Healthy Community
Another key focus for Impact Alamance is creating a healthy community — a community where all of us are physically and emotionally healthy, and we all contribute to the community’s civic life and economy.
Creating a healthy community means helping families, businesses, churches, nonprofits and government agencies work together toward common goals. In 2016, Impact Alamance invested more than $560,000 in these efforts.
Alamance Achieves Alamance Achieves seeks to strengthen the pathway from cradle to career for every child in Alamance County. When every child excels, our community will be stronger and more vibrant.
Following the framework pioneered by the StriveTogether Network and used in scores of communities across the country, Alamance Achieves will align community resources to critical periods of child development.
By ensuring that children and young adults are plugged in to a network of resources and opportunities, Alamance County can build a foundation that allows every child to succeed.
Impact Alamance serves as the anchor organization for Alamance Achieves, providing staff and administrative support, as well as funding. The United Way of Alamance County is also providing financial support.
- For infants: and young children, the goal is to ensure that every child is well, healthy and ready for school.
- For kids: in elementary and middle school, the goal is to ensure that they all succeed in school.
- For teens: in high school, the goal is for every child to graduate prepared for post-secondary learning.
- For young adults: the goal is for every individual to be on track to achieve career goals with the help of post-secondary education, certification or job training.
Mandy Eaton
Mandy Eaton, Alamance ElderCare’s board chair, discusses how Impact Alamance is helping the organization serve a growing population.
What was the Impact Alamance funding used for? Alamance ElderCare received a capacity-building grant that funded strategic planning and organizational assessment work conducted with the help of Scottie Seawell of Leading and Governing Associates Inc. The work led to new mission and vision statements and the identification of four priority areas for strategic development. The board and staff are now working to fulfill these new plans.
How will this contribute to the health and wellbeing of people in Alamance County? Over 90 percent of older adults in Alamance County are living at home, either alone or with family. More than 42 percent of older adults in Alamance County require help with daily activities due to a disability; 9.5 percent live below the poverty level. Alamance ElderCare programs promote the well-being and independence of older adults while reducing emergency room visits and hospitalizations. They help family caregivers balance caregiving tasks with income earning needs.
By 2030, the population of those aged 65-74 in our county will increase 65 percent, so Alamance ElderCare must improve its efficiency, increase its visibility and escalate fund development to meet the growing need. The organizational assessment and technical assistance provided by Impact Alamance will help Alamance ElderCare achieve these goals.
Why is Alamance ElderCare an important program for our community? Alamance ElderCare envisions a community in which all older adults and their caregivers have access to the resources and support needed to live full and independent lives. Our programs include information and referral, advocacy, care management, evidence-based health and wellness workshops, and a family caregiver support program. Alamance ElderCare provides leadership within the aging services community to enhance communication and collaboration between aging services providers.
A $20,000 grant to B. Everett Jordan Elementary School has been used to create an in-school Makerspace with a 3-D printer, a sewing machine, Tinker Toys, Legos, K’Nex, books and supplies. More than 50 students at the school use the space as part of the STEAM Club (STEAM stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math”).
In addition, teachers are using the space and the technology to augment their lessons. The Makerspace has also helped the school connect with other makers and maker organizations in Alamance County, increasing the school’s collaboration with and support from the community.
"Participation in the Leadership Institute has been a wonderful experience for me both in my professional and personal development. Because of the relationships formed with the other participants I also have a network of resources. Impact Alamance, I am deepy grateful for being selected to participate." Veronica Revels, Executive Director, Burlington Housing Authority
"The Leadership Institute offered by Impact Alamance provided relevant program content and the opportunity to connect on a deeper level with other nonprofit leaders." Susan Watson, Executive Director, Women's Resource Center