United Way of
Cumberland County

Honesty, Integrity, Compassion, Diversity, and Social Responsibility...

These are the foundations for a values-based leadership program called The Shelton Challenge. It is a one-week summer program for rising high school freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors that have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

These students were put through a curriculum that included Leadership Roles and Accountability, Team Building, Public Speaking, Goal Setting, Integrity as a Leader, and many more.

Better Life. Better Community. Better Health.

Better Health of Cumberland County is an amazing nonprofit organization; their mission is to “provide for the unmet health needs of low-income Cumberland County residents through assistance, referral, and education.” They impact our community through health care services that can benefit everyone.

Better Health is not a hospital; they are a type of emergency agency.  They also do not provide treatment, only monitoring and education. They are always willing to help people in need, and they help those to get set up for the future. Better Health monitors people’s weight, BMI, blood pressure, vision screening, glucose levels, etc.

Better Health was founded in 1958 because people saw the need in their community; people were leaving hospitals with prescriptions for medications that they could not afford.  Better Health Foundation was formed to help the uninsured and undeserved populace.

Better Health educates Cumberland County residents on different types of health issues and preventative measures.  Judith of Better Health said that people literally KILL themselves with their lifestyles, but it is never too late to start improving that lifestyle. The Eat Smart, Move More program is a fun program that teaches interested parties about the importance of eating healthy and physical activity. This program is booked by churches and other civic groups for free!

In 1977, Better Health expanded further with their Diabetes Education, and it continues to expand today. This program educates anyone with diabetes and family members on how to improve the health of diabetics. Better Health also offers a Low-Impact Diabetic Exercise Program to encourage diabetics to stay active and stay healthy.


Better Health provides uninsured and underinsured Cumberland County residents with medicals supplies like diabetes strips, liquid nutrition products, and adult diapers. The Medical Equipment Loan Program is a loan program for people in need of medical equipment like wheelchairs, walkers, shower benches, nebulizers, bedside commodes, etc.

Better Health is dedicated to Cumberland County’s health; Better Health is LIVING UNITED!

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to meet with another partner agency. The name of that agency is Myrover-Reese Fellowship Homes and talk about a peaceful environment nestled beautifully in a wooded area surrounded by flowers. It is quite the vision!

I had the pleasure of having the Manager of the Women's home, Angela, show me around the homes and the scenic property. She taught me just what Myrover-Reese Fellowship Homes stands for and it's true mission. Then at the end of the tour I had the pleasure of meeting with Terri Rose, the Certified Substance Abuse Counselor. I met with her to learn more about the screening process for new residents, the 6 month treatment sessions, the self-help groups, and more.

Myrover-Reese Fellowship Homes is a non-profit organization that provides structured residential living for people in need of help due to an addiction to alcohol or other drugs.

They operate three halfway homes and those homes are a safe haven for the people that reach out and want to live a sober life. Myrover-Reese are there to help. They are the light at the end of the tunnel for many.
 
Pat Reese Home, Ashton Lilly Home, and Myrover-Reese Fellowship Home are the three homes that have helped hundreds of people and made an impact in their lives for the better. Then there is their newest addition, The Friendship Hall. That is a meeting place that brings a since of community and helps residents radiate strength, knowledge, and hope.

The Pat Reese is home to 10 males at a time and 2 staff rooms. That home includes a gathering area and a dining hall. That is where the male residents eat breakfast and lunch together. The Ashton Lilly is home to 10 females at a time and also 2 additional staff rooms. A dining hall and gathering area is present where they also have breakfast and lunch together. Then for dinner, the males and all the staffers join each other in the Ashton Lilly home to eat as a family. That is a very special time where they can bond together and regroup as a community.

Another very special hobby of the residents at Myrover-Reese Fellowship is planting flowers in a greenhouse and then selling what they have grown to the public. Talk about a beautiful sight! They grow just about anything you can imagine, and they are always adding new flowers.

 

This is a therapeutic activity where the residents can plant something from a seed, then nurture it and watch it grow. They feel proud of themselves after they see their hardwork pay off.

I know that in my hustle and bustle of a busy life, if I relax and plant some flowers, everything seems to disappear from my mind and all my worries are melted away. I believe that must be true for the residents of Myrover-Reese Fellowship.

There is a quote that really explains it all and it's by Leo F. Buscaglia, "The fact that I can plant a seed and it becomes a flower, share a bit of knowledge and it becomes another's, smile at someone and receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises".



Also, for over a year they have operated a thrift store that is open to the public. They are accepting donations that can be dropped off at 1989 Wilmington Hwy or you can simply call for a pickup at 910-486-8718.

They are always in need of donations for the thrift store. Some of the items they are seeking are as followed; appliances, furniture, antiques and collectibles, baby items, toys, bikes, dishes, bath towels, and much more.

You can also help support this wonderful partner agency by purchasing some of their plants, vegetables, and herbs at the Fayetteville Farmers Market on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

This agency started from nothing and became what they are today. They have helped hundreds of people out of the kindness of their hearts. We are proud to have them as a partner agency and are happy to LIVE UNITED!

To find out more about Myrover-Reese Fellowship Homes, check out their Facebook page and website!

Providing Help. Creating Hope. : Brindando Ayuda. Creando Esperanza. Catholic Charities has gone bilingual!

Catholic Charities is an organization that is dedicated to helping all people of all walks of life. There are seven regional offices of the Diocese of Raleigh, NC, and the Fayetteville region is privileged to have one of our very own. All of their programs are available to any individual and family regardless of their race, creed, religion, or ability to pay.

The Catholic Charities provides abundant valuable programs: Emergency Assistance, Case Management, Counseling, and Hispanic Outreach. There are fees for some of the programs; they accept insurance and Medicaid as well as personal payment. The endearing fact is that they never turn people away if they cannot pay. They work with what you have or don’t have!

 The counseling services that Catholic Charities provides help people along life’s paths and through challenging times. They have licensed mental health therapists always willing to listen and be there for anyone. There are different types of counseling they provide including mental health, marriage, grief, and pregnancy counseling. These are all designed to help individuals, groups, families, and/or couples to deal with the obstacles of life.