Who We Are
About The Links, Incorporated
The Links, Incorporated is an international, not-for-profit corporation, established in 1946 by a circle of nine friends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built upon a legacy of friends and providing service that changes lives, the organization is one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer service organizations of extraordinary women who are committed to enriching, sustaining and ensuring the culture and economic survival of African Americans and other persons of African ancestry. The friendship chain has grown to more than 16,000 professional women of color in 288 chapters located in 41 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, and the United Kingdom. The legacy of friends providing service that changes lives, established by the original circle of nine friends in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1946, is alive and well.
The key programming initiatives of The Links are organized into five facets: Services to Youth, The Arts, National Trends and Services, International Trends and Services, and Health and Human Services. The programs are implemented through strategies such as public information and education, economic development, and public policy campaigns.
For more information on The Links, go to www.linksinc.org.
Chapter History
The idea of the Piedmont Chapter of The Links, Incorporated had its beginning on September 24, 1979 at the home of Janice Hammond. Margaret Wilson and Hazel Russell joined in to discuss the possibilities of organizing a chapter of The Links. Their efforts formed the Tri-County Service League.
The three drafted a letter inquiring about the steps to take in organizing a chapter. This letter was mailed to Mrs. Julia Purnell, President of The Links in October 1979. In response, a letter of instructions on how to organize a chapter was received from the National Headquarters.
They met again on April 30, 1980 with an expanded group that included Marie Fuller, Marie Hamilton, Janice Hammond, Ruth McDowell, Estelle Miller, Marguerite Pass, Hazel Russell, and Margaret Wilson. These women, along with Mildred Sadler and Anne Miller, became the Steering Committee for establishing a chapter of The Links.
On June 7, 1980, the Steering Committee met and drafted a letter to The Links, which included the geographical area to serve, and the economic and cultural resources, and the name was changed to Piedmont NC Service League.
The Piedmont NC Service league became the Piedmont Chapter of The Links, Incorporated and was chartered on May 1, 1982.
The chapter is comprised of prominent and service-minded women in Gaston, Catawba, Cleveland, Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Lincoln, Iredell, and Rowan counties in North Carolina and Lancaster and York counties in South Carolina.
Our Chapter Leadership
Shawnya Gore, President
Pam Hart Hemphill, Vice President of Membership
Donyel Barber, Treasurer
Angela Gravely Harris, Financial Secretary
Renee Davis, Recording Secretary
Deirdre Pippins, Corresponding Secretary
Our Members
Deborah Ally
Melissa Balknight
Brett Barber
Donyel Barber
Myrtice Barnwell
Renee Bellamy-Knight
Deborah Bowden
Glynis Brooks
Elizabeth Brooks-Gordon
Phylicia Brown
Pearl Burris-Floyd
Denise Casey
Renee Davis
Michelle Delaney
Arnita Dula
Valerie Dunning
Maya Feemster-Jones
Joyce Fisher
Pia Hill Foard
Deborah Ford
Brenda Friday
Toni Godfrey
Shawnya Gore
Tequel Hager
Angela Gravely Harris
Janice Hammond
Pam Hart Hemphill
Monica Howard Alexander
Trish Johnson
Brenda Kegler
Kim Lindstrom
Sidney Logan Echevarria
Clara Lowery
Ann Neal
Angel Pendergrass
Deirdre Pippins
Jacqueline Robinson
Thomasina Sadler
Lisa Sido
Robin Smith
Vivian Taylor
Regina Taylor
Jocelyn Thompson
Valerie Waddell
Constance Walker
Betty Werts
Jeannette Whitaker
Connie Williams
Barbara Williams
Jewell Wilson
Betty Worthy