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Janice Buxton, director of community outreach Initiatives for the Guilford County Resource and Referral Center, outlines the two main dimensions of work for their year-old nonprofit organization.

The center offers enrichment and empowerment programs for adults and direct-care services.

One of the empowerment programs is Sisters Helping Sisters, which meets twice a month. Older women come together and talk about everything from health issues to forgiveness. A facilitator guides the conversation and afterward most of the participants stay for refreshments.

Buxton said older women sometimes feel disconnected, and Sisters Helping Sisters becomes an important time to learn and socialize.

Another aspect of community outreach focuses on helping nonprofit organizations by engaging nonprofit professionals in capacity-building activities.

The second main task of this nonprofit, beyond community outreach, is direct care.

The Guilford County Resource and Referral Center provides services using three distinct elements:

• The Community Support Team, which includes mental health and substance abuse rehabilitation services and support.
• Intensive In-Home Services, which center on family preservation with a focus on youth.
• Diagnostic assessment, which is client-centered, and face-to-face evaluation.

Buxton said that when someone calls or walks through their doors in Jamestown, their goal is to respond to the wide range of this person’s needs.

In one instance, a mother wanted to move her children and herself out of a crime-ridden neighborhood. The team helped relocate the family.

When this same woman wanted to go back to school, the team worked with her to see what would be the best next step to help her accomplish this goal. “Whatever they need, we try to help them,” Buxton explained. “If someone is looking for a job, we help them to do a resume and get on Job Link. If they have a troubled child, we can do an assessment and work with the whole family. We love serving families in whatever ways would be best for them so they can enjoy the quality of life we are all seeking.”

The Guilford County Resource and Referral Center was established in March 2009 by two graduate students in the nonprofit management program at High Point University.

Funding through the University’s Nonprofit Leadership Enhancement Program supported the startup of the organization.
The Guilford County Resource and Referral Center’s mission is to support individuals, families and communities by assisting them with enhancing their ability to overcome life challenges, benefit from opportunities and maintain their quality of life.

The Sisters Helping Sisters participants have gotten involved in community outreach. Not only have they talked and helped one another, but also they have started to make cards and crafts in order to take to nearby nursing homes.

“This overlap between our services is happening more and more ... and is great,” Buxton said.

Ruth D. Anderson is executive director of The Servant Leadership School of Greensboro and chairwoman of programming for the Guilford Nonprofit Consortium.