Often a lonely and isolating profession, farmers experience increased rates of anxiety and depression. Studies find farmers have a higher than average suicide rate when compared to the general population. One solution serving farmers struggling with mental health concerns helps them talk to people they do feel comfortable opening up to: other farmers. 

Chatham & Stanly Counties Small farms have problems dealing with crop loss and other issues related to extreme weather events such as flooding and droughts. A recent report predicts that increases in extreme precipitation are likely to increase inland flooding, … Continued

Beaufort, Hyde, Martin, Tyrrell, Washington & Wilkes Counties The opioid epidemic has impacted communities across the country. Substance use can be especially hard to combat in rural communities due to limited resources for prevention, treatment and recovery. Meet local leaders … Continued

Columbus & Lee Counties The COVID-19 pandemic has been full of uncertainty and stress. Children are among the most impacted with distance learning and isolation, and experts say there’s reason to believe traumatic stress for children is on the rise.

Buncombe & Forsyth Counties Nearly 90% of adults aged 65 and over want to stay in their current home and community as they age. However, experts say that there are many barriers that are preventing aging residents from aging in … Continued

What are cross-sector collaboratives? The short answer is that these collaboratives tackle challenges that are too complex for any single individual, organization, or even sector to solve alone. Sometimes referred to as “wicked problems,” addressing these challenges requires a wide range of expertise from diverse stakeholders working in the non-profit, for-profit, and government sectors. ncIMPACT Initiative specializes in bringing these stakeholders together.

  Cumberland, Hoke, Scotland, Richmond, Montgomery & Durham Counties Black mothers and babies are dying at disproportionate rates across the country. Numbers from the World Health Organization show that maternal mortality rates more than doubled in the US from 1990 … Continued

(Beaufort, Pitt & Sampson Counties) Farmers across North Carolina are facing a crisis of compounding issues that are threatening their mental health and that of their families. Farmers are among the most likely to die by suicide, compared to other … Continued

The Community Guide produced by the Opioid Response Project is available to assist communities interested in pursuing a similar process for addressing “wicked” problems using a collective impact model. While the Opioid Response Project is used as an example throughout this guide, the process, resources, worksheets, and lessons provided could be used to address any number of complex, inter-jurisdictional problems.

Focusing on social capital’s impact on job acquisition may reshape the current way nonprofits and local governments approach employment assistance. By refocusing the problem not just on how to connect job seekers and potential employers, organizations can instead look to build relationships that will open doors for employment today and in the future.