by Melissa Howsam | Oct 30, 2023 | Buzz, November 2023
There’s still time to make a difference!
What if you could change your city with just $5? Enter our Give Raleigh campaign, where that’s exactly what you can do—and double your impact. Until Nov. 10, every donation—whether $5, $10 or some larger amount you have to spare or want for a tax write-off—is being matched by our partners TowneBank/Towne Insurance, up to the first $10K donated.
Proving that “no act of kindness, no matter how small is ever wasted,” Give Raleigh allows each of us to truly impact the lives of people in Raleigh with as little as $5 or as much as you can contribute to a trio of significant local nonprofits making a daily difference: A Place at the Table, TLC (founded as Tammy Lynn Center) and Transitions LifeCare. Beyond the tangible effect these three altruistic endeavors makes locally, they share a common thread of imparting dignity by leveling the playing field—whether that’s via sustenance, empowerment or compassion.
Over the last eight years since our inception, Raleigh Magazine has donated, sponsored and supported many local charities in hopes of one day launching a project such as this one to create even greater positive change in the city we love. That day has come—and we implore you to help us make our first 40-day Give Raleigh campaign a grand-slam success. giveraleigh.com
A Place at the Table
We all deserve “a place at the table”—which is exactly what the so-named pay-what-you-can cafe has been serving Raleighites for almost six years. At A Place at the Table, just $10 donated dishes a dignified made-fresh-daily meal to a hungry Raleighite—meaning when you donate just $5 to Give Raleigh, when doubled, you are feeding one person and making a direct impact on Raleigh. By allowing patrons to pay it forward via the Table card, APATT empowers those in need of a meal to “pay” for their meal with a black card (read: acts like a credit card) that levels the playing field for all diners. While it can be hard to find a seat at APATT, the compassionate cafe is not just a “place” to grab a delicious breakfast or lunch. It’s “a place where everyone has dignity and choice”—where everyone and anyone can get a meal no matter how much money they have to their name. tableraleigh.org
How Your Support Helps:
• Provides meals to community members in need, addressing hunger and food insecurity in Raleigh
• Sustains the only pay-what-you-can cafe in Raleigh
• Helps cover rent, food costs and other operations of the cafe
Transitions LifeCare
Endings can be—and should be—just as beautiful as beginnings, and that’s exactly what your $10 donation to Transitions LifeCare can deliver to a child or adult who deserves to die with dignity, and to a family making the most difficult decision of their lives. No one wants to die in a cold, lonely hospital room or care facility, nor do they want their parents, sibling, spouse or child to. Founded in 1979 as Hospice of Wake County, Transitions LifeCare answers that call by enabling everyone touched by a life-altering or terminal illness to “catch the joy and share the pain” via compassionate care—either at home or in the in-patient Hospice Home—and emotional and spiritual support for the patient and the family navigating end-of-life decisions, serving as the guidepost for transitioning Raleighites peacefully. transitionslifecare.org
How Your Support Helps:
• Provides compassionate care—either at home or in the in-patient Hospice Home—so no one spends their last days in pain or discomfort
• Covers cost of care for all seriously and terminally ill adult patients in need
• Gives grief support to patients, families and members of the community free of charge, providing the chance to hold their hands at a time when they are acknowledging the
need to heal
TLC
None of us would ever want to be denied our favorite cup of joe or the feeling of warm sunshine on our face. Ultimately, it’s life’s simplest pleasures that are our most essential needs. And those needs are precisely what you can meet by donating just $5 of TLC (tender loving care) to TLC (formerly Tammy Lynn Center). Born out of the desire to empower people with intellectual or developmental disabilities with the same opportunities as their able-bodied peers, TLC provides a vast roster of life-changing care for families—respite care, autism therapies and community living support, to name a few—to instill dignity, ignite hope and embrace possibility. And your donation is that difference-maker—the ability to change not just an individual’s life for the better, but an entire family’s. nctlc.org
How Your Support Helps:
• Provides educational-, residential-, therapy- and community-related support services
• Gives options for individuals in the areas of physical, nutritional, developmental and occupational therapy; speech-language pathology; and psychological supports
• Offers on-site residences with daylong care for children and adults with profound disabilities and complex medical needs
• Offers tailored care management
• Options for respite care and other supportive services
Donate: giveraleigh.com
by Melissa Howsam | Oct 30, 2023 | November 2023, Stuff
Accessorize with unbridled flair this fall.
From “on the fringe” to “in fashion,” the flouncy look remains on trend this fall—adding a lil pizazz, from clutches to earrings and more. So whether you’re embracing your inner boho, your ’20s flapper feels or those ’70s vibes, fringe-forward selects make for a killer ’fit.
Fringe Seed Bead Hoops
“Don’t crowd my entrance!” This gem of an earring is giving New York socialite meets ’20s crystal-spangled flapper beads—and we are here for it. Shop the Trend: Deco
Sierra Fringe Jacket
Add some frill to your ’fit and take that basic white tee and jeans next level with this Show Me Your MuMu cream faux suede jacket. Pair with fringe boots… then just try not to shimmy those tassels… Shop the Trend: Voda Boutique
Bowery Quilted Shoulder Small Black Fringe
Bag the boho trend with this comfy-classic-cool quilted everyday “it” bag with adjustable crossbody strap or detachable chain strap—so you can take the look from day to night. Shop the Trend: Main & Taylor
Black Leather Fringe Sneaker
Kick up the, ahem, fringe kicks trend with these cult-fave Italian calfskin leather Esseutesse fashion sneaks handmade in—where else—Italy for that effortlessly cool slip-on Euro vibe. Shop the Trend: Monkee’s
Cashmere Fringe Shawl
Shawls can be sexy—hear us out. Fringe tops the list for fall trends, and a befrilled cashmere shawl makes the perf grab-and-go pairing to warm up any basic fall tee—literally.
Shop the Trend: Uniquities
by Melissa Howsam | Oct 30, 2023 | Buzz, November 2023
A pipe dream—or the future of American work culture?
Three-day weekend? Read: fitting five days of work into four. Once a lofty American ambition found more likely on the banks of Italy or in a pipe dream, the four-day workweek is gaining ground. Like—for real. Companies large and small are seriously considering the shift across the nation, including here in Raleigh. And states like Massachusetts have even introduced bills directed toward incentivizing businesses to follow a four-day schedule.
While those bills may have long odds of becoming law, they do constitute the potential for a changing national work narrative. But what exactly does a four-day workweek entail, and what do the proponents and naysayers have to say about it? For a typical workweek, here’s how and why the shift could take shape.
How It Works
Depending on the model, four-day workweeks don’t necessarily mean cramming 40 hours into 32 over four short blissful workdays. The bottom line is, after all, still the bottom line. For some, like one local company looking to implement the truncated workweek, the shift provides a concentrated 40 hours in four days. While for others, like online clothier thredUP, the adopted four-day blueprint is geared toward 32-hour weeks.
While the online thrifter’s transition has focused on honing in on the most essential tasks and scrapping the extras (we see you, unnecessary emails and long meetings), it hasn’t come without its hiccups. “It’s not for everybody,” thredUP Chief People Officer Natalie Breece, who helped lead the transition, told The Wall Street Journal this fall. “It requires a constant evaluation of your own behaviors and your organization’s behaviors to move faster.” And, naturally, the work sometimes overflows to Friday.
Productivity
There’s plenty to be said about productivity, breaks, work/life balance—and it would take an entire TED Talk to break it all down. But, in short, research indicates potential setbacks and perks to both four-day models, not least of which is increased employee productivity—because increased downtime. Even employees billing 40 hours Monday through Thursday are still gaining a three-day weekend. “Ten-hour days are long and keep you from family and friends,” according to a local whose company already subscribes to the schedule. “It also takes a toll on physical health since it’s harder to get to the gym, and many medical offices are closed on Fridays. And when time changes there are many days you don’t see any daylight! But, having a three-day weekend to recharge every week makes it worth it.”
Real-Life Application
Some local companies have already subscribed to a 4.5-day structure with half-days on Fridays that others could look to as a model. “The major appeal of a 40-hour/4.5-day workweek is all about that half-day on Friday,” says a local professional who’s been working this schedule for over a decade now. “Those few quiet hours—where productivity is way up and pressure is way down—allow you to focus on the tasks that got sidelined by meetings and last-minute requests during the busy week.”
In-Person Perk?
As more companies put an end to the remote-work pandemic hangover, some employers see the updated four-day model as a potential perk to entice leary commuters. “As we continue to evaluate how we ‘return to the office,’ we have discussed the four-day workweek,” says a Raleigh executive. “Our office already utilizes half-days on Fridays, so to move to a four-day workweek is not too much of a stretch. … That said, as long as our clients work a five-day week, we will always be available five days a week.” Ultimately, if you’re on deadline, the deadline has to get done. But for now, that decision is still under consideration—and it’s only a matter of time before the future is here.
by Melissa Howsam | Oct 30, 2023 | November 2023, Real Estate & Home
Get in the spirit with these 3 festive flora holiday selects.
Christmas Cactus
If all you want is a white Christmas, let it grow with these winter-flowering easy-to-tend-to prickly-but-sweet plants. Or up the festive factor with red, pink or purple (!) blooms—pretty fly for a cacti.
Shop the trend: Copperline Plant Co.
Waxed Amaryllis
Two words: no water. These spirited wax-dipped bulbs are the no-fuss holiday gift that keeps on giving for the black thumbs—or overbooked preoccupied propagators—in your life. Shop the trend: Homewood Nursery & Garden Center
Paperwhites
Spring is always in view with these winter-blooming snow-white daffodil relatives. For Thanksgiving decor, plant early November or just after Turkey Day for tiny fragrant blooms to freshen up your holiday festivities. Shop the trend: Logan’s Garden Shop
by Melissa Howsam | Oct 26, 2023 | Eat, October 2023
Indulge on seasonal goodies guilt-free with a side of generosity via this roster of Raleigh restaurants supporting Give Raleigh.
’Tis the giving season! And a roster of Raleigh restaurateurs are giving, well, giving by donating a portion of dollars or proceeds to Raleigh Magazine’s Give Raleigh campaign through Nov. 10—in partnership with TowneBank/Towne Insurance—in an effort to change our city for the better with dollar donations.
Bringing new meaning to “pumpkin spice and everything nice,” Vinnie’s Steakhouse is taking its signature pumpkin cheesecake next level by donating a dollar of each order. Or get your gourd on for good and extend that Halloween haze a la Vinnie’s Hannibal Nectar cocktail (think a toasty Fireball cinnamon whiskey, Angry Orchard hard cider and ginger beer garnished with an apple slice and cinnamon-stick).
And answering your “feed me candy corn and tell me I’m pretty” goals—sip for good at Dos Taquitos with a Maíz Caramelo (aka candy corn in Spanish). For every order of the RumChata-meets-Vodka concoction feat. fresh OJ, pineapple juice and grenadine, Dos Taquitos is donating a dollar to Give Raleigh.
Across town, lean into the giving part of Thanksgiving at Mandolin—with a side of stress-free holiday—with a portion of the proceeds for chef Sean Fowler’s famed Thanksgiving meals-to-go order also going to Give Raleigh.
And on Oct. 30, take a charitable culinary tour around Raleigh at Urban Food Group’s locations—think Chow, Vivace, Coquette and The Mill—as they donate 10% of all sales for the day to the Give Raleigh campaign.
To date, Raleigh has already raised $16,054 toward our $20K matched goal by Nov. 10! Help us cross the finish line—whether via your palate (or your dollars). We are honored to have front-row seats to witness Raleigh band together as the generous city we are for this campaign and beyond. A huge thanks to these local benevolent food & bev partners contributing proceeds to our Give Raleigh campaign—for which the first $10K donated will be matched by TowneBank/Towne Insurance, doubling your impact. Give Raleigh runs through Nov. 10, giveraleigh.com
