“All that’s good takes work. All that’s great takes hard work.

Band attention. Band dismissed.”

Ms. Sylvia Wiggins, Director Helping Hand Mission Band

[Interview Excerpts]

“The band started in...well you know all the time we were dancing and this was a hang out place. Kids need somewhere to go and that really really made a difference.
First of all, we would have kids get out of school, come and wouldn't go home. The young kids would come up and start playing and enjoying themselves and then the music would come on and everybody started dancing!

It was right around 1981 that we actually started the band. Right away, we started getting in the parades. Besides just doing the parades, we go to rest homes, we go to a lot of events, we do community outreach. We perform with some artists...Queen Latifah, Gladys Knight, Public Enemy, Beyonce. The sky is the limit. We dream high. We reach for the stars and we fall on the moon. Our goals are to do a lot of things. We want to do a lot of things to keep our group going.

Being part of the band is just wanting to be in the band. There’s no age limit. Even if your’e old we can find something to make it work. We’ve got young boys as drummers, 3 and 4 years old. The father can come help be a part of it. It’s a family venture. Ninety eight percent of kids that were in the band bring their kids back. And that’s a testimony.

One of the things I really like in particular is that we don’t have a prejudice. It’s not based on color. It just so happens that we are located in southeast Raleigh which is a predominately black community, But no one has ever been refused because of their race, color, ethnicity or any kind. We have latinos, whites, blacks. Anyone who wants to come, they are free to be a part of it.

We usually practice twice a week, but they're gonna be here anyway. So we create something for them to do. And that’s what they do…they really really enjoy it. Sometimes they come and I say lets go to the movies today and they say why? We already planned that we were going to practice today.

The atmosphere is amazing. The kids come and they've got their little area to play. I think we've got million dollar centers all around us and yet the kids choose to come here, and we ain’t got nothing. Sometimes we spill all over each other. Sometimes the marching band has to step over clothes to get to their uniforms, but the fact that we’re all working together makes a difference. Nobody has a problem, nobody complains. It’s really really amazing how everyone comes together, working together.

This whole area that we live in, everybody knows everybody. It’s like the need a penny take a penny theory. If you need, take something, If you've got something bring something. I believe in the rock soup theory. I put a rock in the bowl and tell people I need a little tomato, I need a little celery, I need a little meat, and after awhile I’ll pull my rock out and I’ve got soup. So everybody bringing their items really really makes a difference.

We don't have a budget so everybody is working together to bring it together. You know people get big grants from the arts. Well we didn't. We were able to just grass root it. Through the years, we have never had a government grant, we have never had a state grant, we have never had a city grant. We have operated on people donating items and thrift shops. This has really kept us going. And the good part about it in the guideline of the mission, we haven’t had to compromise our self. We didn't have to say well you can’t help this person because you've got to help people 16-21 years old. This allowed us to help the young people, the middle aged people, anybody that needs help. You’ll also find we have older people in the marching band. It’s kept them focused and also keeps them giving back also.

You know what several things I pride myself with the band? Since it started, there’s never been a sexually abused child. And I’ll take my purple heart for that because when it comes to that I’m very serious about it. I don’t believe in any person having anybody talk to them on the side or come pick up the kids. I don’t believe in one on one.

We've got a training program where kids are learning to do things. We have long term goals, short term goals. Long term goals is you want your master’s degree. Short term goal you might learn to install carpet, you get your own company, learn how to repair. We try to keep people marketable, have work ethics and for people to be able to have a job. We’ve had attorneys. We've had a lot of people to go to be teachers. A lot of people just do regular jobs. I feel like productivity is not all about how you go, it’s what you do. We’ve had people that are just productive citizens…. raising their kids, they get a job, they have a place to stay, they haven't robbed a bank, they haven't killed anyone. To me that’s the proof of the pudding.

We pride ourselves of the fact that the young people are really trying to do things. Don't get me wrong there are problems occasionally. But it’s how you step back, it’s how you react to a fall. If you fall and don't get back up, or fall and see what you learned from it…it really makes a difference. 

We always have everybody together at the end of a practice or event. Our words are ALL THAT’S GOOD TAKES WORK. ALL THAT’S GREAT TAKES HARD WORK.”