Pam Pompey will be featured in a new documentary called North Carolina
Giving: Philanthropy Across Cultures & Communities, premiering on UNC-
TV from 10-11pm. North Carolina Giving, which features an introduction
from Bill Friday and narration by Ambassador James Joseph, will travel
across North Carolina uncovering stories of "ordinary people changing
lives in extraordinary ways." (The trailer can be seen at www.ncgives.org/documentaries.)
This special broadcast will include stories from a wide variety of
North Carolina communities. From Charlotte, Pam Pompey (a self-
proclaimed "philanthropist from the hood") talks about the Ujamaa
Institute, an initiative she founded to help young African Americans
become thoughtful, responsible and accountable philanthropists.
Theirs and other stories make up the North Carolina Giving documentary
project, commissioned by the statewide organization NCGives to
recognize and celebrate the diverse giving practices found throughout
the state. "These stories of giving are representative of how North
Carolinians are generous in their support of each other, through both
the good times and the bad times," said Donna Chavis, NCGives'
executive director. "And though we actually began this project before
the economic downturn, these stories may now resonate with North
Carolinians even more."
The project is the result of an 18-month process, during which
producers at Minnow Media traveled around North Carolina capturing
numerous giving stories on film. The full set of documentaries, which
will be available from NCGives in early 2010, includes the one-hour
piece that will broadcast on UNC-TV as well as six shorter
documentaries that look at specific populations (women, young people,
African Americans, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, Latinos and
American Indians).
In tandem with the upcoming TV broadcast, NCGives has invited all
North Carolina residents to enter the North Carolina Giving Contest.
The grand prize is a Flip Video Camera plus $100 for "your charity of
choice." To enter, participants must watch the documentary on November
9 and answer several related questions, either by mail or online. More
information can be found online at www.ncgives.org/documentaries or by
calling 1-877-NCGIVES (1-877-624-4837).
NCGives (www.ncgives.org) is a statewide organization dedicated to
celebrating and strengthening the giving of time, talent and treasure
in North Carolina—particularly among women, young people and
communities of color—by sharing stories, research and tools.
Minnow Media, LLC (www.minnowmedia.net) is a full-service, Emmy award-
winning multimedia production company based in North Carolina with a
commitment to enrich public discussion around issues of individual
growth and social transformation.
