We’re also looking into a gas leak in Durham, a downtown Raleigh institution being one of several businesses closing, and two shootings in one week near the American Tobacco Campus. Watch WRAL-TV at 7 and search for these and other stories on WRAL.com.

On WRAL at 7: Strong winds, heavy rain, and hail possible ⛈️ We’re timing out when the biggest storm threats could fire up

More than 21% of North Carolina's four-year-olds enrolled in the state's pre-kindergarten programs during the 2022-2023 school year, up from the prior year but still below the state's pre-pandemic highs, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research.

North Carolina ranks 29th in public pre-K enrollment, new report shows

Durham County budget increases funding for pre-K students

Consumer Reports surveyed more than 2,000 members who shared their experiences with pet insurance.

Is pet insurance worth the bark? Survey reveals middling results

Pet insurance

All assets associated with the tag: community service

Community service Coverage

North Carolina animal shelters had the second-highest euthanasia rate in the country in 2021. How is the community helping change this?

Why NC animal shelters have the second-highest euthanasia rate in the country

NC animal shelters have 2nd highest kill rate in nation

Repair Café is an organization in the Triangle teaching people what has become the lost art of garage repair. The organization is planning its 2023 clinics. To find one near you, you can go to repaircafenc.org.

<p>HE WAS IN DENVER FOLLOWING A LITTLE FAT. THOSE STORIES AND MORE AT THE TOP OF THE HOUR KRISTALINA. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, JERROLD. &gt;&gt; NEARLY 20% OF AMERICAN HOUSEHOLD TRASH DUMPED IN LANDFILLS IS CATEGORIZED AS DURABLE GOODS. THAT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, LAMPS, FURNITURE, APPLIANCES, AND A LOT OF THAT COULD BE REPURPOSED OR EVEN REPAIRED 5 ON YOUR SIDE'S KEELY. ARTHUR TELLS US ABOUT ONE ORGANIZATION HERE IN THE TRIANGLE TEACHING PEOPLE WHAT HAS BECOME THE LOST ART OF GARAGE REPAIR. &gt;&gt; YOUR SIGHT IS DEDICATED TO TELLING YOU ABOUT SCAMMERS RECALLS A TROUBLING CONSUMER NEWS, BUT WE ALSO WANT TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE GOOD STUFF HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY LIKE THE REPAIR A FREE WHITTAKER'S BICYCLE IS BROKE IN THAT HIGHER UPS TOPPINGS. SAD NEWS FOR A 5 YEAR-OLD WHO WOULD RATHER BE WRITING THAT LIGHT GREEN. THAT'S AVERY IS IN LOCK. HER MOM BROUGHT THE BIKE HERE TO REPAIR CAFE AND OCCASIONAL CLINIC OFFERING FREE REPAIRS ANYWHERE FROM 60 TO 65% OF THE ITEMS THAT COME THROUGH THE DOOR TODAY WILL GO OUT WORKING REPAIR CAFE IS AN INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO REDUCE WASTE BY ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO REPAIR ITEMS THEY MIGHT OTHERWISE THROW AWAY. DON FIX STARTED A LOCAL CHAPTER HERE 6 YEARS AGO. WE ARE DEFINITELY REDUCING WASTE AND SO DIVERTING THINGS FROM THE LANDFILL, BUT ALSO EXTENDING THE USEFUL LIFE OF THOSE ITEMS SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND BUY A NEW MY NAME IS MAGGIE GIBSON AND I'M HAVING TO ANTIQUE LAMPS. REPAIR. I DIDN'T WANT TO &gt;&gt; BREAK IT EVEN MORE. AND SO INTERESTING. A PROFESSIONAL TO HELP ME OUT BRINGING THEM BACK TO LIFE WITH THE HELP OFFERED. HERE IS MORE THAN A REPAIR. IT'S A HANDS ON LEARNING EXPERIENCE. IT'S LEARNING ABOUT LIVE WIRES AND A COMPLICATED THINGS THAT I'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. AND IT'S VERY INTERESTING IS LIKE A SCIENCE CLASS PRODUCT. MANUFACTURERS ARE VERY HAPPY FOR YOU TO THINK THAT THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO THROW AND BY NOON. WE WE PUSH BACK AGAINST THAT AND WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THE ITEMS THEY OWN. AND THEN WHEN THEY GO OUT, MAKE FUTURE PURCHASE DECISIONS, PERHAPS THEY'LL DO IT WITH AN EYE TOWARD REPAIR ABILITY AND LONGEVITY. I HAVE A HUNCH, TOUGHER WORK. &gt;&gt; I THINK THE THINGS THAT MATTER MOST TO US, WE'RE REPAIRING THEM. ARE THOSE THINGS THAT COME WITH STORIES? THEY WERE MY GRANDMOTHERS AND I LOVE THEM. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO USE THEM AND ENJOY THEM. THEY HAVE CHARACTER IN THE HISTORY. AND SO AND I LOVE THAT. AND ABOUT ALL THOSE REPAIRS, PEOPLE ARE LEARNING NEW SKILLS WERE ENCOURAGING CURIOSITY, GIBSON BELIEVES SHE'S LEARNED ENOUGH TO TACKLE HER NEXT REPAIR AT HOME AND &gt;&gt; AND AVERY'S RIDE IS NOW REPAIRS. &gt;&gt; YOU THIS 2 EXPERTS TELL US YOU JUST SEE A FEW TOOLS LIKE HULU, SCREWDRIVERS AND PLIERS. HEALY, ARTHUR, 5 ON YOUR PROBABLY FEEL SO GOOD TO SAY HOW ABOUT THAT WHEN IT WORKS, THE ORGANIZATION IS PLANNING ITS 2023 CLINICS TO FIND ONE NEAR YOU. YOU CAN GO TO REPAIR CLINIC NC DOT ORG. I FIXED A</p>

Repair Café teaches the lost art of fixing household items 

A retired Fort Bragg soldier is being recongized by the president for her service to the community. She's logged more than 4,000 hours of community service in her life. 

LIFE DURING HER BATTLE WITH CANCER. THOSE STORIES AND MORE AT TOP OF THE HOUR. CHRIS WORLD, SHE HAS LOGGED MORE THAN 4,000 HOURS VOLUNTEERING FOR SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS WILL NOW RETIRED FORT BRAGG SOLDIER IS BEING RECOGNIZED BY THE PRESIDENT FOR HER SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. >> WRAL, FAYETTEVILLE, REPORTER GILBERT BAYS IS LIVE OUTSIDE SOUTH VIEW HIGH SCHOOL AFTER SPEAKING WITH RETIRED SERGEANT MAJOR RUBY MURRAY GILBERT. >> BAKER IS A RETIRED SERGEANT MAJOR REMARRY BACK THERE IN THE GREAT RIGHT THERE. THIS IS A JOB THAT PAYS FOR WHICH HE CONTINUES TO VOLUNTEER ALL OVER THE COUNTY. IN ADDITION TO HIS WORK HERE NOW, THIS IS THE END OF APRIL AND IS THIS IS NATIONAL VOLUNTEER MONTH AND HER HER OWN VOLUNTEERS AND IS CONTAGIOUS. AND EVERYBODY JUST KNOW SHE'S GOT THIS WAR IS GLAD SHE'S BEING HONORED IN THIS VERY SPECIAL >> A BE MARINE OVERSEES THE JUNIOR ROTC PROGRAM AT SOUTH VIEW HIGH SCHOOL. SHE SPENT 26 YEARS ON ACTIVE DUTY BUT SAYS SHE'S BEEN VOLUNTEERING JUST ABOUT ALL OF HER LIFE. IT'S SOMETHING THAT HER FATHER PICTURED BEHIND HER INSTILLED IN HER AS A CHILD AND THEIR VOLUNTEER SERVICE. JUST SOMETHING THAT I ENJOY DOING A REGULAR BASES. >> IT WAS SOMETHING THAT I FELT THAT WAS PART OF MY HEART BE. BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, SOMETHING THAT I KNEW THAT I HAD TO IN ORDER TO MAKE MY COMMUNITY SUCCESSFUL FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS. SHE'S VOLUNTEERED AS A FITNESS INSTRUCTOR WITH 13 CERTIFICATIONS AND A BA IN PHYSICAL FITNESS. HER CLASSES ARE FREE. I DECIDED THAT I DID NOT WANT TO CHARGE ANYBODY. I DON'T KNOW WHY CHARGES SOMEONE WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT I REALLY REALLY WANTED TO DO. SO URGENT. MAJOR MURRAY HAS ALSO VOLUNTEERED COUNTLESS HOURS AT SEVERAL HOMELESS SHELTERS IN THE FAYETTEVILLE AREA. AND FOR THE PAST 5 YEARS, SHE'S BEEN PART OF OPERATION TURKEY DURING THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY. WE DIDN'T HAVE IT DURING COVID, BUT WE STARTED TO BACK UP LAST YEAR AND WE WAS ABLE TO FEED OVER 3200 HOMELESS PEOPLE WITH AND WITH WITH AN AN OUTSIDE FAYETTEVILLE AREA. SO FOR HER DEDICATION TO BUILDING A STRONGER COMMUNITY THROUGH VOLUNTEER SERVICE, RETIRED COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR RUBY MURRAY HAS BEEN GIVEN THE 2021 PRESIDENTS LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD SIGNED BY PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN. IT'S AN AWARD. SHE SAID SHE CHERISHES SECOND TO THE VOLUNTEER WORK. SHE CONTINUED TO DO EVERY DAY. AND SO COMMUNITY SERVICE IS SOMETHING THAT I LIVE AND BREATHE EACH AND EVERY DAY WE ARE ON ME. WHAT WHEN YOU HEAR HER STORY, YOU'VE GOT TO SAY TO YOURSELF, AM I DOING ENOUGH IN MY COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE I'M MAKING IT A BETTER PLACE. ART MADE STAND OUT RIGHT NOW. AND WHAT I HEARD FROM THE CLASS, CHRIS, GIVEN THOSE COMMANDS THIS MORNING, I STARTED TO DROP AND GIVE HER 10 BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS BACK IN RANGER SCHOOL. >> I DIDN'T DO. IT STARTED MAJOR, WE SALUTE YOU. RAIDERS LEAD THE WAY A LITTLE RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. YOU GET BACK IN LINE ONES ARE OUT THERE RIGHT HAS

South View High school instructor wins presidential award 

To celebrate the work of three Muslim college students, the DEAH Day of Service was created to honor the three students who enjoyed giving back more than anything, according to loved ones.

DEAH Day of Service honors 3 Muslim students gunned down at Chapel Hill apartment

Deah Barakat, Yusor Mohammad and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha

Thanks to Project 300 and it's founder Sherard Johnson, hundreds of kids are getting to walk a mile in a brand new pair of shoes.

Former Durham teacher outfitting underprivileged kids with new shoes 

Former Durham teacher dishing out new shoes to underprivileged kids

A Colorado coffeehouse managed to achieve rare success during the pandemic by using a community service-based business model to keep its entire staff employed.

you're trying to upend the way that we think about traditional business where profit is king, right? My name's Steph Francis. I'm the founder and executive director at Prodigy Ventures and Prodigy coffeehouse. We hire young adults from Denver who haven't found success in traditional school or work structures. First of all, they're being paid a living wage, but they're also getting hundreds and hundreds of hours of paid professional development. Technically, our model is called social enterprise, which means we are an organization that has this social mission. But we also have this revenue generating business and our overall general operating costs, um, are paid for by both the revenue from the business and um Foundation and Philanthropy and Donors. Way made a decision mid March to close our coffee house for two months, even though we didn't have revenues coming into the coffeehouse, we were able to be funded by some of our philanthropists and our our supporters and donors, who really doubled down on support. We were able to retain all of our staff and apprentices at that time. There is a movement in the past decade that social enterprises air becoming more prominent, and people are seeing that they're actually extremely key as you're looking at. How do we design an economy that's more equitable, like our community already has what it needs to be so powerful and successful and vibrant and soulful, and so we're just trying to create a space where those young people can come in and step into their inherent greatness.

Coffee shop using community service-based business model 

Instant Pot Is Now Selling A Coffee Maker

The Triangle honors civil rights icon and leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr,, just ca couple days after what would have been his 92nd birthday. 



Families get free food as long as supplies last for MLK Day

Triangle residents give back on MLK day 

Jeanne Tedrow, president and chief executive of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits, says groups that meet food, housing and other basic needs have fared better during the pandemic than arts and cultural organizations. But people can provide other assistance beyond money, she says.

>> AS WE LOOK LIVE AT MANHATTAN, TODAY IS A DAY, NOT ONLY TO REMEMBER, BUT GIVE BACK. ONE WAY AMERICANS CAN HONOR THOSE KILLED 19 YEARS AGO IS THROUGH SERVICE. IT MEANS MORE THIS YEAR WITH THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC. THIS IS THE CEO FOR NONPROFITS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. >> THANK YOU, DEBORAH. >> AT A TIME WHEN CHARITIES ARE NEEDED MORE THAN EVER, THEY ARE STRUGGLING MORE THAN EVER. WHICH GROUPS ARE ABLE TO RAISE MONEY WHILE CONTINUING THEIR MISSIONS? >> THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. I THINK FOR NONPROFITS, HELP FALLS INTO TWO CAMPS. SOME ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN PROVIDING BASIC SUPPORTS LIKE FOOD AND SHELTER. THEY HAVE BEEN THE FRONTLINE OF RECEIVING PHILANTHROPIC SUPPORT IN THE IMMEDIATE FACE OF COVID. ORGANIZATIONS LIKE SMART ORGANIZATIONS, CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS, MUSEUMS -- THESE THAT HAVE BEEN HURTING. THESE WHO HAVE DEPENDED ON IN PERSON PROGRAMS OR EVENTS FOR THEIR FUNDRAISING HAVE REALLY BEEN HIT HARD. >> THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO ASK YOU NEXT. SOME NONPROFITS HAVE HAD TO GET CREATIVE WITH FUNDRAISING. WHAT ARE THE IDEAS THEY ARE SHARING WITH YOU THAT REALLY WORK? >> I THINK, THEY ARE PLANNING VIRTUAL EVENTS. I EVEN HEARD RECENTLY ABOUT ONE FUNDRAISER -- A MARATHON. THEY HAVE A HALF MARATHON. THEY ARE GOING AHEAD WITH IT. THEY ARE HAVING INDIVIDUALS SIGN UP AND DO THEIR OWN RUNS, CLOCK IN. I THOUGHT THAT WAS ONE OF THE MORE IMPRESSIVE CREATIVE WAYS OF CONTINUING TO DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, THEIR MISSION WORK. >> TRYING TO REACH THE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT AND HAVE THAT RELEVANCE. NOW, FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT NOT HAVE MONEY TO GIVE BECAUSE OF TOUGH FINANCIAL TIMES, HOW ARE GROUPS ENCOURAGING VOLUNTEERING? >> VOLUNTEERING AND VIRTUAL VOLUNTEERING IS STILL A VERY VIABLE OPTION FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP OUT. THERE ARE ALWAYS FAMILIES -- VOLUNTEERS CAN CALL FAMILIES BY PHONE. THEY CAN CALL AND FOLLOW UP ON DONORS. THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE, VIRTUALLY TO HELP ORGANIZATIONS DURING THIS TIME. I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LOOK AT THEIR COMMUNITY AND SEE WHAT REALLY CALLS THEIR HEART. CALL THOSE ORGANIZATIONS AND VOLUNTEERED TO HELP. >> WE WORKED TO RAISE MONEY FOR SMALLER CHARITIES. ARE USING MORE COLLABORATION LIKE THAT? >> A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS ARE REACHING OUT TO ONE ANOTHER. I KNOW, IN RALEIGH, THE CONTINUUM OF CARE ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDE HOUSING AND SUPPORT SERVICE IMMEDIATELY REACHED OUT TO EACH OTHER AND STARTED TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY COULD REALLY COLLABORATE. >> THAT IS GREAT TO HEAR, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE DIFFICULT TIMES. WE ARE HEARING OF BUSINESSES THAT HAVE TO GO UNDER. WE DON'T WANT CHARITIES TO GO UNDER AS WELL. WE CAN IMAGINE WHAT A DIFFICULT STRUGGLE IT IS. >> I THINK IT HAS BEEN VERY CHALLENGING. I THINK THE PHILANTHROPIC COMMUNITY HAS REALLY STEPPED UP. THEY HAVE MADE FUNDING FLEXIBLE. THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO COMMIT TO MULTIYEAR GRANTS. THEY HAVE REDUCED THE APPLICATION PROCESS. THEY ARE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT MONEY FUNDING IS TARGETED TO THOSE MOST IN NEED. >> THAT IS GREAT, ESPECIALLY IN OUR AREA. THIS IS THE MOST GENEROUS AREA.

Can't support charities during tough economy? Advocate says volunteer or help another way

Jeanne Tedrow, NC Center for Nonprofits

Everyone is experiencing loneliness and grief due to the pandemic, but especially older people living alone. What are ways to get your verve back given this new world?

Ways to Reengage with Life When You're Older and Alone

Awesomettes provide surprise performance

After global protests over police brutality and racism erupted in June, Raleigh-based communications software company rolled out a new work policy supporting individual activism and community service.

Paid to protest? Raleigh's Bandwidth offers employees time off to hit picket lines

Paid to protest? Bandwidth offers employees time off to hit picket lines

Whether big or small, performing acts of kindness for the people around you not only benefits them but also yourself.

8 ways to give back to your community

A new approach to help lower the stress level in a courthouse is going to the dogs.



Adele, a courthouse dog, soothes victims and witnesses in Orange County

The Durham County sheriff is staring a board to improve community relations.

Durham sheriff launches community listening panel

Durham County Sheriff

Virginia Trappistine nuns make cheese to support their monastery and serve their community. (Video from WWBT)