By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
By George Reed, Retired Executive Director [The deadlines for the introduction of most new bills have now passed, and we are in Crossover Week. By the end of the week, […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
The political situation at the national level has occupied the time and attention of many faithful progressives. Each day has brought with it more reasons to be concerned for our […]
By Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
We are pleased to introduce the PHW Collaborative. Mostly, it is a change in the name, so if your congregation has been a part of the Partners in Health and […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
Partners in Health and Wholeness is hiring for two new regional coordinators, one to serve in the Charlotte area and the other in the Wilmington area. Both positions are open […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
Our friend Rob Schofield over at Policy Watch wrote a column on Tuesday that was as vitally important in its truth-telling as it was hard to read for the future […]
By Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
· by Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
PHW-certified congregations across North Carolina are eligible to apply for a mini-grant to assist in furthering their commitment to health and wholeness. Mini-grant application periods are open twice a year; […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
Looking ahead to 2017, there is much more work for the Council to do than we ever imagined. Please join us. Your financial support helps us continue what began in […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
We are living in unsettling times. Progress we once thought inviolable now feels threatened. One constant is the NC Council of Churches and our commitment to a more just, united, […]
By Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director
· by Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director
The deadline for enrolling in the Health Insurance Marketplace came and went at the end of January. Though the ACA open enrollment period has passed, those experiencing certain life events – […]
By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
I have the pleasure of continuing to work with Fred Bahnson, director of the Food, Faith, and Religious Leadership Initiative at the Wake Forest University Divinity School. Partners in Health […]
By Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate
· by Steve Ford, Former Volunteer Program Associate
For a boatload of lofty, noble and wise sentiments, look no farther than the opening fanfares of Chapter 113A, Article 1, N.C. General Statutes. The reference is to a law […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
The Council’s 2014 Advent Devotional Guide is now available as a free download. Each year, Council staff take a social justice theme as a focus for these guides to be used during […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
What do Tuesday’s elections mean for North Carolina? How can people of faith in the state continue to affect positive change? Join the staff of the North Carolina Council of […]
By Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
The slight nip in the air during the early morning hours as I make my way to an 8:00 am class tells me that summer is over. Fresh strawberries, abundant […]
By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
Months of planning and networking for the Partners in Health and Wholeness Faith and Health Summit culminated in a day that birthed a community choir and an anthem that was […]
By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
If you haven’t had a chance to take a look at the Council’s curriculum, “Eating Well: For Ourselves, For Our Neighbors, For Our Planet,” I urge you to do so. You […]
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
A 12-year study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that Americans improved their eating habits slightly over the years, but that was not the case for America’s […]
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
I had the pleasure of serving on the North Carolina Institute of Medicine’s (NCIOM) Task Force on Rural Health, which was charged with creating a roadmap for better health in […]
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
Please join the North Carolina Council of Churches at the 2014 Faith and Health Summit, which will be held on Friday, October 10, 2014 at Ardmore Baptist Church in Winston-Salem (501 […]
By Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
On Saturday I had the chance to attend the 5th Annual Great Tomato Festival, which is a collaboration between the Cooperative Extension of Guilford County and NC A&T University. Extension master […]
By Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director
· by Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director
Workers in tobacco fields suffer the same injustices that other farmworkers face, including the low wages, weak workplace protections, and harsh conditions. However, their work is even more unhealthy and […]
By Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director
· by Jennie Belle, Former Immigration and Farmworkers Director
A few weeks ago, Human Rights Watch published a report on child labor in tobacco farming. Below, former NCCC intern John Zambenini comments on the large amount of media attention […]
By Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Wait, isn’t that a line from a Christmas song? Well, yes. But, when it comes to living a healthy life, what time […]
By Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate
· by Sandy Irving, Volunteer Program Associate
We have all heard about farmworkers who supply us with cheap food but cannot afford food for their own families. This is a contradiction to God’s world of abundance with enough for […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
Economic circumstances too often define us. How much we do or do not earn can put us on a path that either buffers our failures or tempers our successes. The people who make the least amount of money have the fewest opportunities to succeed, no matter how much they work or how hard they study.
For Christians, the biblical calls to justice and to providing for the least of these are foundations of our faith. At the same time, we as a nation mark this year the 50th anniversary of the war on poverty. Under different circumstances we might celebrate the milestone, but there is still too much to be done.
By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
Recently, I received a notice from a local community garden organizer about a grant opportunity sponsored by a fertilizer company. I shared it with my e-mail group and found one […]
By Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
Thank you for joining the Partners in Health and Wholeness Book Club. You can officially sign-up here. Through it, we hope to engage people of faith in discussions over why our […]
By Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
Thank you for joining the Partners in Health and Wholeness Book Club. You can officially sign-up here. Through it, we hope to engage people of faith in discussions over why our […]
By Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
Thank you for joining the Partners in Health and Wholeness Book Club. You can officially sign-up here. Through it, we hope to engage people of faith in discussions over why our […]
By Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
Thank you for joining the Partners in Health and Wholeness Book Club. You can officially sign-up here. Through it, we hope to engage people of faith in discussions over why our […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
I have a conflicted relationship with cooking. For the big food holidays, moments of inspired recipe testing, and the occasional soup or marinara prep and freeze binge, I’m your gal. […]
By Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
Thank you for joining the Partners in Health and Wholeness Book Club. You can officially sign-up here. Through it, we hope to engage people of faith in discussions over why our […]
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
The Fayetteville Observer
Sam Thompson was looking for a sunny spot to plant tomatoes. He ended up leading an award-winning community revolution. Thompson, an elder at Laurinburg Presbyterian Church, pitched the idea of a community garden to the church six years ago. What began as a creative use for otherwise empty church property was recently awarded an equipment grant by the North Carolina Council of Churches and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina. “We’re using the grant funds to dig a well,” Thompson said. “Wouldn’t you know this would be the wettest June in years.”By Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
· by Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
I finally had the chance to go my first Moral Monday earlier this week. Walking around Halifax Mall with our Executive Director, George Reed, I was struck by how many people we both knew. I’m deeply proud of the involvement by clergy and faith communities in particular. So many of our members are represented not only in the crowd but also in the faces of those participating in civil disobedience and getting arrested. As we celebrate Independence Day this week, we give thanks not only for the many freedoms our country offers, but in particular for the countless faithful voices speaking up and speaking out for those who are being pushed to the margins by this General Assembly.
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
Winston-Salem Chronicle
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Foundation has partnered with the North Carolina Council of Churches to provide grants to faith-based organizations to help them supply healthy eating alternatives to their members and underserved communities.United Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church (UMMBC) is one of 20 faith-based organizations that have received a $5,000 Healthy Eating Equipment Grant. The church will use the grant to purchase much needed equipment and supplies to support the 10 gardens that now comprise the S.G. Atkins Community Gardens at Winston-Salem State University.
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
Mt. Airy News
Piney Grove Baptist Church’s food ministries recently got a boost from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation (BCBSNC) in the form of a $5,000 healthy eating equipment grant. The effort is a partnership between BCBSNC and the North Carolina Council of Churches to provide equipment for 20 faith-based organizations to bring healthier food to their members and communities. More than $90,000 in equipment grants are being used to provide canning and cooking supplies, expand church community gardens and increase storage for fresh produce.By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
Our church has made a concerted effort to emphasize healthy living to our congregation in several ways. We have partnered with another church in our area to sponsor and host […]
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
The North Carolina Council of Churches has partnered with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) Foundation to provide more than $90,000 in Healthy Eating Equipment grants […]
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
The Islamic Association of Raleigh (IAR) is blessed to have a kitchen/restaurant facility which serves the entire community on different occasions. There is also the community’s school garden that is […]
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYQamYonCoc Pathway to Peace Ministries, under the pastoral leadership of Rev. Cary Rodgers and located in Anson County, received a PHW mini-grant for their efforts to improve the health of […]
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
Who said change is easy? Or that it can only come as a result of well-meaning adults’ efforts? Well, a youth group in New Orleans, called the “Rethinkers”, would beg to differ. They saw a problem (unhealthy foods served in school) and made a difference
By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
Everyone gets so hyped about attending conferences. You go there, you collect as many business cards as you can, you write down notes, quotes, and things to follow-up with. You […]
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
Since 2010, beginning with the spring growing season, Ward Street Mission United Methodist Church has implemented a concept called, “House Gardens Greening Project”. The concept is simple. Instead of having […]
By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
Thank you for joining the Partners in Health and Wholeness Book Club. You can officially sign-up here. Through it, we hope to engage people of faith in discussions over why […]
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
Partners in Health and Wholeness, in partnership with the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC Foundation, recently conducted a webinar for places of worship interested in the new Healthy Eating […]
By Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Joy Williams, Former PHW Regional Coordinator
Thank you for joining the Partners in Health and Wholeness Book Club. Through it, we hope to engage people of faith in discussions over why our health matters. Our first […]
By Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
· by Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
Click here for a free download of our new 2013 social justice study for Lent: Preparing the Way. This simple 10-page document combines traditional Lenten themes and Bible passages with contemporary issues including hunger, care of creation, and immigration. We invite you to join us in this season of reflection and preparation.
By Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
· by Shannon Axtell Martin, PHW Regional Coordinator
There are few things I love more than setting out on a grand adventure. I know there are folks out there who prefer the safety, security, and dependability of home. But…there […]
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation and The Rensselaerville Institute are looking for individuals with project ideas for creating a healthier Wilson County. Projects will be implemented over the next 6 months and must focus on increasing physical activity and/or access to and consumption of fresh produce.
Selected Community Sparkplugs and their teams will receive the following: a $3,000 grant (simple application process), individualized help to create an action plan and set project results, support and coaching over the next 6 months, and an opportunity to become part of a growing network of Community Sparkplugs across North Carolina.
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
Willona Stallings, PHW Program Coordinator, co-authored a section on working with faith communities to improve population health in the September/October issue of the NC Medical Journal (NCMJ). Stallings highlighted the […]
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
Partners in Health and Wholeness (PHW), the Council’s faith-based health initiative, is now offering mini-grants to support congregations in your efforts to promote healthy, active lifestyles. In order to qualify, […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
Because the season of Advent is a time of awaiting the Christ child and the risen Christ, it is a perfect time to think about social justice issues. Christ’s ministry, […]
By Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
· by Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
Farm labor ranks as one of the top three most dangerous occupations in the United States. In addition to hazards in the fields, farmworkers and their families face unique burdens on their physical and mental health. North Carolina’s leading industry is agriculture, yet farmworkers are among the most underserved residents in the state.
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
Over the past few months, North Carolina Interfaith Power & Light has been a proud part of a coalition of nonprofits and businesses participating in a statewide ad campaign emphasizing […]
By Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
· by Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
Farmworkers are some of our nation’s most vital workers, as their labor enables us to enjoy high quality, low-cost, fresh fruits and vegetables all year round. Despite farmworkers’ economic and cultural contributions to the communities where they live and work, they continue to be the some of the lowest paid, least protected, and unhealthiest workers in the United States.
By George Reed, Former Executive Director
· by George Reed, Former Executive Director
You may have seen news yesterday about a just-released report from the Natural Resources Defense Council on food waste. I read the full report – only 26 pages, and eminently […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
Cindy Taylor and Sheila Menendez of Troy, NC planned a spectacular day of taste testing and health pledge signing. Their respective organizations, Bodies for Christ United and Montgomery County Farmers […]
By Daryn Lane, Former Student Action with Farmworkers Intern
· by Daryn Lane, Former Student Action with Farmworkers Intern
Every day, about 243 agricultural workers suffer injuries that cost them work time; about five percent of these injuries result in permanent impairment. Agriculture consistently ranks among the three most […]
By Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
· by Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
This comprehensive, intergenerational curriculum focuses on the food we eat and why it matters. Featuring 7 lessons with Scripture, prayers, resources, and activities for young children through adults, “Eating Well” will challenge and inspire your church or community group. Download your copy today.
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
The 2012 County Health Rankings report, recently released by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, points to major disparities in health by geographic […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
The deadline to guarantee lunch at the 2012 Critical Issues Seminar has been extended to April 12. This year’s seminar, Eating Well for Ourselves, For Our Neighbors, For Our Planet, takes […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
Alexia Kelley will deliver the keynote address for the North Carolina Council of Churches’ 2012 Critical Issues Seminar, and Father Joe Vetter will receive the Council’s Distinguished Service Award at the […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
To register for the 2012 Critical Issues Seminar and to choose your workshops, complete the form below. The Seminar is taking place April 19 in Winston-Salem. This exciting day-long event […]
By Leslie Ware, Anti-Torture Project Coordinator
· by Leslie Ware, Anti-Torture Project Coordinator
I’m pleased to announce the North Carolina Council of Churches has a new curriculum in the works! “Eating Well: For Ourselves, For Our Neighbors, For Our Planet” is an introduction to […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
Everyone eats. How and from where we get that food, how much is available to us, how it is grown, and what happens when there isn’t enough all have implications […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
I’ve been thinking about Daniel a lot lately. Daniel and his buddies were in the first wave of exiles to Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar had them brought to the palace and […]
By Leslie Ware, Anti-Torture Project Coordinator
· by Leslie Ware, Anti-Torture Project Coordinator
When the weather starts to cool, I begin thinking more and more about the North Carolina State Fair, which takes place this year Oct. 13-23. The fair has become an important […]
By Leslie Ware, Anti-Torture Project Coordinator
· by Leslie Ware, Anti-Torture Project Coordinator
I am a terrible meal planner. I frequently arrive at the grocery store without a plan and hungry, which, as any seasoned cook will tell you, guarantees only two things: […]
By Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
· by Willona Stallings, Former Program Coordinator – Partners in Health & Wholeness
For churches and other nonprofits in Raleigh that wish to grow a community garden but currently lack the land space to do so, your dream may soon become a reality […]
By Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration
· by Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration
The drumbeat of bad bills continues. Suffice it to say that it’s a tough year for those of us who have advocated for public policy decisions promoting social justice, protecting vulnerable people, and caring for God’s creation. We can’t respond to every bad idea or bad bill. On many of these issues, we feel like we are butting our heads against a wall. Our tendency may be to throw up our hands in despair.
By Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
· by Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
Last Saturday I got to meet Cecilia. She used to work in North Carolina’s tobacco fields, but that left her with health problems. A mother of five children, now she’s […]
By Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration
· by Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration
New bills on the budget, care of creation, criminal justice, election and campaign law, gambling, guns, health and health care, immigration, mental health, developmental disabilities, substance abuse services, public eduction, and taxes.
By Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration
· by Rose Gurkin, Former Program Associate for Administration
Governor Bev Perdue on Saturday vetoed H 2, the misnamed “Protect Health Care Freedom” bill. (It should be called the “Freedom to be Uninsured and Unable to Get Health Care” bill.) The bill was an attack on federal health care reform and purported to remove North Carolinians from the mandated purchase of health insurance, which is the basis of federal reform which will move millions of uninsured Americans into the ranks of the insured.
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
Friends, We look ahead to 2011 knowing we face many challenges and that our commitment to the work we believe in must be fortified and renewed. The environment in which […]
By Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
· by Aleta Payne, Former Deputy Executive Director
As December begins, we make the transition from a time of thanksgiving to a season of anticipation. The Council has much to be grateful for this year. Talented and dynamic […]
By George Reed, Former Executive Director
· by George Reed, Former Executive Director
I was struck, as I listened to remembrances from the past, that we really are seeing progress on issues of social justice. But it happens over a period of years or even decades. The issues we heard about at the Anniversary are difficult ones. They have produced years of frustration and sometimes what looked like complete failure. And yet . . .
By Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
· by Chris Pernell, Director, Partners in Health and Wholeness
Farm labor ranks as one of the top three most dangerous occupations in the United States. In addition to hazards in the fields, farmworkers and their families face unique burdens on their physical and mental health. North Carolina’s leading industry is agriculture, yet farmworkers are among the most underserved residents in the state. This colorful and easy-to-read fact sheet was designed for congregations and community groups. Download a copy today.
Partners in Health & Wholeness
27 Horne St.
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-6501
info@ncchurches.org
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