03/12: Langley shares 2012 Proud Shoes Award
DeWarren K. Langley shared the 2012 Proud Shoes Award with the Board of Directors of Calvary Ministries of the Westend Community, Inc. awarded by the Southwest Central Durham Quality of Life (QOL) Project during the 2012 Volunteer Appreciation Banquet.
The Award was in recognition of working tirelessly to advocate for, strengthen, and improve the general welfare of the neighborhoods of Southwest Central Durham in addition to working to encourage and empower other community members to be involved in the community. The Award was created to honor those in the community who play an integral part in improving the quality of life in Southwest Central Durham and whose outstanding work goes far beyond community membership.
The QOL Project works to develop a road map or a strategic plan to improve the quality of life for the six neighborhoods of Southwest Central Durham. QOL is an enduring presence that links history and place with a vision for inclusive, sustained solutions that address the community’s needs and reflect its many assets. The organization empowers community members to collectively shape their own destiny. While brokering relationships with Duke University and other institutions, QOL fundamentally reflects and pursues the interests of its neighborhoods first. QOL builds the capacity of its participants and the community overall so they will continue to grow.
02/12: DeWarren appointed to the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council
DeWarren K. Langley was appointed to the Juvenile Crime Prevention Council (JCPC) by the Durham Board of County Commissioners during the regular meeting on February 27, 2012.
The JCPC is charged with studying and assessing the needs of the juvenile population within the county and making funding recommendations for needed services to the Durham County Commissioners for the expenditure of intervention/prevention funds which are appropriated by the General Assembly.
Each year, the JCPC conducts a planning process which includes a review of the needs of juveniles in Durham County who are at-risk of delinquency or who have been adjudicated undisciplined or delinquent and review the resources available to address those needs. The JCPC then prioritizes community risk factors for youth, for families and for the community and determine the services needed to address those problem areas. The JCPC develop and advertise a request for proposal process and submit a written plan of action for the expenditure of juvenile sanction and prevention funds to the Durham Board of County Commissioners for its approval. In addition, the JCPCs evaluates the performance of programs for juveniles and the services they provide, works to increase public awareness of the causes of delinquency and of strategies to reduce the problem, develops strategies to intervene and appropriately respond to and treat the needs of juveniles at-risk of delinquency and provides funds for services for treatment, counseling, or rehabilitation for juveniles and their families.
Langley’s term expires June 30, 2012.
02/12: Langley elected to the Board of Directors of Antioch Builds Community, Inc.
DeWarren K. Langley was elected to the Board of Directors of Antioch Builds Community, Inc. (ABC)
ABC is a community-based organization committed to identifying needs in the Durham community and responding with compassion through collaboration, support and education. ABC works to assist in the support of individual lives and work cooperatively to improve the quality of our community through programs such as Transitional Housing, Christmas Dinner for the homeless, Youth Summer Camps, Faith Teams, African-American Male Leadership Program and hosting Faith Partnership meetings.
Langley will also serve on the Marketing Committee to strengthen ABC’s external network and outreach activities while raising awareness about ABC by developing the website, brochures, newsletters, press releases and videos to enhance and improve ABC’s visibility in the community.
Langley’s term expires February 28, 2014.
02/12: DeWarren re-elected to the Board of Directors of Partners for Youth, Inc.
DeWarren K. Langley was reelected to the Board of Directors of Partners for Youth, Inc.
Partners for Youth, Inc. (PFY) is a year-round mentoring and summer job program for middle and high school students (ages 14- 19 years) based in Southwest Central Durham. PFY is a uniquely comprehensive model which matches each participant with a team of four mentors. PFY strives to create long-term relationships and high-quality enrichment activities that affect every aspect of our students' lives. PFY invests in the success of Durham youth working to overcome challenges in their lives, surrounding them with intensive 360° mentoring and the resources they need to become leaders in their schools, workplaces and community. Since 1998, 92% of the PFY students who have completed the program have graduated from high school and 89% have gone on to college.
For the past 3 years, Langley has served as Chairman of the Board of 13 members ensuring that it is fulfilling its responsibilities for the governance and strategic direction of the organization and ensuring sufficient resources to carry out programs. Over the past two years, the Board has successfully met the challenge of raising $10,000 from new donors to obtain a matching grant of $10,000 from the Stewarts Fund. We are currently raising $15,000 to receive a matching grant of $15,000. Most recently, as Chairman of the Personnel Committee, Langley led the Board in hiring a new Executive Director, Julie Wells and revising employee job descriptions. Over the next few months, the Executive Committee will lead the Board recruitment process and guide the development of the 2012-2017 Strategic Plan.
Langley was first elected to the Board in March 2006. His current term expires February 1, 2014.
12/11: Langley receives 2011 Perseverance Award from the Dropout Intervention Program of the Durham Housing Authority
DeWarren K. Langley was awarded the 2011 Perseverance Award from the Dropout Intervention Program of the Durham Housing Authority.
The Award was in recognition of exceptional performance in providing a continuum of academic & professional development support and services on a personal basis to 25 elementary, middle and high school youth who reside in the Club Boulevard Community.
The Dropout Intervention Program targets students who reside in Durham Housing Authority communities and scored below their grade levels in either the reading and/or math End of Course/End of Grade Tests and provides academic services and programs to address the personal and academic needs of those students.
As a Dropout Intervention Counselor, DeWarren focuses on improving school attendance, academic performance, End of Course/End of Grade test performance, and professional development & exposure to significantly reduce the dropout rate, increase academic proficiency, high school graduation and post-secondary enrollment.
Langley was also named Employee of the Month for December 2011 in recognition for serving as an outstanding Dropout Intervention Counselor who embodies commitment, efficiency, initiative, diligence and helpfulness to the students in the Dropout Intervention Program.
11/11: DeWarren re-elected as Secretary of Durham Community Martin Luther King, Jr. Steering Committee, Inc.
DeWarren K. Langley was re-elected Secretary of the Durham Community Martin Luther King Jr. Steering Committee, Inc.
The Durham Community Martin Luther King Jr. Steering Committee, Inc. is a community-based organization committed to preserving the legacy and example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by planning appropriate ceremonies and programs in recognition of the King Holiday.
The MLK Committee works to improve the quality of life for all citizens by reaching out to those who continue to struggle with issues of poverty, unemployment, drug addiction, homelessness and other social problems. The MLK Committee honors Dr. King for his work toward racial equality and economic justice for all people, for his commitment to nonviolence, and for his stand against war and militarism.
As Secretary, DeWarren ensures procedures and policies are followed during meetings, accurate minutes of meetings are taken and approved including actions of the MLK Committee during meetings, send notices of meetings, manage general correspondence to and from the MLK Committee and maintain the membership database & MLK Committee’s website.
Langley is also Chair of the Publicity Committee. His term expires in March 2014.
10/11: Langley receives 2011 Student Pro Bono Public Service Award from the North Carolina State Bar
DeWarren K. Langley was awarded the 2011 Student Pro Bono Public Service Award by the North Carolina State Bar during the 2011 Fifty-Year Lawyers Luncheon held at the Marriott Raleigh City Center Hotel in Raleigh, North Carolina on Thursday, October 20, 2011.
The Award was in recognition of dedicated and selfless service while a student at North Carolina Central University School of Law. Mr. Langley was recommended for the award by North Carolina Central University School of Law.
While a student at North Carolina Central University, DeWarren completed 800 hours of pro bono service. Langley’s contributions centered on his passion for mentoring young African-Americans, assisting them achieve academic success and exploring careers in law.
DeWarren help found and was an active member of Future Lawyers for Community Advancement, a student organization that mentors students at two Durham high schools. He also volunteered for two summers as a Team Leader with the Summer Legal Institute of the Just the Beginning Foundation in Chicago, Illinois, a week-long intensive program that introduces diverse middle and high school students to law and the legal profession. In summer 2009, he participated in a day-long pre-law symposium for minority students at Georgetown Law School, sponsored by the Fund for American Studies.
Most notable, Langley created the Charles Hamilton Houston Pre-Law Program. As the founding Program Director, he developed pre-law resources for undergraduate and graduate students, made presentations in classes, conducted mock LSAT exams and strategy sessions and mentored over 65 individual students in the law school admission process.
Langley says: “Service is an integral part of my life. I firmly believe public service should not be something practiced if extra time permits, rather it is an obligation and a responsibility owed to my community. I prescribe to the mantra, to whom much is given, much is expected and required.”
