WBHHC provides financial support for multiple causes

By Matt Cizek | The Winchester Sun

Late August to ear­ly September is a busy time for the Winchester Black History and Heritage Committee. With a ser­vant spir­it, they found ways to look after the community.

On Monday, August 25, the Committee pre­sent­ed checks to both the James B. Allen Generation Center and the Winchester Labor Day Committee.

“It will help out,” said Jasmine Harris, Executive Director of the James B. Allen Generational Center. “There’s a lot of stuff that’s in this build­ing that needs to be done.”

“It was noth­ing but a bless­ing for us to think of us dur­ing this time,” said Sherry Hampton, Public Relations Coördinator for the Winchester Labor Day Committee. “That’s some­thing that we all enjoy.”

As the sum­mer months con­tin­ued, vis­i­tors to the Generations Center — some of whom were also mem­bers of WBHHC — noticed the environment.

Sensing that it was pos­si­ble to sup­port improved air con­di­tion­ing, the group band­ed togeth­er. Their efforts result­ed in a $1000 check being pre­sent­ed just out­side the build­ing at 32 Meadow Avenue.

“It was some for the air [con­di­tion­ing] and what­ev­er they feel [they] need­ed to do to help the com­mu­ni­ty,” said WBHHC mem­ber Narcissus Burnam. “We saw a need, and we felt led to give money…to help them with some repairs.”

“Jasmine does it all,” said WBHHC founder Joyce Morton. “We want­ed to…just be a bea­con [of hope] and pay it forward.”

With the last week­end of August approach­ing, Labor Day will soon be upon us. In Winchester, this means that a week­end of fes­tiv­i­ties — cul­mi­nat­ing in a parade — will be tak­ing place, large­ly at the area in and around Heritage Park.

The fes­tiv­i­ties have been tak­ing place for gen­er­a­tions — with 2025 being its 121^st year — and fam­i­lies have long been con­nect­ed by its traditions.

Along with the pre­sen­ta­tion of a check to the Generations Center, the WBHHC pre­sent­ed a check in the amount of $1121.

“Our com­mit­tee has been com­ing togeth­er to bring this fes­tiv­i­ty to Winchester for many years, and it’s some­thing that we don’t want to end,” Hampton added. “It’s like a fam­i­ly reunion…a time when peo­ple come back home and you get to see each other.”

“My grand­moth­er [has] done it, and now I’m doing it,” added Rhonda Blythe, a mem­ber of the Labor Day Committee. “I’m push­ing my chil­dren to get involved.”