Larry Larusso, Andretti Brown, Trevor Rathje, Amy Boaz, Catie Ball, and Maddi Walsleben spent time serving at UMWCLarry Larusso, Andretti Brown, Trevor Rathje, Amy Boaz, Catie Ball, and Maddi Walsleben spent time serving at UMWCLarry Larusso, Andretti Brown, Trevor Rathje, Amy Boaz, Catie Ball, and Maddi Walsleben spent time serving at UMWCLarry Larusso, Andretti Brown, Trevor Rathje, Amy Boaz, Catie Ball, and Maddi Walsleben spent time serving at UMWCSix JMPers started off their Thursday morning at Urban Ministries of Wake County (UMWC), not quite knowing what to expect. When we arrived, they noticed a long line of people wrapped around the building, waiting to get access to their food pantry. There, we met with Cameren, the volunteer outreach specialist, who gave them an impressive tour of UMWC. It didn’t take long to realize just how much was offered.
From a fully stocked free pharmacy to free health care, UMWC provides access to specialty doctors like a dermatologist, an Ear, Nose, and Throat doctor, and even a podiatrist. These doctors are all volunteers, and many medical students, including aspiring medical students, volunteer or intern with UMWC. Their health care services reach more than 900 people, all without any cost to those receiving care. It’s an incredible resource for individuals without health insurance, and one that clearly makes a tangible difference in the community.
But their offerings don’t stop there. Their food pantry program sees lines out the door every morning. Each family receives a bag filled with food for the day or the next couple of days, and they can come back at any time for more. Cameren shared that they also have a program where families can go into their “store” and pick out food themselves. That sense of freedom is so important. Not having autonomy in choosing what you eat can be mentally challenging, and this small but meaningful approach helps individuals and families struggling with food insecurity restore dignity and control.
UMWC is fortunate to receive food donations through partnerships and external donors, but it also grows about 10,000 pounds of produce annually through its community gardens. Their main community garden is run by an ENT doctor in his 80s who still volunteers daily. Another powerful example of how deeply rooted their commitment to serving others truly is.
They also offer shelter for women in need at a nearby location. As the list of services grew throughout the tour, I can speak for all of us when I say we were genuinely impressed.
The team toured the facility, learning what UMWC offers to the community, then spent time helping create digital deliverables for UMWC marketing efforts.The team toured the facility, learning what UMWC offers to the community, then spent time helping create digital deliverables for UMWC marketing efforts.The team toured the facility, learning what UMWC offers to the community, then spent time helping create digital deliverables for UMWC marketing efforts.The team toured the facility, learning what UMWC offers to the community, then spent time helping create digital deliverables for UMWC marketing efforts.Recently, UMWC experienced a leadership change, with its executive director stepping down. Their new VP of Philanthropy needed help communicating this transition to donors and volunteers, so we worked together to draft an email that was clear and professional.
They’ve also run into an unfortunate challenge. They lost access to their Instagram account, which had built a following of more than 2,000 people. Since they likely won’t regain access, they’ll need to start from scratch. Our team helped create a few templates to get them going again, including a volunteer spotlight, a staff spotlight, and an “About Us” post.
In addition, our team edited their external newsletter template, took headshots of all employees, and captured photos of the building and its surroundings to support their marketing efforts. We also gathered a solid library of b-roll footage for their social channels. Cameren mentioned she’s comfortable with video editing, so we’re excited to see staff interviews, volunteer stories, and the footage we captured come to life soon.
UMWC wasn’t on any of our radars before that morning, but it certainly is now. They are an incredible organization with an abundance of offerings, all rooted in care and community.
We showed up ready to help UMWC, but in the end, we were the ones who walked away with more than we expected.
Wow - thank you for highlighting this wonderful organization - I had no idea!
