By Ann Marie Byrd, Feature Writer
GOSPEL FEST:
Tried By Fire, Inc. is hosting the third annual Gospel-Fest on Saturday, May 11, at Craven Community College, with performances from 12:00 to 4:30 pm on the Campus Lawn.
Beverly Crawford, a Gainesville, Florida-based pastor, Grammy award-nominated recording artist, and Stellar-Award winner, is this year’s featured guest Gospel performer! New Bern’s own Bonita Burney Simmons, a nationally and internationally recognized award-winning Gospel artist, will open the afternoon with her usual rousing performance, followed by other local and regional artists.
In addition to the performances, a special Gospel Workshop is scheduled for singers and musicians on Friday, May 10, 2024, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm with guest artist Beverly Crawford. Those who attend the workshop can participate in the Gospel Fest Super Choir and will be part of the performance on May 11.
For those who are interested in the workshop, contact Robert Brock at 252-637-2339. The cost is $25 and includes a 2024 Gospel Fest t-shirt and light dinner. The location of the workshop is in the New Vision Ministries Church, at 1506 S. Glenburnie Road.
In addition to the day-long performances, the event will have multiple exhibitor booths from community non-profit agencies and vendors, as well as educational interactive booths, to provide information on services and products available in New Bern and Craven County.
“Good Neighbor Awards” will also be given out to individuals who have made a significant contribution to the support of Gospel-Fest, Tried by Fire and My Sister’s House: Dr. R. Staats, Dr. G. Boucher, Mr. J. Millard, Mrs. Sandy Valentine, Mrs. Debra Adams, Mrs. Ellen Chance, Mrs. Michele Fisher, and Mr. Tom Gingrich.
Food trucks will also be on-site with food and beverages for purchase.
MY SISTER’S HOUSE:
Gospel-Fest is organized by Bonita Burney Simmons, and coordinated by, Robert Brock, Operations Coordinator for Tried By Fire Inc. Bonita is the founder of Tried by Fire and My Sister’s House. The proceeds of Gospel-Fest directly support this not-for-profit organization and its efforts to generate enough revenue annually to make the House self-sustaining.
My Sister’s House, located at 524 Roundtree Street in New Bern, is a place where women can find support, security, and a fresh start, post-incarceration. Since 2020, Tried by Fire has raised over $370,000 from in-kind donations, grants, individuals, and returning donors.
“Our goal is to create a safe place after prison or jail to help our sisters get their plan together,” says Bonita. “Women need an address so they can create dreams and create a plan without the pressure of a job, kids, and those kinds of responsibilities. We address concerns that are specific to women. We offer a home where the ladies–the sisters–can be proud, and feel love and value. It gives them a chance to envision a new life, where they are not in prison anymore: what does that look like? They can stay as long as needed post-release, even as long as nine months. Our youngest guest right now has said she is here because she wants to learn how to be an adult. Since she came, she now has a job at the Courtyard Marriott, and is pursuing her dream of being a chef someday.”
My Sister’s House residents apply, and the applications are vetted with interviews on the phone and sometimes visits in prison.
BONITA BURNEY SIMMONS:
Originally from Kinston, Bonita’s father was a minister; she was raised with a strong sense of spirituality and core values that directed her to give back to her community. “Ministry is not always about the pulpit. Police officers, EMTs, educators and the like are all working for the greater good. I try very hard to let people know how valuable they are, especially people who have supported our organization because we are grass-roots,” she says. “We’ve proven ourselves as an organization and the community has wrapped themselves around the vision and the mission. For me this has been a journey of love. Simply love. My parents adopted me when I was seven months old from Catholic family services Hartford Connecticut. My Father said ‘regardless of what the child looks like or their background, we are going to give them a home.’ That kind of love transcended my whole life. I married young at 18, and he was abusive, so I got out of that marriage. Thank God I was blessed to remarry a wonderful man who has added value to my life and gives me the support needed for this undertaking and has been for over thirty years. (Eric B. Simmons Sr.) I have always loved to sing and used my voice to uplift people. In 2000, my father suggested that I start singing in prisons, so from 2000-2013 I was singing and preaching. In 2018 I started speaking in the community, showing the need for My Sister’s House, to do something meaningful and make a difference in the lives of hurting women. If we rewind, that’s what my parents did for me—they were intentional, they were going to give me a home full of love.”
TICKET INFORMATION:
VIP tickets at $50 include a reception with the artists and VIP seating for the performance. Adult tickets are $15, and seniors and teens (13-19) are $10. Tickets purchased at the event will be $20 for adults, and $15 for seniors and teens. Advance tickets can be purchased at www.TriedByFireInc.org/events or VisitNewBern.com, or by using the QR code. Proceeds from Gospel Fest 2024 will benefit Tried By Fire, Inc. and its program, My Sister’s House, in New Bern which provides safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental housing and services for justice-involved women. Tried By Fire, Inc. is a registered 501-c-3 non-profit organization, and all donations are formally acknowledged. Checks can be made payable to Tried By Fire, Inc., and mailed to P. O. Box 12691, New Bern, NC 28561, or made online at the organization’s website.