Wilkes FaithHealth mobilizes the caring strengths of congregations to improve health and bring hope to our neighbors who are ill. We're part of FaithHealthNC, a statewide movement bringing together individuals, congregations, community partners and health care providers to improve health.

Could you provide comfort and practical help to someone who is ill?

No one should have to face illness alone. FaithHealth pairs our neighbors who are ill with volunteers who provide comfort and practical help. These volunteers, known as Congregational Caregivers, are specially trained for their roles.

Here are some of the ways Congregational Caregivers can help:

• They provide spiritual and emotional support during and after hospitalization, chronic illness.
• They assist with transportation to medical visits, pharmacy, grocery store, etc.
• They place phone call reminders about follow-up care and medical appointments.
• They help the patient find resources to assure a safe, healthy home environment.
• They help the patient understand medical information, including care instructions and medication schedules.

If you have an interest in this meaningful volunteer role, we invite you to participate in a free, no obligation Congregational Caregiver training course. Join a training and you'll learn about compassionate care giving, patient privacy and the limits and boundaries of the volunteer caregiver role. No medical background is required. Click here to view our training schedule and register online.

Enlisting congregations and community partners in the movement 

We're currently recruiting congregations and community partners to join the FaithHealth movement. About a half dozen area congregations have already committed to support FaithHealth efforts within their churches, and more faith partners are currently being sought. Churches that partner with FaithHealth receive congregational and clergy benefits. Click here to find out more about how your congregation can benefit from partnering with FaithHealthNC.

Current area FaithHealth congregational partners include: 

• Antioch Baptist Church
• Benham Baptist Church
• Bethel Baptist Church of Ronda
• ​Brier Creek Baptist Church
• Cranberry Baptist Church
• Crossfire United Methodist Church
• Danners Chapel Church
• Dennyville Baptist Church
• Edgewood Baptist Church
• First Baptist Church of North Wilkesboro
• First Light Community Church
• Fishing Creek Arbor Baptist Church
• Grassy Knob Baptist Church
• Knobbs Baptist Church
• Little Rock Baptist Church
• Millers Creek United Methodist Church
• Mountain Valley Baptist Church
• Oak Grove Church
• Oakwoods Baptist Church
• Parks Grove Church
• Poplar Springs Church
• St. Paul's Episcopal Church
• Shiloh Baptist Church
• Thankful Baptist Church
• Union Baptist Church
• Victory Baptist Church
• Wilkesboro United Methodist Church 

Community partners include: 

• Appalachian District of the Western N.C. Conference of the United Methodist Church​
• Brier Creek Baptist Association
• Brushy Mountain Baptist Association
• Gentiva Health Services
• The Health Foundation Inc.
• Northwest Community Care
• SAFE
• Smoky Mountain LME/MCO
• Stone Mountain Baptist Association
• United Way of Wilkes County
• Wilkes County Health Department
• Wilkes Crisis Pregnancy Center
• Wilkes Ministry of H.O.P.E.
• Wilkes Regional Medical Center 

​
Support our work so we can help more people in need 

Your gift to FaithHealth will be used to assist with patient needs like prescriptions, medical co-pays, transportation expenses and other patient care needs.

Checks should be made payable to FaithHealth Innovations and mailed to Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, Medical Ctr. Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC 27157; Attn: Leland Kerr, FaithHealthNC.

---

Key FaithHealth principles

Congregational Caregivers are guided by four key principles in their volunteer work. Here's a look at the four principles, along with one-minute videos introducing each one.

The Right Door
Too often, we wind up at the health system’s wrong door—the Emergency Room. FaithHealthNC helps us to learn more about ourselves and the care we need—from preventive steps to proper medications. In that way, we begin to find the right door—such as seeing a primary care doctor or other provider.

The Right Time
Fear, confusion and finances often conspire to have us seek medical help at the wrong time—too late. Through FaithHealthNC, we learn about education and preventive care, and to recognize symptoms and issues so that we seek help earlier, with a supporting team behind us.

Ready to Be Treated
Without support, we frequently wind up in a crisis mode, unable to anticipate what providers need from us or so anxious that we can’t be treated. FaithHealthNC helps prepare us when we need medical help, everything from bringing medications to understanding financial options to being a calming presence.

Not Alone
When we begin a journey of health by ourselves, we are probably anxious, isolated and distrusting. FaithHealthNC gives us a network to rely on, someone to be with us—compassionate, competent, connected—so that are fears are eased and our journey more smooth.

Click to view the latest edition of the FaithHealth magazine