CARRBORO, NC -- The Town of Carrboro will recognize Friday, Dec. 13, as Braxton Duncan Foushee Day of Service in Carrboro in his honor and for gratitude for his service to the town.
In honor of Braxton Foushee, Town Manager Patrice Toney has commissioned the Town’s leadership to volunteer on Friday, Dec. 13 at Inter-Faith Council for Social Service. She is also encouraging ongoing volunteering at non-profits that support education, mentorship, and life skills development for at-risk youth, all of which are a lifelong focus of Braxton Dunkin Foushee.
All town staff are encouraged to give by donating food and other requested supplies to support local non-profits such as Meals on Wheels of Orange County.
To make non-perishable food donations, look for the purple boxes placed at Town Hall, 301 W. Main St., Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St., and Fire Station No. 1, 301 W. Main St. The boxes will be available Dec. 9-13, 2024.
Items requested by Meals on Wheels include the following:
- Protein based entrées (tuna packets, canned chicken/tuna; microwavable pastas like Chef Boyardee, vienna sausages, shelf-stable meals like Hormel Compleats, etc.) *Must be pop-top or easy tear open for our recipients. (No cans that require a can-opener, please.) *Please avoid items that must be prepared on stovetop.
- Canned soups/stews (Low/reduced sodium only) *Must be pop-top or easy tear open for our recipients. (No cans that require a can-opener, please.)
- Small container of creamy peanut butter
- Small container of jam (no seeds)
- Oatmeal/grits packets (low or no sugar)
- Peanut butter or cheese crackers
- Microwavable mac & cheese (please no boxes that require stove-top preparation)
- Crackers (individual wrapped stacks, like Saltines or Ritz)
- Bagged sliced bread
- Soft granola or cereal bars, if possible low sugar (ex. Nutrigrain bars or Fig Newtons)
- Small cans/bottles/containers of fruit or fruit/vegetable juice blends (low in added sugar and please avoid grapefruit juice)
- Individual fruit cups packed in their own juice or apple sauce (no added sugar)
- Ensure/Boost/Individual shelf-stable milk containers (NO chocolate, please.)
Message to the Community from Braxon Dunkin Foushee:
I have spent quite a bit of time with youth groups down through the years as a mentor, working in the school district, presenting in classrooms and working with local youth groups. I also volunteer as an assistant scoutmaster for Boy Scout Troop 411 at Union Baptist Church. The value of a good quality education can’t be understated; education is the great leveler in our society.
Our children need our time and resources, it truly takes a village to raise them. That’s why I am asking you to lend your time, talent and resources to our at-risk youth so that they can have a chance to thrive in this world.
Everything can’t be done in the classroom. Our kids need people to spend time with them out in the community and open their eyes to all that the world has to offer. All youth need to develop core life skills to manage school, work and other outside interests. These skills include but are not limited to communication, time management, leadership, self-care and problem-solving.
Please join me in supporting youth groups such as Blue Ribbon Mentor Advocate, the Chapel Hill-Hill Carrboro NAACP Youth Council and the Chapel Hill-Carrboro NAACP, to name a few. Their future depends on us, and we are all responsible.
About Braxton Foushee
Braxton Foushee has dedicated over 55 years of his life to continuous service as an elected official, a member of a town advisory board and a community leader. He became the first Black member of the Carrboro Town Council in 1969, serving until 1981.
Even as a young man, Braxton Foushee worked to advocate for Black residents. Around the age of 15, he worked alongside Ms. Rebecca Clark, helping escort and protect older Black citizens to register to vote, breaking a national pattern of voter disenfranchisement. In 1961, he began to work with the local labor movement, advocating for equal pay and fair treatment for Black residents.
He has championed many issues that have directly impacted the Black community in Carrboro, including ensuring equitable access to paved roads, sidewalks and bicycle infrastructure. He worked tirelessly to fight injustices against Black residents by law enforcement, resulting in state agencies investigating and diversifying the Carrboro Police Department in the 1970s.
Residents are encouraged to learn and reflect on Carrboro’s Black history and perform an act of service.
For more information