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Debora Alvarado When you hear the word “Christmas,” certain images may spring to mind: houses framed in twinkling lights, gingerbread men, hot chocolate, maybe a Mariah Carey tune, and, of course, Christmas trees. But behind the tinsel and ornaments is another Christmas story—one of a migrant farmworker putting in 14-hour days to cut down those trees. That migrant worker may come from anywhere in the world, but out in Western North Carolina, he is most likely a Mexican man who … Continue reading “Growing health for North Carolina’s migrant farmworkers”

L to R: Dorel Clayton, Mentor & Board Member; Nichole Shackelford, Program Director; Tommy Green, Mentor & Board Member; Terence Johnson, Interim Executive Director How to vote, use a computer, open a bank account, and use a credit card were just a few of the things that Edward “Scottso” Scott, age 55, did not know how to do until recently. When he walked out of Orange Correctional Center in 2019 after being incarcerated for 30 years, a changed world lay … Continue reading “Life after lockdown: How formerly incarcerated people are helping each other heal”

As we near the end of National Hispanic Heritage Month, I have my mind on fútbol (or, “soccer” in American English). To be honest, this isn’t very unusual, as we are approaching the FIFA World Cup (la Copa Mundial), the quadrennial sporting event for soccer that the whole world – myself included – will be watching. More locally, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina’s (Blue Cross NC) key support for several community-based organizations provides children and youth greater … Continue reading “Here’s why we’re helping children and youth get their kicks in the grass”

Ten million children currently experiencing poverty in the United States don’t have easy access to books. Most children, from all walks of life, don’t have caregivers who make time for shared reading activities. From an early age, children are fascinated by the images and tales that unfold across pages. When a child loses access to those pages, the long-term effects reach far beyond the issue of literacy. Health and family well-being are at stake. In an era when there’s so … Continue reading “An unlikely prescription for good health: Read to your kids every day.”

One autumn day in November of 1962, a preacher stood inside a high school gymnasium in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, and delivered an early iteration of what would become one of the most revered speeches in American history. “I have a dream that one day right here in Rocky Mount, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will meet at the table of brotherhood, knowing that one God brought man to the face of the … Continue reading “Rural communities face higher rates of childhood trauma. One woman is using Stanford methodology to help them heal.”