NEWS

DHC Block Party on November 7

Neighbors, volunteers, donors, staff, and friends of Davidson Housing Coalition (DHC) gathered for a festive block party on Thursday, November 7 in and around DHC’s Creekside Corner office on Sloan Street.

Jane Peck (left) and Bernice Houston (right) chatted before the Zeb Harrison Band began to play.

Even though darkness falls earlier now, temperatures are dropping, and Christmas in Davidson is just around the corner, friends and neighbors were more than happy to dine and dance outdoors on an unseasonably warm night in November.

No excuse is ever needed to throw a block party with music, friends, and food, but there was an important purpose underlying the early November event. The block party marked the official kick off for the 2024 Holidays for Hope & Housing, the annual sale of luminarias to support the work of DHC.

On December 14, 2024, neighborhoods across Davidson will light luminarias at their homes to “Light the Night” in support of affordable housing in Davidson. The communal lighting of luminarias has a long and important history in Davidson.  To learn about how the tradition of luminarias was begun in Davidson, read News of Davidson’s story here.

At the block party, DHC treated guests to ice cream scooped by Davidson’s Ben & Jerry’s. The outstanding cooks of Davidson Presbyterian Church prepared and served food as a fundraiser for their congregation, and Zeb Harrison and his brass ensemble Sound of Praise provided toe-tapping dance music.

Ryan Schooley, owner of new Davidson business, State Fair Mini Donuts, noticed DHC staffers setting up for the party around Creekside Corner earlier in the afternoon. He stopped by the DHC offices on Sloan Street and asked, “How can I help?” He and his family showed up for the block party and served fresh, hot mini donuts to all the partygoers free of charge.

Neighbors chatted and dined; children danced. Neighbors who had just moved to a new home a few streets away were drawn to the party when they heard the music on their evening walk. Finding the block party in full swing, they stayed to meet new friends. Porches around the neighborhood were filled with residents enjoying the warm night air as the band played.  A group of the neighborhood’s seniors, some of Davidson’s most revered and long-standing residents, enjoyed a row of reserved seating right in front of the band.

The Zeb Harrison & Sounds of Praise Band, always a favorite at Gospelfest, put on quite a performance at the DHC Block Party.

Zeb Harrison and the band played as the sun slowly set, their stage lit up with party bulbs.

At an intermission in the music, DHC Executive Director, Connie Wessner, took over the microphone to thank several of Davidson Housing Coalition’s faithful and long-serving volunteers. Wessner reminded the guests that “the work of providing affordable housing in Davidson relies on the spirit of volunteerism and shared community commitment that supports all of DHC’s work.”

She thanked two outgoing members of the DHC Board of Directors, Bruce McMillan and Marc Roper. Wessner said that their two names are the first to be added to a new plaque commemorating long-standing service to the organization. “We’re starting a tradition in the office of reminding ourselves about the people who help light the way,” said Wessner.

The DHC Block Party was a big hit with everyone who attended.

Wessner thanked the 61 neighborhood captains who coordinate the orders and deliveries of luminaria kits that make the fundraising event possible every year. She gave a special thanks to Cambria Nielsen and Pat Latham from the McConnell neighborhood. Calling them the “original luminarias gang,” Wessner said that “Cambria and Pat carried this mission for more years than I can count, and we are so grateful for the community-wide celebration they helped launch.”

Wessner then gave special recognition to two important volunteers from the neighborhood.

The first was Frank Jordan, who is this year’s recipient of Davidson’s G. Jackson Burney Award for Community Service. Jordan was at the party, busy helping to serve food with the DPC cooks. Wessner reminded the crowd that the Burney award celebration will be held later this month at Town Hall and encouraged everyone to attend to celebrate Jordan’s many decades spent in service to the community.

A final thanks was reserved for Creekside Corner resident Eric Fronrath, whom Wessner affectionately referenced as the Mayor of Mock Circle. Fronrath earned the moniker because he is always out keeping the neighborhood clean and tidy, caring for the trees and flowers, and looking out for neighbors who need an extra hand. “Eric models the good in this world every day, and it’s worth acknowledging the healthy dose of good he brings to our neighborhood.”

The block party was the second gathering DHC hosted this year, following the success of its springtime Raise the Roof block party. Wessner said the organization plans to make both events annual. Mark your calendars now: DHC’s next block party is slated for Thursday, June 25, 2025.

To support DHC’s efforts to keep affordable housing in Davidson and order your luminarias for the Light the Night event on December 14, click here.