Monday Minute with Katrina Pratt Roebuck

How can nonprofits and public servants ensure that their communities can access adequate health and human services?

“I have a couple of thoughts and info that I want to share with you today. First- how can non-profits and public servants ensure that their communities can access adequate health and human services. I think this can be supported in a couple of ways – 1- Meet people where they are, post information on your services on all the social media platforms and cater your messages and placement of your messages on the platforms that people use, Second- see everyone as your partner in getting information into people’s hands – so that may be barber shops, beauty salons, recreation centers, supermarkets, bus stops and neighborhood schools- get your information posted in the places the people you serve frequent, third and probably the most importantly, ask the people they currently serve, what has worked in reaching them and what you can do to reach others.”

When it comes to Uplifme how are you reducing the effects of poverty, housing, and food insecurity for children and families?

“Uplifme seeks to do the same, meet people where they are by providing real time information, on available resources, in a consumable format for both people seeking resources and social service professionals seeking resources for the people they serve. By posting events such as job fairs, food giveaways, community resource fairs, diaper banks and formula giveaways, housing resources and many others, we are providing people with information that can help lift them out of poverty, meet their immediate health related social needs, and we hope to change the trajectory of their lives, by having accessed the information posted on the site.”

One tip for leaders in this space with as you enter into this week

“Seek unlikely collaborations.”

“Think about organizations doing similar work that you can partner with and multiply your reach. Think about partners that you’ve never considered before, that may be able to remove a barrier facilitate access to the resources your organization provides. It may be partnering with an organization that provides transportation so that people can receive food or clothing or other items that they would not normally be able to obtain. Or transportation to a work ready program – where the only barrier may have been the person getting there. So, I’d like to offer thought of collaborating to multiply your reach and your impact.”

From our Partners

Katrina Pratt Roebuck, is founder and CEO of Uplifme, is a online resource that shares information on resource events happening across the country that address health related social needs, also known as the social determinants of health. She is also the the host of Community Connections – Uplifting the work of the public and non-profit sector.