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Maddie – an African-American woman living with her family in New Hanover County – is part of the American middle-class.

In this episode, I’m talking to Terri Everett, a Wilmington resident and write-in candidate for the 7th Congressional District. Before retiring to the Cape Fear, she worked in the intelligence community.

On this episode, we’re talking to Audrey Hart, director of the New Hanover Disaster Coalition, a collaborative group of faith communities, non-profit organizations, businesses and governmental agencies working toward long term hurricane recovery and disaster preparedness.

On this episode, we’re talking to Kemp Burdette, the Cape Fear River Keeper. We talk about how the pandemic is impacting the river, how the byproducts of commercial farming is one of the biggest threats and how being out on the river gives Kemp some perspective on the pandemic.

In this episode of Community Voice we’re talking with Tracey and Girard Newkirk about the opening of Genesis Block.

On this episode, Maddie turns the tables and wonders why I haven’t talked to my kids about racism.

On this episode, we see the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery through Maddie’s eyes.

On this episode, we pulled census tract data and compared and contrasted what the numbers say and what Maddie saw on the ground.

On this episode, we check in on Maddie’s new normal, her first stop after getting her stimulus check and the things she took for granted when life was busy.

On this episode, we’re talking to Sarah Daniels with the Cape Fear Food Council. The council began in 2016 as an informal collaboration between Wilmington organizations and community members but has grown into having a regional approach to food systems particularly in Southeastern North Carolina’s rural counties. In this episode, we talk about food insecurity, how the food system is impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and what kinds of societal changes Daniels’ anticipates after the crisis is over.

In this episode, we’re talking to Sean Bynum, operations director for StepUp Wilmington, a nonprofit helping folks find jobs and build skills to create a vibrant workforce. We talk about how the pandemic is impacting their work, how essential jobs are some of the lowest paid and with the least benefits and how StepUp is preparing for the end of the pandemic and future disasters.

Maddie – an African-American woman living with her family in New Hanover County – is part of the American middle-class. But, as we talk, you’ll hear the reality of her every day from just making rent to overcoming systemic racism. The hope is these conversations will entertain and inform and give you another perspective to consider when you look at our community.

Maddie – an African-American woman living with her family in New Hanover County – is part of the American middle-class. But, as we talk, you’ll hear the reality of her every day from just making rent to overcoming systemic racism. The hope is these conversations will entertain and inform and give you another perspective to consider when you look at our community.

This episode is mostly about “getting by.” We talk about why Maddie decided to move her family from Wilmington to the county, affordable housing and how she stretches a buck.

Maddie – an African-American woman living with her family in New Hanover County – is part of the American middle-class. But, as we talk, you’ll hear the reality of her every day from just making rent to overcoming systemic racism. The hope is these conversations will entertain and inform and give you another perspective to consider when you look at our community.

On this episode of Community Voice we’re talking with Natalie English President & CEO of the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce on how the business community is coping with Governor Cooper’s stay at home order. As you know, many businesses have had to respond with layoffs while still others are ramping up services in response to the pandemic, including food suppliers, manufacturing, and distribution and logistics among others.

On this episode of Community Voice we’re talking with Stefanie Adams. Stefanie is a member of the Board of Education which is in the middle of their search for the next superintendent of New Hanover County Schools. The Board is partnering with the NC School Boards Association on the search and requesting community feedback. We talk about traits considered important in the next leader of NHCS.

In this episode, we’re talking to New Hanover Commissioner Woody White and Dr. Paul Kamitsuka, chief epidemiologist at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. We start with Commissioner White. We talk about his concerns about the impact of the broad social distancing restrictions, how his criticism is being received by the community and how the pandemic is influencing the ongoing debate of the sale of the hospital. Next, we talk with Dr. Kamitsuka, who gives us a rundown on how the hospital is prepared for the pandemic, when we might see the peak and why he feels social distancing has helped the community.

On this episode, we’re talking to Tommy Taylor, interim CEO of the United Way of the Cape Fear Area. We jump right into conversation starting with the United Way’s 211 data and the importance of capturing it. Then we talk about how the United Way is positioning itself to help with the recovery after the pandemic.

One this episode, we check in again with Dr. Robert J. Sherertz, an infectious disease expert who is working right now as a teaching physician at a hospital in Myrtle Beach. We talk about how the coronavirus is impacting New York and what that means for the rest of the country, his assessment of COVID-19 cases in North Carolina and South Carolina and how the virus is impacting our marginalized populations. We also get his prognosis for the state and what he anticipates life will be like when the pandemic is over.

In this episode, we’re talking to Katrina Knight, director of the Good Shepherd Center and then Tony McEwen, assistant to the Wilmington city manager for legislative affairs, about a $100,000 fund to pay for housing in local hotels for the most vulnerable of the city’s homeless population. The City of Wilmington, New Hanover County, the United Way and Live Oak Bank and nCino contributed. New Hanover Regional Medical Center’s Dr. Philip Brown said the program would have a “positive effect on social distancing efforts” in the community.

On this episode, we’re talking to Elizabeth Cooper, Director of Hispanic ministries at Christ Community Church. For season one listeners, you’ll remember she was part of the team that started the community health clinic at the church. On this episode, we check in with her to talk about how Christ Community Church is helping the Hispanic community weather the COVID-19 crisis.

This is a community voice. My name is Kevin Maurer, director of community engagement for the Cape Fear Collective. On this episode, we’re talking to Evan Folds. He is a Supervisor with the New Hanover Soil & Water Conservation District. He is also consulting on the Northside Grocery project. We talk about the north side grocery, urban farming and quite honestly the importance of food.

On this episode, we check back in with Joe Conway, Director of Health Equity and Human Experience at New Hanover Regional Medical Center, to talk about the community’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, lessons learned after Hurricane Florence including how to get food to folks who need it and what our recovery looks like through the lens of equity.

On this episode, we’re talking to Dr. Robert J. Sherertz, an infectious disease doctor, about COVID-19, the U.S. response and the data that we all should watch as we try and understand this crisis. We recorded this interview Tuesday moments after the White House coronavirus response coordinator recommended anyone who has left New York City recently should self-quarantine for 14 days.

On this episode, we’re talking to David Beauregard, access and advocacy coordinator at the Disability Resource Center. David was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident in 1976 when he was 20 years old. On this episode, we talk about his work at the center, but more importantly we get a chance to see the world from a wheelchair. David is a great storyteller and it was an eye-opening conversation for me.

On this episode, we’re talking to Audrey Hart, director of the New Hanover Disaster Coalition, a collaborative group of faith communities, non-profit organizations, businesses and governmental agencies working toward long term disaster preparedness. We recorded this interview Monday to talk about the latest on the corona virus in New Hanover County. We’ll try and update as necessary.

On this episode, we’re talking about housing. Shelter ranks right at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. But in Wilmington – like in many places in the nation – finding affordable housing is difficult, if not impossible.

On this episode, we’re talking to Tommy Taylor, interim CEO of the United Way of the Cape Fear Area.The United Way of the Cape Fear Area’s mission is to work with the community to leverage resources and improve the lives of local people. We talked to Tommy about Wilmington’s workforce, the lasting impact of Hurricane Florence and adequate funding for nonprofits.

In our second part, we spent a cold and rainy Thursday morning riding Wave’s 101 with Sean Bynum from StepUp, Clark Henry, an urban planning consultant and a board member of the Cape Fear Economic Council. We picked the 101 because it has the highest ridership.

On this episode, we’re talking to Frankie Roberts, executive director of Leading Into New Communities or LINC. His organization helps people getting out of prison re-enter society. Frankie is one of our leading nonprofit and community leaders. I never pass up a chance to chat with him.

Last fall, a majority of the county commissioners voted to end New Hanover’s direct financial support for Wave, which operates vans, buses and shuttles in New Hanover County and northern Brunswick County. Then in February, county and city officials took over the Wave board to evaluate and potentially restructure the financially struggling public transit agency.

On this episode, we’re talking with Anne Jones and Dan Gonzalez the co-founders of District C. District C is preparing the next generation of talent by providing students with real-work learning experiences. We recorded this episode in Raleigh after Wilmington’s own Sean Bynum and Kevin Maurer completed the District C Coaching Institute. Cape Fear Collective is partnering with District C to bring this model to New Hanover and surrounding counties.

New Hanover County’s unemployment rate hovers around 3 percent – slightly lower than the state rate of 3.7 percent and way down from 11 percent in 2010. Adam Jones, regional economist at the University of North Carolina Wilmington’s Swain Center presented the region’s economic forecast last month and said over the past decade, the region has created more than 30,000 jobs and reduced unemployment by 6.9%

On this episode, we’re talking to Althea Johnson, chief executive officer of MedNorth Health Center. MedNorth is Wilmington’s only federally qualified health center. I recorded this in December and we talk about access to healthcare and some of the issues facing the clinic and how they’re overcoming them.

On this episode, we’re talking to Audrey Hart, director of the New Hanover Disaster Coalition, a collaborative group of faith communities, non-profit organizations, businesses and governmental agencies working toward long term hurricane recovery and disaster preparedness. We recorded this interview after the coalition’s February meeting. Audrey and I talk about the coalition’s work, the state of our community post Hurricane Florence and how her organization is preparing for future disasters.

On this episode, we’re talking to Jane Morrow, executive director of Smart Start of New Hanover County. Smart Start is the county’s local early childhood initiative, designed to ensure that every child in North Carolina will arrive at school healthy and ready to succeed. On this episode, we talk about the importance of early childhood care and Smart Start’s 7th Annual First 2000 Days Community Summit Feb. 17. For more information, check out Smart Start’s website.

On this episode of Community Voice, we talked to David Zucchino about his book Wilmington’s Lie, why he took on the story of the 1898 coup and massacre in Wilmington and what the story means in our current political climate. We recorded this interview the day before his standing room only event at the New Hanover County Library in January 2020.

On this episode, we’re talking about health care or to be more specific the importance of preventive care. We’re going to take you to a clinic at Christ Community Church that is trying to close the gap between those with access to care and those who struggle to get it. A quick note to our listeners, English is a second language to some of the folks we talk to for this podcast, so you’ll hear them give an answer in Spanish and then it will fade into a translation.

More than 16,000 residents of Wilmington live in food deserts. And the impact is not just unappetizing meals. Food insecurity leads to a host of health issues ranging from diabetes to gout. In New Hanover County, 6.8 percent or 13,220 adults over 20 years old suffer from diabetes. Those are just the diagnosed cases. Actual numbers are likely higher.

As our community moves towards a collective impact model to address social progress across the Cape Fear region, it is critical that we establish a common language and build awareness around the deep disparities that exist within our population. On our first episode, we sit down with Cape Fear Collective CEO Patrick Brien to discuss collective impact, his work in Africa and how it influences his approach to problems in the Cape Fear and his vision for the Cape Fear Collective.