elder abuse and human trafficking can receive services and assistance in navigating a difficult system. Clients can attend virtual court proceedings, find assistance feeding and caring for their children, and more.

Bridges to Hope is located at 725 Highland Avenue in Winston-Salem and can be reached at 336-776-3255, Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm. For more information, visit https://forsyth.cc/bridgestohope/.

Operation Greenlight

To honor veterans, we had green exterior lighting at the Forsyth County Government Center, the Forsyth County Courthouse, the Forsyth County Central Library and the Carolina Field of Honor at Triad Park from Nov. 4 - 11.

Operation Green Light is an initiative of the National Association of Counties (NACo) and the National Association of County Veteran Service Officers that encourages counties nationwide to display green lights in support of veterans on the week of Veterans Day.