Meeting Notes 3/7/2019 and 2/7/2019

Meeting Notes 3/7/2019

On Thursday, March 7th, Barbara Thomas facilitated an Appreciative Inquiry into what would UNITY look like at its best. Barbara is Program Director at Dove’s Nest-Charlotte Rescue Mission. She is also a trainer for several local nonprofits as well as a counselor and ordained minister.

Themes for what success would look like included

• Meeting basic needs for clients at the center
• Passion for helping
• Seeking partnerships
• Operating in a unique capacity (mission)
• Opening doors as advocates to provide “warm transfers”
• Connecting to expand knowledge and client benefits.
• Personal and professional benefits would include
• Networking
• Understanding each other’s challenges
• Education

Organization benefits would be

• Better understanding and support of each other’s missions
• Collaborations
• Helping each other
• Expanding what each agency can do
• Being a resource for each other
• Share calendaring.

Client benefits would be:

• They are the expert
• Being directed towards targeted resources
• Better understanding of their needs
• Best use of resources without getting in the way of the client’s best path
• They are not alone.

Beginning next month, we will have 2-3 agencies give their “elevator speech” so that we understand each other a little better.

Meeting Notes 2/7/2019

UNITY has begun the process of discovering how to be more relevant in today’s nonprofit world. The goal is to make the one hour each month as valuable and meaningful as possible for the people in the room.

On Thursday, February 7th, Carol Hardison, CEO of Crisis Assistance Ministry, lead a discussion exploring how UNITY agencies are related to each other through the different services they provide, how services are accessed and how we try to make clients’ experiences as beneficial as possible.

Services include:

• Food
• Educational support
• Employment assistance
• Housing/Utilities
• Financial aid and counseling
• Addiction recovery.

Clients access agency services via:

• 211 or www.nc211.org
• Aunt Bertha.com
• DSS
• Medical providers
• Referrals from other agencies
• Coordinated assessment.

Our realizations were:

• We need to create safety nets within the Safety Net.
• Many, if not most, clients need wrap around services, not just food or housing.
• Agencies are each other’s best resources.
• Stable housing is key to clients’ sustained success.
• Clients benefit from our efficiency in making connections for them.
• Volunteer mentors can play an important role in making connections and increasing.
  social capital.