About 10.9% of North Carolina’s population, including 17% of children, experienced food insecurity in 2021 (Feeding America 2022). All North Carolina counties are affected by food insecurity, with rates generally higher in rural than urban or suburban areas.

North Carolina ranked as the 30th healthiest state in the nation in 2022. It ranked 38th in health behaviors, 30th in health outcomes, 22nd in socioeconomic factors, and 9th in physical environment (air and water quality, housing, transit).

North Carolina ranks in the top 10 states in the U.S. for the number of people 65 and older. Aging population issues include increasing healthcare costs, inadequate mental healthcare, social isolation, ageism, elder abuse, inequitable access to resources, the need for affordable and accessible housing and transportation, burdens on family caregivers, and caregiving workforce needs.

North Carolina Pandemic Recovery Regional Focus-Group Report Community Leaders shared perspectives, contributing to the state’s continued recovery from COVID-19 Regional and Statewide insights from North Carolina Pandemic Recovery Focus-Groups are now available! Findings from regional focus group sessions and expert … Read more

Effective social capital can be seen in everyday activities that build connections among people, from someone opening a door for a stranger to bringing a community together to solving a complex issue. Public service leaders must apply this knowledge of social capital to help build strong communities, grow trust, and establish a better future for all.

The Boy Scouts of America, through its current work and through the methods identified here, can make a meaningful difference in improving civic engagement and economic mobility in the United States through the development of social capital among participants. This organization and others can play an important role in strengthening America’s social fabric and building connections among an increasingly fractured population.

Network analysis reveals gaps via network density and fragmentation metrics and key actors via degree centrality and betweenness centrality metrics. This information can better inform public administrators on how to disseminate information about public health resources and services through after-school staff.

Utilizing social capital presents an innovative strategy for reigniting theater engagement, emphasizing a crucial question: Who constitutes our audience, and what entices their return?

  Mental health is a challenge for the criminal justice system. Watch this ncIMPACT town hall to learn more about solutions that are working to promote wellbeing for those impacted by the justice system.

As people age, they often experience life changes that affect their mental health. Rates of anxiety, depression, and isolation among older adults especially increased during the pandemic. Learn how North Carolina organizations are bringing resources to build connection and resilience … Read more