Core Community Organized Relief Effort

SHELTER AND SETTLEMENTS AND WASH ACTIVITIES IN RESPONSE TO THE 2021 HAITI EARTHQUAKE

THIS AWARD WILL PROVIDE FINANCIAL SUPPORT TO CORE FOR A PROGRAM ENTITLED, “FOOD, WASH, AND AGRICULTURE ASSISTANCE TO PROMOTE FOOD SECURITY OUTCOMES AND PREVENT THE SPREAD OF CHOLERA IN NIPPES DEPARTMENT” IN HAITI. THE GOAL IS TO RESPOND TO THE URGENT FOOD SECURITY AND WATER NEEDS OF COMMUNITIES ACROSS FIVE COMMUNES IN NIPPES, HAITI THROUGH FOOD ASSISTANCE AND IMPROVING ACCESS TO SAFE WATER. SIMULTANEOUSLY, TO BUILD COMMUNITY RESILIENCE THROUGH ENHANCING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION CAPACITY, LABOR OPPORTUNITIES, SUPPORTING MITIGATION OF CHOLERA, AND IMPROVING INTER-DEPARTMENTAL TRAVEL BETWEEN GRAND’ANSE AND SUD DEPARTMENTS. THE TOTAL NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES THAT WILL BE SUPPORTED UNDER THIS AWARD IS 156,241 INDIVIDUALS.

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

FOREIGN ASSISTANCE: FACILITATING AID, RECOVERY AND EMERGENCY SHELTER

RURAL COMMUNITIES OPIOID RESPONSE PROGRAM-IMPACT - CORE COMMUNITY ORGANIZED RELIEF EFFORT REQUESTS FUNDING THROUGH HRSA’S RURAL COMMUNITIES OPIOID RESPONSE PROGRAM-IMPACT TO IMPLEMENT CONNECT (COMMUNITY OPIOID NETWORK FOR NAVIGATION, EDUCATION, COORDINATION, AND TREATMENT) IN ROBESON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, A RURAL COUNTY OF 117,365 RESIDENTS FACING ONE OF THE HIGHEST OVERDOSE RATES IN THE STATE, DRIVEN PRIMARILY BY FENTANYL. ROBESON COUNTY ALSO FACES HIGH RATES OF POVERTY, UNINSURANCE, AND UNEMPLOYMENT, ALONGSIDE A SHORTAGE OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. THE COUNTY IS HOME TO THE LUMBEE TRIBE, THE LARGEST NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITY EAST OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, AND CONNECT WILL PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE NEEDS OF NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES, AS WELL AS JUSTICE-INVOLVED INDIVIDUALS AND PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WHO FACE ADDITIONAL BARRIERS TO STABILITY AND TREATMENT. CONNECT WILL ADDRESS THE OPIOID AND SUBSTANCE USE CRISIS THROUGH FOUR COORDINATED GOALS: EXPANDING PREVENTION, TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SERVICES; STRENGTHENING SUPPORTIVE SERVICES LIKE TRANSPORTATION AND HOUSING; BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE LOCAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE; AND CREATING A COORDINATED, MULTI-SECTOR NETWORK OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO ENSURE SERVICES CONTINUE FEDERAL FUNDING ENDS. DIRECT SERVICES WILL INCLUDE: COMMUNITY-BASED PREVENTION PROGRAMMING, INCLUDING OVERDOSE RESPONSE AND NALOXONE TRAININGS AND STIGMA REDUCING WORKSHOPS; SUD TREATMENT, INCLUDING MEDICATION FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER (MOUD) DELIVERED VIA A TREATMENT CLINIC REACHING UNDERSERVED, RURAL PARTS OF THE COUNTY; AND RECOVERY SUPPORT, INCLUDING CASE MANAGEMENT CONNECTING INDIVIDUALS TO TREATMENT, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, BENEFITS, AND PEER RECOVERY SUPPORT, ALONGSIDE TRANSITIONAL RECOVERY HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, EMPLOYMENT AND CAREER SERVICES, AND A SMALL GRANTS PROGRAM SUPPORTING STUDENTS PURSUING CAREERS IN COMMUNITY HEALTH, PEER SUPPORT, AND ADDICTION TREATMENT FIELDS. CONNECT WILL BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGH A FORMAL NETWORK OF ROBESON COUNTY PARTNERS: CORE, A NONPROFIT PROVIDING CASE MANAGEMENT, PREVENTION WORKSHOPS AND COORDINATION, ROBESON HEALTH CARE CORPORATION (RHCC), A NONPROFIT FQHC OFFERING MOUD AND TRANSITIONAL RECOVERY HOUSING FOR WOMEN AND CHILDREN; SOUTHEASTERN LIFE CENTER, PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION, HOUSING AND MEAL SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS IN TREATMENT; SOUTHEASTERN INTEGRATED CARE, DELIVERING MOUD AND CLINICAL SERVICES VIA MOBILE CLINIC; THE LUMBEE TRIBE OF NORTH CAROLINA, SUPPORTING VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION FOR TRIBE MEMBERS WITH SUD; THE LUMBEE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION, PROVIDING WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL SERVICES; AND ROBESON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, PROVIDING TRAINING SPACE AND SMALL GRANTS FOR STUDENTS IN PREVENTION AND TREATMENT-RELATED FIELDS. THE NETWORK WILL OPERATE UNDER SHARED GOVERNANCE, JOINT DECISION-MAKING, REGULAR MEETINGS, AND A DEDICATED COORDINATOR RESPONSIBLE FOR FACILITATING COLLABORATION, TRACKING PROGRESS, AND CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. THIS PROJECT BUILDS ON RELATIONSHIPS CORE HAS DEVELOPED WITHIN ROBESON COUNTY SINCE 2018 AND COMMUNITY-BASED OPIOID RESPONSE PROGRAMMING IT HAS LED SINCE 2023, GROUNDED IN DIRECT ENGAGEMENT WITH RESIDENTS, INCLUDING PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERIENCE OF SUBSTANCE USE AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. OVER A FOUR-YEAR PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE, CONNECT WILL WORK TO REDUCE OPIOID OVERDOSES, EXPAND ACCESS TO TREATMENT AND RECOVERY SUPPORT, GROW A SUSTAINABLE LOCAL BEHAVIORAL HEALTH WORKFORCE, AND BUILD A LASTING, COMMUNITY-LED SYSTEM OF CARE TO SUSTAIN PROGRESS AGAINST THE OPIOID AND SUBSTANCE USE CRISIS IN ROBESON COUNTY.

HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE

PREVENTING ADDICTION, VAPING AND E-SUBSTANCES IN ROBESON YOUTH (PAVE) - CORE PLANS TO IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM FOCUSED ON IMPROVING THE HEALTH OF YOUNG WOMEN AND YOUNG MEN (YOUTH) LIVING AT-RISK AND AFFECTED BY OPIOID AND E-SUBSTANCES MISUSE BY IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH-RESPONSIVE PROGRAMS IN ROBESON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. OUR PROGRAM WILL FOCUS ON EDUCATING YOUTH AGES 12-18 ACROSS ALL POPULATIONS WITHIN THE COUNTY. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, A HOLISTIC EFFORT OF DIRECT YOUTH ENGAGEMENT, EDUCATION AND PARTNERSHIP WITH KEY CBOS, ROBESON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THE LUMBEE TRIBE WILL BE USED. PAVE WILL IMPROVE HEALTH OF YOUTH LIVING AT-RISK AND AFFECTED BY SUBSTANCE MISUSE OF OPIOIDS AND E-SUBSTANCES BY IMPLEMENTING AN EVIDENCE-BASED YOUTH-RESPONSIVE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM AND COMMUNITY EDUCATION INITIATIVE. IT WILL PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING SERVICES: BUILD AND LAUNCH A STRUCTURED AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM AT FOUR SCHOOLS IN ROBESON COUNTY, ENGAGING 96 STUDENTS IN FACILITATED STORY CIRCLES TO DISCUSS SUBSTANCE MISUSE, DEVELOP DECISION-MAKING SKILLS, AND BUILD PEER SUPPORT NETWORKS. DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN EDUCATION AND AWARENESS CAMPAIGN INFORMED BY YOUTH ADVISORY GROUPS TO ENSURE MESSAGING IS CULTURALLY RELEVANT AND IMPACTFUL. FACILITATE COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH THROUGH PRESENTATIONS, TABLING EVENTS AND DISCUSSIONS AT HIGH-ATTENDANCE LOCAL EVENTS (E.G. COUNTY FAIR, UNC PEMBROKE DAY, LUMBEE HOMECOMING). TRAIN SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS AND COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATION LEADERS ON YOUTH-RESPONSIVE SUBSTANCE MISUSE PREVENTION STRATEGIES AND MOTIVATIONAL INTERVIEWING TECHNIQUES TO FOSTER ONGOING SUPPORT.

WASH

RURAL COMMUNITIES OPIOID RESPONSE PROGRAM-OVERDOSE RESPONSE

LOCAL COMMUNITY-BASED WORKFORCE TO INCREASE COVID-19 VACCINE ACCESS