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WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - On Halloween, Thursday, October 31st, Experiment in Self-Reliance (ESR), in conjunction with Mechanics & Farmers Bank and its community partners, proudly hosted their 1st annual Trunk or Treat event at Mechanics & Farmers Bank, located at 770 N. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Winston-Salem, NC. This fun-filled afternoon invited families to enjoy a safe and festive Halloween experience while learning more about the important work ESR does. "I’m here to provide the kids with a safe place to come and engage with other community members while collecting candy," said Chief William H. Penn, an ESR Board Member and Chief of the Winston-Salem Police Department. "We are celebrating Halloween in a fun, safe environment, and all the participating community agencies not only talk about loving kids but also demonstrate it by engaging with them. "Trunk-or-treat events are becoming increasingly popular, and it’s easy to see why. Parents of young children especially appreciate these Halloween gatherings. Families can stroll among cars decorated for Halloween and let their children experience the excitement of trick-or-treating without the stress of navigating their neighborhoods. Little ghosts and goblins can put on their costumes and collect candy without getting tired. "It’s wonderful to see a community come together to support one another, and to watch children enjoy themselves, knowing there are people who stand behind them and their families is powerful, especially in this community," shared Dr. Phygenia Young, another ESR Board member. Through this event, we were able to provide a fun experience and delicious candy to many children and families, thanks to our community partners, which included Mechanics & Farmers Bank, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Department, the Winston-Salem Police Department, Sifted Sugar, Inc., United Way, the Delta Sigma Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., the Children’s Law Center, and the ScottCares Foundation. As ESR celebrates 60 years of serving this community, these efforts enable us to continue providing essential services to clients and fulfill our goal of facilitating access to education, homeownership, and free tax preparation for individuals and families with low to moderate incomes. Experiment in Self-Reliance is a non-profit agency chartered in 1964 and has been supporting the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County community for over 60 years. Our mission is to empower social and economic self-reliance for low-income and homeless individuals. We are dedicated to creating a judgment-free zone and treating everyone with respect, all while pursuing our vision of reducing poverty and homelessness in our community. To learn more or make a donation, visit us at  www.eisr.org  or give us a call at 336 722-9400. #END

On Monday, March 25th, St. Leo's provided food to 25 ESR families.  Each family was given either a turkey or ham of their choosing and food items needed for Easter dinner to feed their families, along with Easter baskets and or/easter candy items to families with school-aged children.  Goodwill Industries also worked in collaboration with ESR to pick up and deliver the items to our location.  St. Leo's has been a partner with ESR for several years and hosts sponsorships for Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas to some of the client families we serve. We are grateful for their continued support and partnership over the years.

ESR's Forsyth Free Tax Program was featured on WXII 12 News for the 2024 tax season. Program assistant, Allison Lizotte spoke about the programs general information, requirements, and the impact this service has on our clients and the community. A very special thank you to our program manager, Cherie Ingram, program assistant, Allison Lizotte, and all of our VITA volunteers! Note: (Incorrect spelling of ESR in the video is no fault of our own. We have made WXII aware of this mistake and corrections of our name in the article are in process of being fixed.)

Experiment in Self-Reliance Empowering Strength & Resilience New Century IDA | Asset Building | Home Ownership | Small Business Forsyth Free Tax Free tax preparation each year for low-to-moderate income residents Self-Sufficiency One-on-one counseling to help meet your goals and reach economic self-reliance. Latest News and Stories ESR Joins M&F Bank for Trunk or Treat WINSTON-SALEM, North Carolina - On Halloween, Thursday, October 31st, Experiment in Self-Reliance (ESR), in conjunction with Mechanics &... Saint Leo's Donates Easter Meals to ESR Families On Monday, March 25th, St. Leo's provided food to 25 ESR families. Each family was given either a turkey or ham of their choosing and... WXII features Forsyth Free Tax ESR's Forsyth Free Tax Program was featured on WXII 12 News for the 2024 tax season. Program assistant, Allison Lizotte spoke about the... Read More We believe in creating a judgment-free zone where everyone is treated with respect, dignity, and compassion. Our goal is to help everyone achieve their fullest potential. Our Commitment to Empowering Social and Economic Self-Reliance Upcoming Events and Workshops No events at the moment Join Us in Empowering Our Community Empower Social and Economic Self-Reliance Donate Now

Self-Sufficiency Self-Sufficiency ​ ​ Helping people help themselves ​ Self-Sufficiency, our signature program, enables you to custom-design your own plan for becoming self-sufficient by improving your income and continuing education. It is based on the premise that with proper planning, information, support, and accountability, virtually everyone can achieve some level of economic self-reliance. ​ The program is conducted through intensive case management. You will be assigned to a caseworker who helps you develop an individualized case plan, tailored to fit your needs and goals with the steps needed to achieve them. Clients can remain in the Self-Sufficiency program for up to two years, during which you’re encouraged to take advantage of the many other activities and programs ESR offers to enhance the development of life skills that will help you to become even more self-sufficient. You also may receive financial assistance as part of your individual case plans. Such assistance may include tuition and books for improving education, childcare assistance, taking higher-paying employment, housing services, transportation, and more. ​ ​ Self-Sufficiency Team ​ All clients are expected to meet with their caseworkers at least monthly. We’ll track your progress and give the necessary support to assist you along the way. This structured program has been documented to be very helpful in assisting clients in improving their job, and income prospects, and helping to create and maintain a stable home life. ​ ​ Who Qualifies ​ All of ESR’s programs, except Information and Referral, are designed to assist low-income households, working homeless families, with at least one member of the household employed. We base enrollment on government standard levels of income, which you must meet in order to qualify. Each case is reviewed by the program staff as a group, which then determines which households will be enrolled. ESR recognizes the needs of community members who are on disability and unemployment, however, our programs are not set up to work with households who rely on these sources as their sole income. United Way, one of our collaborative partners, provides an information service where those who seek assistance can locate the agency that is best suited to meet their needs. This information service can be accessed by dialing 2-1-1. ​ ​ Requirements ​ To become enrolled in ESR’s Self-Sufficiency Program, you must: Be a resident of Forsyth County. Provide a photo ID. Provide Social Security or ITIN card. Provide proof of income (paycheck stub). Meet the DHHS income definitions. Be willing to participate in a structured program. Be willing to accept case management/counseling services including economic literacy training. Be willing to follow an established budget and case plan. Be willing to abide by rules and regulations for residence at ESR’s housing services facilities, if applicable. ​ ​ Service Delivery: ​ Income and Wage Progression Vocational education to improve employment Transportation Child Care Social and Economic Literacy Training Employment Supplies Housing Services Permanent Housing Permanent Supportive Housing Budgeting and Financial Education Family Stability and Domestic Violence Mental/Substance Abuse Incarceration and criminal activity The maximum amount of time for service delivery is two years. The clients’ graduation is determined by self-sufficiency performance outcomes established by the agency. If you have interest in this program, contact the Self-Sufficiency Team by calling (336) 722 - 9400 ext. 154 or fill out the form below. Self-Sufficiency Request for more information First name Last name Email Phone Submit

Privacy General Information and Use ​ Acrobat Reader for Viewing Documents Many documents on this site are in a PDF format. You’ll need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader® to view them. You can download here . ​ Search Need help finding what you’re looking for? Use the keyword search function available in the upper-right corner of your screen. ​ Our Focus The focus of Experiment in Self-Reliance (ESR) is to provide low income residents of Winston-Salem and Forsyth County with social/community action service. Therefore, our priority is to respond to inquiries from Forsyth County. We do not provide assistance services to those outside Forsyth County. Still have questions about how to use www.eisr.org ? Contact us here . ​ Ownership of Content All information on www.eisr.org , as well as the organization and layout of the website, is owned and copyrighted by the Experiment in Self-Reliance, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Except as expressly authorized by ESR, you may not copy, distribute, resell, display, sub-license or create derivative works based on any such information from the website, in whole or in part. ​ Acceptance of Terms By accessing ESR’s website, www.eisr.org , including all information, documents, communications, files, text, graphics, software, and products available through the website, you agree to the following terms. If you do not wish to be bound by these terms and conditions, you may not access or use the website. If you breach any of the Terms of Use, your authorization to use this website automatically terminates, and any materials downloaded or printed from the website in violation of the Terms of Use must be immediately destroyed. ​ Modifications We may amend these Terms of Use from time to time; please review them periodically. We maintain the option to modify these Terms of Use at any time by electronic notice posted on our website. Your continued use of our website after the date that such notices are posted will be deemed to be your agreement to the changed terms. ​ Nature of Materials All materials on www.eisr.org are samples that have been provided in order to advance the public interest for educational and guidance purposes only. They are not standard or model forms and should not be used as such. These documents have been created to meet unique program needs of nonprofits, and the actual content of a particular document may not be appropriate for your organization. Therefore, while these documents may serve as a starting point for drafting or revising similar documents, independent judgment and, where appropriate, the advice of competent legal counsel is strongly recommended. ​ Use of Materials www.eisr.org is for informational purposes only and is provided to you solely for your own personal, non-commercial use and not for purposes of resale, distribution, public display or performance or any other uses. 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It is solely your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of all opinions, advice, services, merchandise and other information provided through the site generally. ​ The www.eisr.org website is provided on an “as is,” “as available” basis without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including, but not limited to, those of TITLE, MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE or NON-INFRINGEMENT or any warranty as to accuracy, timeliness, completeness or arising from a course of dealing, usage or trade practice. No oral advice or written information provided by ESR or its employees, directors, officers, or agents shall create a warranty; nor shall members or visitors to the website rely on any such information or advice. ​ The user assumes all responsibility and risk for the use of this website. Under no circumstances shall ESR, its directors, officers, employees, agents, or anyone else involved in creating or maintaining this website be liable for any DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL or CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, or LOST PROFITS resulting directly or indirectly from the use or inability to use the website and/or any other websites which are linked to this website – or resulting directly or indirectly from mistakes, omissions, interruptions, deletion of files, viruses, errors, defects, or any failure of performance, communications failure, theft, destruction or unauthorized access. ​ Indemnification and Governing Law You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless ESR, its affiliates, governing board, officers, directors, agents, employees, partners, and suppliers from any liability, loss, claim, demand, and expense (including but not limited to reasonable attorneys’ fees) related to (a) your use of, or connection to, the website; (b) your violation of these Terms of Use; (c) your posting of content to the website; or (d) your violation of any rights of another person or entity, and any claim or lawsuit against ESR arising out of, or related to, the foregoing conduct shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the state of North Carolina. ​ Internal Links — links made to www.eisr.org We welcome links to our homepage from other nonprofits, government agencies, and others who wish to help extend our mission into the nonprofit sector. We ask that you email us to let us know of your intentions to link to our site, and indicate the purpose of the link. No link may present or display a product or activity in a way that states or implies the ESR’s endorsement. ESR does not endorse any commercial organizations or products. ​ External Links — links from www.eisr.org ESR’s website includes links to external websites created and controlled by parties other than the ESR. These links are provided only for the convenience of users of this site and any information obtained thereby does not necessarily represent the opinions of ESR. These links do not fall under the www.eisr.org domain, and ESR is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of external websites. ESR makes no representation about the accuracy of any information contained in these links. Your use of any linked website is solely at your own risk. We do not routinely link to private, commercial or other similar websites, other than current corporate sustainers of the ESR’s programs and services. However, on a case-by-case basis, we will consider requests from such groups or persons to link to their websites. ESR will grant such requests only where it is determined that such links will clearly support our mission, and where we have concluded that such links will not in any way jeopardize our reputation, independence, objectivity, mission or ability to serve the nonprofit sector. To make a request, email ESR. ​ General The Terms of Use and the other rules, guidelines, licenses and disclaimers posted on www.eisr.org constitute the entire agreement between ESR and you with respect to your use of our website. If for any reason a court of competent jurisdiction finds any provision of the Terms of Use, or portion thereof, to be unenforceable, that provision shall be enforced to the maximum extent permissible so as to effect the intent of the parties as reflected by that provision, and the remainder of the Terms of Use shall continue in full force and effect. Any failure by ESR to enforce or exercise any provision of the Terms of Use or related right shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision. The section titles used in the Terms of Use are purely for convenience and carry with them no legal or contractual effect. ​ Privacy Policy As a nonprofit organization, the Experiment in Self-Reliance (“ESR”) places a high priority on protecting your privacy. This privacy policy was created in order to demonstrate the ESR’s commitment to the privacy of our clients and other website visitors. This policy explains what types of information is collected by the ESR’s website, www.eisr.org , and how this information is used. ​ What Personally Identifiable Information is Collected ESR Clients and other website visitors that register to use www.eisr.org voluntarily provide us with contact information (such as name and e-mail address). We use this information internally for providing personalized service and for monitoring website traffic. ​ Cookies Cookies are small bits of code that are sent to your computer when you logon to a website that allows us to identify you when you return to the site. ESR uses “cookie” messages to automatically help provide better services. They remind us who you are and your preferences for our website based on what you’ve done and told us before. The “cookie” is placed on your computer and is read when you come back to our website. Cookies let us take you to the information and features you’re particularly interested in. 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You may do so by clicking the link provided at the bottom of every newsletter. ​ Survey and Polls From time to time, we may offer surveys and/or interactive polls to users so they can share their opinions with others users, see what our users think about important issues or to better target our content. Participation in the surveys and/or polls is optional. Opinions and responses are not identifiable to any particular user. We may share aggregated demographic information with partners or supporters. We never share any information about specific individuals with any third party. ​ Modifications We may amend this privacy policy from time to time; please review it periodically. We maintain the option to modify this policy at any time by electronic notice posted on our website. Your continued use of our website after the date that such notices are posted will be deemed to be your agreement to the changed terms. ​ If you have questions or comments, please email the Experiment in Self-Reliance, or mail them to Experiment in Self-Reliance, Inc, Post Office Box 135, Winston-Salem, NC 27102