THIS STORY IS PRESENTED IN PART BY DRAKE DENTISTRY

Lucette Mercer, deputy director of Green Rural Redevelopment, Inc. (GRRO), appeared on WIZS Town Talk Wednesday at 11 a.m.

Mercer discussed the recent news that GRRO has hired 25 health workers to serve communities in Vance, Granville, Franklin, Warren, Nash, Pitt, Halifax and Wake Counties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residing in the areas they are serving, Mercer explained that these health workers serve as a liaison between health and social organizations in the community, connecting people to the resources and services they need.

GRRO, a non-profit organization, has focused on providing access to healthy food and meals to people in the Kerr-Tar region. Their recent initiative, “Wellness on Wheels,” provided area youth with free healthy meals over the summer.

“GRRO has been known for our farmers market, food, produce, garden and farming activities,” said Mercer. “This time, we’ve really put our sights on combating the impact that COVID-19 has had in our communities.”

Working with local county health departments, the trained health workers assist families and individuals with coordinating referrals and service delivery. In addition, workers can help those diagnosed with COVID-19, those asked to quarantine due to a possible exposure or those at high risk of complications from the virus get food, groceries and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), among other items.

“Workers can help residents quarantine with the support they need to do so successfully and not have to go out in the community during their two-week quarantine period,” Mercer explained.

Henry Crews, the executive director of GRRO, noted in a recent press release, “We saw the devastation that the pandemic has brought to our community, and we used our organizational flexibility to expand our programming and grow our team to reach the ever-increasing numbers of rural residents who have been impacted by the Coronavirus.”

In partnership with Curamericas Global, Duke Family Medicine & Community Health and the North Carolina Department of Health & Human Services, GRRO has joined a statewide network of agencies providing outreach services. These efforts are made possible by Federal funding from The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

For additional information, please call (252) 430-7999 or visit www.grronc.org.

To hear the interview in its entirety, go to WIZS.com and click on Town Talk.