Stories of Authentic Partnerships
At UNC Rural, we couldn’t exist without our partners – the rural community members and Carolina faculty, staff and students that are committed to making the Tar Heel state the best place to live, work, and play. We listen to and learn from these partners so we can center their voices in each conversation and communication.
Whole Together Robeson Helps Rural Mothers and Children
“We know that one of the best ways to support children is to support their care providers. We have evidence showing that when mothers receive the support and the resources they need to be healthy, their children fare much better. That’s critical to the goal of having healthy people and communities and that’s why this work is important… Health inequities hurt us all. When children are automatically disadvantaged due to poverty, place or discrimination, it doesn’t just hurt them, their families, and their communities. It hurts everyone because we’re limiting their potential.”
Sarah E. “Betsy” Bledsoe
Building Strong Rural Community-Campus Partnership
“Before we start to talk about how we want to resolve the problems that exist in many of the communities, it is important to understand the history of those communities. Then once we understand those, to develop trusted and authentic relationships with those communities before you start to do work in those communities… Those rural communities bring many rich assets to the table and understanding the value of them before we start to talk about creating partnerships is very important.”
Angella Dunston
Suicide Prevention: A Call to Action for NC’s Rural Communities
The unfortunate reality is clear: mental health is a severe problem that reaches every corner of North Carolina. The state’s rural communities are no exception with a suicide rate 1.2 times higher than their urban counterparts. Dr. Jada L. Brooks and Adam Sotak, MSW, wrote an article for Carolina Across 100 and the UNC Suicide Prevention Institute’s initiative, Our State, Our Wellbeing: Partnering to Prevent Suicide in NC.
"We’ve already started the process of planning next year’s Tyrrell Country trip. The Tar Heel Bus Tour grant we received last year was a tremendous support for our trip and allowed us to work with our community partners to provide resources and education we would have otherwise not been possible.”
2022 THBT Project Team Member
“North Carolina is my home, my hands and feet are grounded in the rich soil and red clay my family cultivated over many years. I am honored to further nurture and cultivate connections in the state I love.”
Gail Currin Fallon UNC Rural Program Manager and School of Nursing Research Project Manager
Impact
Partnerships
Resources
Future
Serving rural North Carolina by connecting communities with UNC-CH partners and resources.
UNC Rural
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
333 South Columbia Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7240
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill