What if you could change your city with just $5?Now you can. Turns out, “no act of kindness, no matter how small, [really] is ever wasted.” Embodying the essence of Aesop’s proverb, RM’s sophomore Give Raleigh campaign—where every dollar literally adds up—is launching for 40 days of giving Oct. 1 in partnership with TowneBank/Towne Insurance to inspire the generous spirit of Raleighites.
Coming off an inaugural campaign supernova that raised a whopping $24,242, we look to double down on our community investment this year with a new handpicked trio of local nonprofits: Haven House, Healing Transitions and SAFEChild. As with last year, every dollar raised will stay right here in Raleigh and help families just like yours and ours. And our benevolent partners TowneBank/Towne Insurance will again match the first $10K of every donation—think $1, $5, $10 and beyond, donated to the one that most resonates with you or split three ways—and thereby doubling your dollar’s impact.
“Your donation matters,” says Nicole Stewart, former Raleigh city councilor and current director of engagement for the A.J. Fletcher Foundation. “Once upon a time in Raleigh, there was a group of 20-year-old women who pooled their fresh-in-their-career dollars together to donate to causes they cared about. Together, with even more of their friends, they raised nearly $10,000 in one year (and that was in 2007!). Over the course of their 14-year run, they raised and donated over $425,000. Small dollar donations add up and make a huge difference—especially for our local nonprofits.”
Raleigh is one of the most charitable cities in the country. Beyond sheer Southern hospitality, we donate, volunteer and buy tickets supporting boots-on-the-ground charities whose hard work wraps their arms around local families in their time of need and gives hope for a better tomorrow.
I’ve seen firsthand, over and over again, that Raleigh is a city full of passionate and generous people,” says Stewart. “When there is a cause they care about, they give what they can to support it.”
And each of these impactful organizations make a difference in our city each and every day across all sectors—strengthening and empowering families, youth and all, including the uninsured and underserved, through child abuse services, housing, crisis management and addiction recovery. Together we hope to galvanize our community’s inherently good nature to come together and propel these critical purposes.
Read about these three impactful organizations—and give hope where otherwise there may not be any. Then, from Oct. 1 to Nov. 10, let’s smash the funds raised last year, Raleigh! It’s giving generous! Donate at giveraleigh.com.
Photography by Keith Isaacs, courtesy of Healing Transitions
Recovery for All
At the core of every community is its people—all of them. And Healing Transitions is a beacon of real community for all Raleighites via its “Recovery for All” MO: Always open. Always free. Always everyone. Always another chance. Always community.
Regardless of birth year or bankroll, addiction likely touches each one of us in our lifetime—whether ourselves, a partner, a parent, a peer, a child, a colleague and so on. And it doesn’t always look the way you’d imagine. It affects individuals and families from every community in all walks of life—tearing at the very fabric of who we are. Separating us from everything we’ve known. Alienating us from everyone we need.
And no matter who we are or how it begins, we all come to the same realization that we’re powerless to control that addiction alone. But there’s a way to prevent “from OD to RIP.” And a glimpse of hope can reroute the course of an entire life.
Healing Transitions is committed to making essential, effective recovery services accessible to everyone—especially those who are homeless, uninsured and underserved,” says Healing Transitions Executive Director Chris Budnick. “To eliminate barriers, we offer all of our services completely free of charge. This means every single donation—no matter the size—plays a critical role in our mission. When we say every dollar matters, it’s because it helps us continue saving and transforming lives.”
“Healing Transitions is committed to making essential, effective recovery services accessible to everyone—especially those who are homeless, uninsured and underserved,” says Healing Transitions Executive Director Chris Budnick. “To eliminate barriers, we offer all of our services completely free of charge. This means every single donation—no matter the size—plays a critical role in our mission. When we say every dollar matters, it’s because it helps us continue saving and transforming lives.”
A lifeline for neighbors in need, with a focus on “healing” (recovery) and “transition” (rekindling desire to return to meaningful and productive life), so-named Healing Transitions is dedicated to the notion that addiction doesn’t have to be the end of the story. With open doors 24/7, the organization is Wake County’s only long-term, peer-based recovery program, serving the needs of all those struggling—with no financial barriers.
“Most importantly, Healing Transitions turns people’s lives around who can’t afford expensive recovery programs, but it also cleans up Downtown significantly,” says Healing Transitions board member David Meeker, who also serves as partner in Trophy Brewing, which has dedicated much of its resources and efforts, including the popular Trophy Trot, to the healing org. “We are so lucky to have Healing Transitions in Raleigh.”
Through its on-demand and innovative peer-to-peer addiction services ranging emergency drop-in shelter and nonmedical detox to long-term services and sustained sobriety, the recovery-oriented organization is dedicated to meeting anyone where they are, including those who are homeless, underserved and uninsured. In short, Healing Transitions saves lives. Period.
What I love about Healing Transitions is they don’t give up on people who need help,” says local hospitality titan Scott Crawford, who, beyond his dedication to nourishing the community via his boon of best-in-class concepts, also serves as a distinguished member Healing Transitions’ board of directors—and is marking his 20th year of recovery with his inaugural October Freedom Harvest event to benefit the nonprofit.
“There were people in my life who didn’t give up on me,” adds the renowned chef/owner of Crawford Hospitality and five-time James Beard semifinalist—including for Outstanding Hospitality this year. “And this is the reason I can celebrate 20 years of sobriety now—there’s no better way for me to celebrate than to give back to my sobriety community.”
To that end, every dollar donated to Healing Transitions saves lives—“and the impact doesn’t stop there,” says Budnick. “It ripples out, touching families, friends and the broader community. And it’s our neighbors’ support that makes this possible.” healing-transitions.org
Photography by Keith Isaacs, courtesy of SAFEchild
Stop Abuse for Every Child
Safety is not a birthright.But it should be. And they don’t teach parenting in school. Fortunately, bringing healthy families to the forefront is SAFEchild via its roster of support and education services you won’t find anywhere else.
“We are the place for parent education and support, children’s medical evaluations when there is suspected abuse, and school-based programs in every Wake County public elementary school, plus several charter and private schools,” says SAFEchild’s Executive Director Cristin DeRonja.
Established in 1992 with an MO to Stop Abuse For Every child (aka SAFE)—because “every child has the right to mature in an environment free from abuse and neglect”—it’s the only child-abuse prevention agency serving Wake County and providing a full range of no-cost critical prevention and intervention services for children and families.
[SAFEchild] took a horrible experience and made it as comfortable, manageable and safe as possible considering the circumstances… without causing any additional harm,” says a local parent whose child was served through the SAFEchild Advocacy Center.
“We are that safety net for children and families in Wake County. Every dollar means so much to us,” says DeRonja. “We raise over $3 million annually to be able to provide life-saving and life-changing services to children and families. And every dollar raised through Give Raleigh to ensure SAFEchild’s mission can thrive is critical to the health of the community”—not to mention having more people involved and aware of the prevalence of child abuse and to advocate for the children, she adds.
In short, in a world where access is everything, SAFEchild is saving lives. “I describe it as free counseling,” says a former participant. “It was such a breath of fresh air to actually… have someone who truly understands where you are, like right there.”
Today, the org’s reach has expanded far beyond physical safety. Raising a tremendous $11.1 million in just two years, the nonprofit bowed its 20,000-square-foot Raleigh facility last fall, allowing it to further empower children and caregivers and build stronger families via a range of programs, classes, parenting resources and support groups.
Photography by Keith Isaacs, courtesy of SAFEchild
“As Wake County continues to grow, so does the need for supportive family services,” says DeRonja. “The new space positions us to provide more for a growing community in a very time-sensitive manner—which all ties back to resources. For us to meet families and children in a time-sensitive way and provide more of what we do, it all ties back to people financially supporting our mission.”
As one local parent who learned multifarious avenues for positive parenting puts it: “It’s an education you won’t get anywhere else. This is a program you need, a group you need, before you know you need it.”
Thus, as little as $5 can have an immediate impact on programs and services that change the trajectory of—and even save—several lives and strengthen the safe and healthy community it fosters for all of us.
In a group of people sharing their stories, “you realize it’s not just you that feels this way,” says another program participant. “You come to realize mine can change too.” safechildnc.org
EVERY DONATION MAKES AN IMPACT
$5
$10
$25
$50
Child care for a family attending SAFEchild parenting classes
Medical gown for a child seen in SAFEchild’s Advocacy Center
Funny Tummy Feelings programming for a Wake County first-grade classroom
Parenting classes, meals and child care for three Wake County families in SAFEchild classes
For 51 years, local youthhave been lifted up by a haven for hope. Building strong young people and bright futures for five impactful decades, Haven House’s legacy is one for the books.
With an MO of empowering youths ages 6–24 who are homeless; in crisis; or having difficulty at home, school or in the community to thrive and be safe, supported and successful, the transformative nonprofit has altered the course of tens of thousands of vulnerable youths’ lives and futures for the better since its inception in 1973.
Helping them understand, work through and overcome challenges, Haven House is the place for youth to find their way—and find the help they need. “Haven House served over 1,500 youth last year—a 25% increase from the year before—reflecting the urgent and growing needs in our community,” says Haven House Chief Executive Officer Michelle Zechmann.
The Give Raleigh campaign is vital to meeting those needs by helping us reach more young people struggling with homelessness; mental health challenges; and problems at home, school or in the community,” Zechmann continues. “Every donation, no matter the size, is about coming together to provide hope and a brighter future for all.”
A critical asset to the health of the entire community, Haven House meets our local young people and their families where they are. Together, its 10 essential programs have helped youth navigate and overcome some of life’s most difficult challenges; be better prepared to transition into adulthood; and find paths to success by providing critical access to resources, counseling, connections, mentorship and community.
Of those programs, Wrenn House answers a critical call by providing a safe space through the only homeless, runaway and crisis-intervention program and shelter for ages 10–17 in the Triangle. Meanwhile, point-of-entry Street Outreach provides runaways, homeless and street-dependent youth under age 24 with their most essential needs and resources, and transition-in-place assistance helps homeless 18–24-year-olds (and their minor dependents, if applicable) move into transitional housing.
Doubling down on bright futures, myriad programs work with at-risk, court- or juvenile justice system-involved youth—from physical to mental. Innovative Second Round implements boxing, weight training and fitness to teach discipline, teamwork and leadership, while the January-launched Outpatient Therapy program provides guidance and resources to address growing mental health matters via clinical assessments, individual and family therapy sessions, and education.
Haven House was exactly what my son needed,” says one parent of the program. “For a while early on, I wasn’t sure [graduating high school] would happen, but I knew it could, and Haven House made it possible.”
Ultimately, Haven House is there for all of us when no one else is. And every donation, no matter how small, makes a difference in the life of a young person in our community. Just $5 can quickly add up to rewrite a child or young adult’s worst chapter for a better ending. Donate for a better future. Because it takes all of us. And we are “stronger together.” havenhousenc.org
EVERY DONATION MAKES AN IMPACT
$5
$10
$25
$50
One meal for a youth (10–17) at Wrenn House
One pair of athletic shorts for intervention program
One day of outreach and basic needs for youth experiencing homelessness
One hour of crisis counseling to youth and/or their families
In a big-time win for, well, everyone, hoops star and March Madness standout DJ Horne has teamed up with local VIANI Watch Company in an ode to Raleigh that serves to strengthen and celebrate our diverse local community—and is, hands down, the most baller move for a baller who’s always had his eyes on the clock.
Set to 9:19 in the photo campaign to rep the 919 area code, the duo of completely solar-powered unisex red VIANI watches dropped this July in limited quantities. And, as a natural Wolfpack nod, the Raleigh Red is of course “a tribute to our hometown and honors DJ and I’s shared pride as Wolfpack alumni,” says VIANI CEO Sunny Bhathela. “DJ is an avid watch lover… and we’re both born and raised in Raleigh, and love to represent our city.”
Famously sporting the number zero as the nation rooted for the underdog Pack through the madness to an ACC Championship and NCAA Final Four, Horne’s “0” jersey serendipitously aligns with VIANI’s ethos as the only solar watch company to proudly represent Hindi numerals on the dial—credited as the first to develop the zero, explains Bhathela.
Broadening its diverse reach, the campaign also marks the first time a South Asian-owned product is representing NC’s capital, he adds, nodding to the community as one of the fastest-growing minority groups. “There’s never been anything like [this partnership]—and we are proud to spotlight this vibrant and growing minority community alongside a hometown hero,” muses Bhathela.”
The result is a timeless recall of Horne’s part in carrying the NCSU Men’s Basketball team to nine straight all-or-nothing wins against all odds that unified Raleigh—NTM rallied the nation around NC State—and instilled a deep sense of pride in our city. Muses Bhathela: “This feeling of representation and uniting of our hometown was what I intended to capture with the release of the VIANI Solar in Raleigh Red.” Time to unify/Right on time, indeed.
’Tis the season—and, to get you in the spirit (literally), we reveal RM’s 2024 class of Best Bartender nominees so you can belly up to their bars in front of voting for some, ahem, research to cast your ballot in the other big election this year. For extra credit—and the party of the year—come see Raleigh’s most talented ’tenders in action at our annual The Cocktail Classic, now back bigger and better on Saturday, Nov. 16, presented by and unfolding at The Exchange Raleigh. The highly coveted ticket (seriously—don’t risk the FOMO) scores you entry to the spirited affair where you’ll rub shoulders with our city’s coolest while tippling unlimited ’tails by Raleigh’s finest as they mix up riffs on classics in tandem with top-tier liquor labels—alongside tastes and tunes to keep you buzzing all night long. Best Bartender (and Bars!) voting opens soon, so drink—er, study—up… then rock the vote and stay tuned for our February Best Bars Issue. And to keep up with voting dates, party details and more, sign up for our free newsletters atraleighmag.com and/or follow us @raleighmagazine. Early bird event ticket prices end Oct. 20, cocktailclassicraleigh.com
Is it time to trade cigarettes and strobe lights for clean-girl elegance?
While some of us are still bumping it through brat summer, others have already turned in for a demure fall. If you’re in need of a quick pop culture rehash, here’s how the two cultural phenomena came to be—and how to live them out around Raleigh.
British pop star Charli xcx released her newest album brat on June 7—and so sparked brat summer. The aesthetic of the lime green-hued album can be described, in a word, as camp, but the essence of brat summer is eye-catching, messy and unapologetically confident. In short, anyone can have a brat summer, whether you choose to sport the color palette or not.
On the opposite end of the season’s spectrum, being demure recently exploded after TikTok creator Jools Lebron described her makeup as “very demure, very mindful”—going against doing “too much” or wearing a “green-cut crease” to work.
As a green-cut crease is very brat, the two aesthetics seemingly clash, but at the same time overlap as they both beg to be noticed—just for opposite reasons. Brat garners attention with confidence, while demure earns recognition through being put-together.
Living It Out Locally
🍸 Demure is two glasses of wine at Barcelona Wine Bar and ubering home at 10pm; brat is three martinis at Highgarden and going to work hungover the next day.
🕶️ Demure is Dose Yoga and a smoothie at 6am; brat is a hot girl walk in flip-flops and sunglasses at 1pm after just rolling out of bed in last night’s makeup.
🚬 Demure is a date night with your fiance in STEM who works at RTP; brat is smoking a cigarette with your situationship who works in hospitality outside The Cardinal on a Tuesday night.
🧺 Demure is a picnic after strolling around the NCMA; brat is booking it through CAM 30 minutes before it closes for a literal culture shock just to say you did something productive that day.
👢Demure is casually browsing the racks in Village District on a Saturday morning after hitting the State Farmers Market; brat is rummaging through the clearance section of Urban Outfitters a half-hour before you need to be at an event in said outfit.
⛳️ Demure is playing Putt-Putt at Hop Shots with your friend’s kids after enjoying an early weekend brunch; brat is slugging mimosas at Jaguar Bolera then cutting in line to play duckpin bowling.
Like a virtual corn maze, maneuvering Raleigh’s ever-growing amount of DTR lots and apps can be overwhelming—but how did we get here? And how do we navigate it?
Ask any Raleigh resident their feelings on going Downtown and you’ll hear the same narrative: Figuring out where and how to park and pay is the worst. Read: an overwhelming maze of public and private parking options people would sooner skip than solve—especially given the costly consequences.
You know the drill. You’re endlessly circling for a street spot before giving up and pulling into a private lot, where you’re forced to find or download yet another parking app to then get gouged for $20—only to return some five minutes late to a ticket upward of ~$125. Such scenarios are playing out across DTR on the daily, prompting residents and visitors to weigh venturing Downtown—where every lot is a puzzle of rates and rules—against alternative live-work-play districts dishing plenty of free parking (think North Hills, Village District, Fenton—though those areas can come with their own lot battles and endless hunts).
So, how did we get here? A quick refresh: Longtime Raleighites may remember the infamous McLaurin Parking monopoly. Rolling out their empire in 1948 on South Salisbury Street behind the Sir Walter Hotel, the McLaurin family was the name in NC parking for 70 years—managing both public and private parking locally, including a city contract of 8,000+ parking spots.
Fast-forward to 2017 when the McLaurins sold their parking conglomerate off to The Car Park of Boise, Idaho. From there, enter the swath of parking management czars we love to loathe today—including Secure Parking, ParkMobile and more. And, with them, the exorbitant rates and fines—aka the measly ~$18 private parking violation from 2015 has septupled to up to $125, with hourly rates currently clocking in at $6+.
Despite the melee, DTR’s popularity peaked this summer, seeing its highest post-pandemic monthly foot traffic. Still, parking accessibility remains a hot-button topic to keep Downtown thriving—and the exorbitant fees, fines and frustration have yielded new efforts to curb the parking fluster.
One idea currently being kicked around includes making the first two hours of public parking free in city-owned garages. “The matter is still under consideration,” explains Parking Superintendent John M. Wynn.
And contrary to public perception, Downtown is actually overflowing with available parking options. “Current supply of parking, particularly off-street, is plentiful and more than meets current demand,” says Rob Murray, communications analyst for the City of Raleigh Transportation Department. And as “private developers are including parking to support their projects, the City of Raleigh does not anticipate building new parking.”
And they shouldn’t. Almost one-third of DTR is off-street parking, easily overshadowing the national average of 16%. So, ultimately, it’s a matter of education and accessibility—from knowing where to park for cheap to navigating the sea of parking apps.
Private vs. Public Lots
The cardinal rule for Downtown parking: Always opt for street and city deck parking. For starters, there’s the convenience. Street parking can be paid on-the-go via the Passport Parking app, and these spots, as well as city-owned parking garages and lots, are cheaper by the hour—not to mention city citation fines start at just $15 if paid immediately. It’s in your best interest to handle city-issued tickets promptly to ward off escalating fines and the boot—which the City can enforce once any vehicle racks up three 90-plus-day-old unpaid citations.
Private lots, alternatively, are infamous for pricey parking, camera-tracking cars and sky-high fines. Beware of multimanaged lots boasting confusing signage with a riddle of QR codes. While they arelegally required to specify which spots are which, it’s your job to figure it out based on your colored wheel stop (aka that concrete block at your front tires).
The lack of legislation involved with private lots has its pros and cons. While it means repercussions for unpaid citations are harder to enforce, it also means lots can charge any amount they wish for hourly parking and violations—and there are few laws defending you when a problem arises. In fact, certain law firms won’t even touch private parking tickets.
And because the number of citations issued is so high, parking ticket scams are more common in private parking lots—especially ones using QR codes to collect payment. Pro tip: If a ticket requires payment via reloadable debit card or wire transfer like Cash App, Zelle or Venmo, it’s a fraud. Always visit the website listed before paying to confirm it’s legit.
Beyond scam alerts, navigating the private lot violations is often overwhelming, including receiving aggressive letters in the mail threatening to impound or immobilize your car a mere 60 days post-ticket. (Don’t forget: Your plate is tied to your home address—and they will find you.) While the parking company cannot hunt down your car and tow it from just anywhere, they can legally tow or boot your vehicle the next time you park in that lot or another lot they manage. While these arguable scare tactics prove obnoxious and stress-inducing, private lots are private property—and if you break the contract (aka the terms and conditions you opted to skip over) the companies are legally permitted to defend themselves—even if it feels predatory.
According to The Car Park VP of Marketing Cory Collins, who manages several private and public lots in Raleigh, violations are not given a flat rate—but based on the offense. “We believe strongly in the importance of keeping an ADA parking space available for those who need it,” explains Collins, “so the violation for parking in an ADA space will be more than for expired time.”
Although The Car Park doesn’t use a collections agency, they, like all other private lots, reserve the right to. “The majority of our revenue comes from folks paying for parking, not parking violations,” adds Collins. “Enforcement is about keeping parking accessible and fair. … Most people choose to do the right thing and pay the violation if they owe it. We’re often lenient and work with folks when there’s a reasonable mistake that’s led to the violation.”
Pro Tips:
Ensure the parking spot color correlates with the color on the sign you scanned.
Verify how long you paid to park in the lot
Camera recordings mean mailed tickets if you try to play the system.
Don’t pull into a private lot at all if you don’t plan to park there
How Raleigh Stacks Up
Fun fact: Relative to other comparably sized cities, the City of Raleigh’s fine is extremely low, starting at just $15—and only charges for Downtown street parking from 8am to 6pm. Meanwhile, cities like Nashville and Kansas City charge to park on the street around the clock, and Sacramento charges $62.50 for parking violations. Ultimately, pricing, fees and location are parking problems that any healthy, thriving metropolis must tackle. So how have other cities handled these growing pains?
What Not to Do:
Pricing based on location. Like Raleigh, New York City uses an app so drivers can pay for parking “in a New York minute”—but, unlike the City of Oaks, metered parking can cost up to $13/hour. Hence, most New Yorkers opt for public transit.
Privatizing more parking. After the infamous $1 billion deal in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis giving private firm control of all metered spots and pricing, Chicago must now buy or rent street spots back if they want to build a bike lane or host a street fair.
Require parking minimums.Atlanta aimed to tackle parking problems via minimums to ensure enough spots for all. Instead, many lots sit vacant on the busiest nights, thus driving up the cost of living, creating heat islands and resulting in lost city revenue.
Best Practices:
Progressive pricing. To increase parking turnover, Austin’s on-street parking is adjusted by the hour—first two hours, $2 each; third hour, $1; each subsequent hour, +$0.50 more than the last—with an hourly maximum of $5.
Collaborative parking.Houston’s Community parking plan expands curb parking, allowing permitted residents and employees to park in metered spots, plus nonpermitted visitors for up to three hours.
Extensive research. In response to the higher demand for parking in its two main districts, Charlotte is slated to implement infrastructure changes based on the research from its 139-page strategic parking plan including studies of 15+ other cities.
