Pathways - Fall 2020

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The Helpers & Healers NEW LOOK. NEW NAME.

Why we reevaluated and refreshed

HUNGER HERO

Hunger and Nutrition Program Manager Nick Robertson talks about the impact of COVID-19

OUTSIDE THE BOX

Dee Jackson, Manager of the Shelter Program thinks outside the box to make things happen for women in need of shelter.

DR. CAMPBELL SAVED MY LIFE

Clinic patient Marie thanks Dr. Campbell for saving her life.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT

Alec Jablonover shares why volunteering at UMWC is so rewarding.

COMMUNITY PARTNER

For more than a decade, Kiwanis Club of Raleigh has raised money for our pantry through their “Fight Summer Hunger” campaign.

YOUR DONATION’S IMPACT See your donation in action!

Dr. Peter Morris, MD, MPH, MDiv Executive Director

New Look, New Newsletter Name You might have noticed we have a new look – and a new name for our biannual publication.

Both our old logo and the name Skylines served us well for many years, but it was time to refresh and reevaluate.

The new logo combines an open hand with an open heart to convey the ideas of guidance and support. We are a welcoming partner, inviting clients into an accepting, nonjudgmental place.

The tagline “Compassion. Dignity. Care.” reflects our commitment to serve clients in a kind, respectful way that builds and maintains self-sufficiency and independence.

We also decided to rename our publication in order to better reflect our mission and that’s why we have chosen the name Pathways.

We hope you like the changes. If so, we would appreciate you sharing it.

Something strange and wonderful happened when the pandemic hit us all at Urban Ministries, volunteers, staff, and neighbors alike.

Our doors may be closed to the public, but we are meeting our neighbors where they are. By offering curbside pharmacy and pantry distribution, we are serving others even better than before.

Clinic patients do not miss an appointment because we are seeing them via telehealth. We celebrated the opening of the new Helen Wright Center as we continue to operate two other shelters.

We have covered up, washed up, and social distanced, but we grow closer to each other and the neighbors we serve.

While the pandemic breeds anxiety, fear, loneliness, and depression, we have shared hospitality, generosity, and understanding in this time of crisis and despair.

Our new logo – a lifted hand and heart – touches and is touched as our paths cross. Our neighbors find their way out of crisis, healed, and helped, reminded of the skills and strengths they have always had; at the same time, their resilience inspires our staff and volunteers.

This issue of Pathways shares stories of Healers and Helpers. May they touch you, fill your hearts, inspire and lift you, too.

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PATHWAYS | FALL 2020

Nick Robertson:

HUNGER HERO When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and Urban Ministries of Wake County made plans to pivot all its operations in order to keep serving our neighbors, Hunger and Nutrition Program Manager Nick Robertson did not know what to expect.

The community stepped up to donate money, while Nick and his team forged ahead.

“Some people are coming who have never gone through anything like this before. Everybody is going through something right now. Just like I feed them, they feed me. I took a week off and I didn’t want to be gone.”

Within days, our food pantry went from client-choice to curbside service and we began serving twice the number of people we served on a normal basis. Instead of giving 35-50 individuals or families a week’s worth of groceries each day, we were giving boxes of fresh produce, meat, dairy and dry goods to up to 90 cars a day.

Nick says there is even greater opportunity now to talk to people in line for food. “We have a lot more clients now and are serving them more often than before. I know them very well.”

He said there is a woman who had COVID who said getting fresh food from our pantry gave her the strength she needed to get back to work. “A lot of people are just extremely grateful,” he says.

“I had no idea what was going to happen. Honestly, at first, I was worried about myself and my own family. I have changed my viewpoint.

I totally changed how I feel. I said, ‘we are going to put our heads down and look up when it’s over.’”

Photo Credit: Bisi Cameron Yee and Activate Good’s ‘Look for the Helpers’ Photojournalism Project (See the entire collection at ActivateGood.org/Helpers)

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Nick is grateful, too. He grew up in Southeast Raleigh in what he says was a drug-infested neighborhood. He said he made some decisions that got him into trouble and one day, he looked at himself in the mirror and said “I want to get off that ride. It has taken longer than I expected. I like where I am right now.” >>

Nick, two staff members, and a handful of volunteers have been at it ever since that day in March. Things changed in the way Nick had to source food for the pantry, too. We had to stop our regular food drives due to COVID-19 safety issues and supply was down while prices went up.

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He recalls running the Backpack Buddies program at Interfaith Food Shuttle 10 years ago. “It changed me inside. So, this job with Urban Ministries is what I prayed for. People think I am full of myself, but I am happy. This is what I asked for.”

He has been with UMWC for 2 years now as the Manager of the Hunger and Nutrition Program.

He says “All of the pain and struggles I have had, have really helped me with the people I serve. Sometimes, they look at me and say, ‘you have no idea.’ I have every idea. There have been times I couldn’t take care of my own children.”

“If you look at the odds – they were against me. Even if you do everything right, they are against you. A lot of those things I did to myself, but if I can make it, anybody can make it,” he adds.

There were more than 130,000 Wake County residents who did not have enough food before the pandemic and those numbers are likely to get worse by its end.

“We have gone from feeding people once every three months to once every week.

We are running pedal to the metal and we can’t stop. It’s one of the most uncertain times of my life and I have been through some things.”

Nick is committed to our clients and meeting the growing need in Wake County.

“I am into helping people and it makes me feel good. If I won 4 million dollars tonight, I would still come to work on Monday because the main goal of UMWC is to serve people. We are here to help people – that is the main goal, that is the objective.”

Last year our pantry provided a week’s worth of groceries to more than 30,000 individuals and families including seniors, veterans, and children.

Our own garden, manned by volunteers, brought in more than 8,000 pounds of fresh produce for our clients. Awareness of our program is as crucial as the need for monetary donations, which can go farther than food donations right now. 1 in 7 people in Wake County could face food insecurity by next year. We ask that you share the good news and volunteer or donate if you are able.

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PATHWAYS | FALL 2020

Dee Jackson: OUTSIDE THE BOX Dee Jackson grew up in Raleigh. She says she did not plan to go into social work when she started college but helping others was in her blood.

“Growing up, I watched my mother help family and friends with food or whatever. I watched it my whole life and so I did it, too. And now, I’m watching my son do it.” >> 5

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work with her on stable housing for the women at HWCW experiencing homelessness.

When the COVID-19

Once she knows she has a good candidate with income, she asks the landlords to divide leases among two or three women and to work with her on deposits.

pandemic hit, UMWC had to quickly pivot, modifying operations in all its programs to keep

The housing crisis in Raleigh has made this even more difficult the past few years and leaves Dee trying to find ways to creatively navigate a situation that grows worse.

people safe. The shelter aspect was perhaps the biggest challenge as it

PATHWAYS | FALL 2020

Over the course of 6 months, with Wake County’s help, UMWC opened a new shelter (already in progress,) sent some women to “Healthy Hotels,” and acquired a third building where women could shelter in place.

“There is not enough housing or affordable housing. Unfortunately, there are going to be homeless people on the streets. We cannot house everybody,” she adds about the issue.

“I know there are a lot of landlords who won’t do this, but I am honest with them and reassure them. I say, ‘Hey if you don’t want to do 12 months, let’s try a 3-month lease.’”

Dee began working for UMWC nearly six years ago as a contractor.

Now, as manager of the Shelter Program, she works to develop and implement systems to help other case managers do their jobs more efficiently.

“I also try to get them to split the lease between two or three people.

We know not everyone will do well, so we wouldn’t put anyone in that situation, including our women. We want it to be a good fit. We also don’t want to break the trust the landlords have in us.”

Dee says she begins her day by meditating, then she reviews emails and case files. She also says she does a lot of research for resources for the women at Helen Wright. For years, Dee has been negotiating with local landlords to get them to

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, UMWC had to quickly pivot, modifying operations in all its programs to keep people safe. The shelter aspect was perhaps the biggest challenge as it involves congregate living. >>

“She was scared because she had never stayed in a shelter before.

We placed her in a hotel. But when I followed up with her, she said her mouth hurt. I coordinated for her to go to the dentist. She had to come back to shelter but was so scared.

I was able to get her a place in two weeks. She was so happy.”

She has done a myriad of things during her 17-year human services career and was recently named the Shelter Program Manager at Urban Ministries of Wake County’s Helen Wright Center for Women.

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Dee says, “The best we could do was quarantine women and train staff, minimize face to face interaction as much as possible, check temperatures, use PPE and sanitizers.”

She says something else out-of-theordinary has happened. “Women we have never seen before are coming to us. Women are coming from different states to us. We are dealing with more mental health issues than we did before. And we spend a lot of time trying to help them.”

involves congregate living.

“I have people reach back out to me to tell me they are doing well. I have only had about 6 women in 4 years return to us from permanent housing.”

Women we have never

seen before are coming to us. Women are coming from different states to us. We are dealing with more mental health issues than we did before. And we spend a lot of time

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trying to help them.

Dee recalls during the pandemic, an elderly woman who was not from Raleigh came to the shelter.

As far as the new Helen Wright Center for Women goes, Dee is most looking forward to the stateof-the-art classroom being outfitted at the 73-bed facility. HWCW recently received a large Workforce Development grant from the county and will use the money to help women get certifications for jobs that will improve their wages and chance for success.

She says she gets a few calls a week from women she has helped at HWCW. “They call me to tell me they got new jobs, or custody, things like that,” she says.

“I am so excited to offer the women these opportunities. They can do something to gain a skill set or certification where they can go out and get a good salary.”

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PATHWAYS | FALL 2020

I don’t feel food insecure anymore,” she says.

“One day I will get back on my feet and I want to volunteer at Urban Ministries of Wake County.”

Sometime in March, Marie believes she contracted COVID-19. Testing was not widespread enough at the time for her to get one, but Dr. Campbell called to check on her frequently.

Photo Credit: Bisi Cameron Yee and Activate Good’s ‘Look for the Helpers’ Photojournalism Project (See the entire collection at ActivateGood.org/Helpers)

Clinic Patient: Dr. Campbell saved my life

“This was the first time I have ever had to ask for help.” That is what one clinic patient, whom we will call “Marie” for anonymity, told us recently about her experience at our clinic. We hear that from many of our clients.

thought no one cared anymore, but Dr. Campbell put me on medicine that took away those thoughts,” she says while fighting back tears.

“They are so kind. It made the difference between life and death for me. If it wasn’t for Dr. Campbell… you can’t imagine,” she adds.

Marie became sick two years ago and had to quit her job. She no longer had insurance, but was able to start seeing Dr. Elizabeth Campbell, Medical Director, at our Open Door Clinic.

Marie says since she’s been coming to the clinic at UMWC, her illness has turned around. “My body is coming back.”

She also credits the nutritious food she was able to get from our food pantry. “It was not just the the medicine I received, but the nutrition which helped tremendously. >

“If I were to pay someone, they wouldn’t take care of me this well,” Marie says.

Without work and in poor health, Marie says she considered suicide. “I 8

Many of our clinic patients are at high-risk of COVID-19 due to several factors. We have partnered with UNC Health and Neighbor Health to bring free mobile testing to our building for this vulnerable population. We have pivoted our operations to provide safe care for patients and providers. We know that we cannot do this work without the support of our community and we thank you for that!

“It’s like they are a family. Always there if I need them. There’s no judgement.”

Marie recovered from what was believed to be COVID-19 and says she is looking forward to being able to get her groceries from the pantry now that she is mobile again.

VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT:

Alec Jablonover

Alec has served as a volunteer medical interpreter in our clinic for the last 10 years. He provides Spanish, French, Romanian, and Hebrew interpretation for our patients and providers.

Alec worked at IBM as a development manager for their international markets for 34 years. He then spent time as a counselor for start-ups and as a volunteer at the North Carolina Museum of Art. Alec says he decided to take on this volunteer role at our clinic after learning about the need for medically uninsured patients and their doctors to be able to better communicate via language interpreters.

He says his favorite thing about his job in the clinic at UMWC is “working with very talented and selfless care providers.”

He adds, “Volunteering at UMWC is gratifying on many levels. Meeting people and giving back to the community is so worthwhile.”

We appreciate all you have given us over the years, Alec! Thank you.

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COMMUNITY PARTNER:

Kiwanis Club of Raleigh

Kiwanis Club of Raleigh is celebrating its 100th year of service.

For more than a decade, the organization has raised money for our pantry through their “Fight Summer Hunger” campaign. While they have had many successful years, this year’s campaign went far beyond anyone’s expectations.

Their goal was to raise $7,500 to help feed families in need.

In a month, they had raised more than $11,000. That feeds hundreds of children, their parents, and even seniors.

Chris White, who co-chaired the Fight Summer Hunger drive for most of those years along with Carol LeClair, gave us this statement about why they do this for Urban Ministries of Wake County.

“The Kiwanis Club of Raleigh has served children, youth, and the community, locally and globally, for 100 years.

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a focus for our club for decades. Our club’s Raleigh Kiwanis Foundation has awarded grants to UMWC for Food Pantry support for years. Back in 2010, a development officer of Urban Ministries, Laura Ridgeway, spoke to our club and asked us to consider a food drive.

Our club’s board approved the service project, and our annual Fight Hunger Food Drive began that summer, a time when children were not in school and really needed food assistance. For 11 years, the Kiwanis Club of Raleigh is proud to have partnered with and supported the Food Pantry of Urban Ministries of Wake County. Now more than ever, #KidsNeedKiwanis.

Kids need nutritious food. And our community needs Urban Ministries of Wake County.”

Thank you, Kiwanis Club of Raleigh, for remaining our partner in fighting hunger in our community for so long!

PATHWAYS | FALL 2020

Your Donation’s

IMPACT FY19-20 30,413

people received a week’s worth of nutritious groceries from our food pantry

1,516

patients provided with quality health care in our clinic

+ 39,818

prescriptions were filled at no cost to patients

407

women were sheltered at HWCW and 60 left with signed leases

1,100 volunteers gave 21,647 hours of service 11

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Board of Directors Priscilla J. Ramseur, DNP, RN, CNOR, NEA-BC (Chair) Scott Shackleton, CPA (Treasurer) James A. Smith, III (Chair Elect) Alicia J. Barfield Judy Schneider, RN (Secretary) Maurice Harden Chad Day Rodney Frazier Carolyn C. Maness Peter Marks, PhD Robert E Futrell, Jr. Gwenerva Williams William Williams, Jr. Russ Stephenson Sean Tehrani, MD, MBA Chris Wrench Samuel T. Wyrick, III

Leadership Executive Director: Dr. Peter Morris, MD MPH MDiv Clinic Director: Dr. Lucy Vidal-Barreto, DDS, MHA Medical Director: Dr. Elizabeth Campbell, MD Director of Finance and Operations: Pat Roper, CPA, CGMA Director of Crisis Programs: Lisa Williams, MSM Director of Development: Kate Palmer

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COMPASSION. DIGNITY. CARE.

Urban Min istries of Wake Coun ty 1390 Capi tal Boulevard Raleigh, NC 27603 ww w.u rbanm in.org