Neighbor News: August 2024

Back to School with NeighborHealth

In honor of back-to-school season, we sat down for a short interview with NeighborHealth’s pediatrician Dr. Penelope Bliss. NeighborHealth Center understands how important it is for children to receive high-quality pediatric care from a young age. We are committed to growing our pediatric services because we want every child to have the opportunity to live their happiest, healthiest life. 

“I am grateful I found NeighborHealth because it is exactly what I was searching for in my life. I also love the patients and families that we serve here. I am amazed by the fortitude and strength it takes for many of them to find us and come to us with the goal of achieving better health for themselves and their families. It’s wonderful to witness.”

Healthcare Corner: National Health Center Week

Earlier this month, we observed National Health Center Week to celebrate and increase awareness of America’s 1,400 Community Health Centers. This was an opportunity to highlight the commitment and passion of Community Health Center staff, board members, and supporters like you!

Did you know? Less than 10% of Community Health Centers are faith-based, like NeighborHealth. Being faith-centered makes NeighborHealth unique, and helps us stay on mission – serving Christ by loving our neighbors through healthcare – right here in Raleigh.

Community Health Centers serve as a beacon of strength, service, and care in our communities. This year’s National Health Center Week theme focused on empowering communities by connecting them with health centers. Learn more about National Health Center Week here. 

Faith Partner Highlight: Hayes Barton United Methodist Church

Hayes Barton United Methodist Church (HBUMC) has been busy volunteering with NeighborHealth! We worked with HBUMC on three separate events this summer, including a Clinic Refresh volunteer day and a backpack + food drive for our patients! 

We appreciate HBUMC’s generous support, volunteer hours, and growing partnership. If you or your group is interested in organizing a project with NeighborHealth Center, please email info@neighborhealthcenter.org to learn more.

Pictured: HBUMC volunteers at our Clinic Refresh event, and Lindsey Nugent (HBUMC Director of Outreach and Fellowship) delivering backpacks + food bags to NeighborHealth’s Care Coordinator Tori Horton.

Supporting NeighborHealth Center This Summer

August is national “Make a Will” month. All adults should have a will — it’s a powerful document that lets you distribute your property and protect your loved ones after you pass away. 

Have you considered including NeighborHealth Center in your estate plans? Naming NeighborHealth in your will or other planned gift benefits our organization, and the community we serve. Please contact Rich Kells if you have questions about joining the Legacy Society or if you have already made provision for NeighborHealth in your estate planning.

Fundraising update: our $100,000 summer campaign is almost complete! We are grateful for the many supporters who took advantage of this unique matching opportunity and helped us surpass our ambitious goal. We are also grateful for Board Chair Bruce Berger and all of our Board members who challenged us to join them in this important campaign. If you’d like to participate, you can still make a gift until the end of August. THANK YOU for supporting our work!

New Exam Room Tables in the Susanne Berger Clinic

NeighborHealth Center was awarded a $30,000 grant from The Cannon Foundation earlier this year to replace and upgrade the exam tables in 12 of our 29 exam rooms, including adding accessible powered tables as well as new pediatric tables for our young patients. 

We are excited to report that the new tables were installed in late July! We appreciate The Cannon Foundation’s generous support, and we are already putting these tables to good use serving our patients. Part of our mission is providing excellent health care for our patients: maintaining the quality and high standards of our clinic (including accessibility) is an important part of that work.

Pictured: NeighborHealth Center Medical Assistant Brendan Berkel helps install and prepare a new exam table for our patients.

Pray With NeighborHealth

NeighborHealth Center recently launched Pray with NeighborHealth, a monthly email in which we will share specific ways to join us in prayerful support of our work in our community. We are so grateful for friends and supporters who pray for NeighborHealth regularly, and we are encouraged by the opportunity to share specific prayer requests with you on the first Friday of every month.

If you’d like to join in praying for NeighborHealth, please email prayer@neighborhealthcenter.org.

Daily Protection: Celtic Prayer

“May the guiding hands of God be on my shoulders,
may the presence of the Holy Spirit be on my head,
may the sign of Christ be on my forehead,
may the voice of the Holy Spirit be in my ears,
may the smell of the Holy Spirit be in my nose,
may the sight of the company of heaven be in my eyes,
may the speech of the company of heaven be in my mouth,
may the work of the church of God be in my hands,
may the serving of God and my neighbor be in my feet,
may God make my heart his home,
and may I belong to God, my Father, completely.”

—Lorica of St. Fursa (Fursey), 7th Century