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By Frank Hague
The Ada Jenkins Center is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of families and individuals in Davidson, NC, and in North Mecklenburg County. The Center, which formerly functioned as an elementary school in Davidson's Westside neighborhood, currently houses Head Start, an after-school tutoring program, and a Senior Nutrition program. This year, the Center has been under renovation (much of this work provided by volunteer "craftsmen") and in the fall will also offer programs in the arts, life skills, social services, and public health.
Bonnie Brown, the Center's Executive Director, formed a medical advisory group to assess the particular needs of the community. In developing a framework for this health program, the group relied on "Medical Need" questionnaires distributed through local churches, census data, data provided by local health care professionals and social services organizations, and information gathered through discussions with local residents and volunteers. After reviewing all this data and the Center's budget, mission, goals, etc., the advisory group recommended that the Center establish a relationship with a Parish Nurse Program based out of Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte. This program helps promote a holistic approach to health and emphasizes the importance of the "interrelationship" between spirit, body, and mind. The Parish Nurse will be supported by the local "faith community" (a coalition of local churches) and will serve as health educator, health counselor, referral source, and facilitator, but it will take several months for us to determine the actual needs of the community and the best application of the Parish Nurse's skills and resources.
The Center will be hosting a road race and open house in mid-September to celebrate this revitalization. Lanny Smith suggested we also conduct a health fair. You are all invited to attend. I would be happy to share more details about the Center's health program, and welcome any suggestions or recommendations you might have about how we can recruit volunteers with medical training, and solicit donations of diagnostic equipment and other needed supplies. You can contact me at: P.O. Box 1971, Davidson, NC, 28036, 704-896-2648, FJHague@aol.com.
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