A community hub for health and wellness
2026 Civic Hub grantee
The mountains of far western North Carolina hold a deep well of cultural heritage, from Cherokee and Appalachian traditions to generations of farming families and time-honored knowledge of plants and healing. More recently, Latine families have added new threads of language and cultural traditions. Yet systemic barriers continue to limit access to good health. Community health organization Vecinos works to break down those barriers by increasing access, availability, and use of health and wellness services.
A Civic Hub for local action
Every county Vecinos serves is a primary care shortage area, with chronic disease rates far exceeding state averages and thousands of residents uninsured. Through comprehensive programming, Vecinos expands healthcare access and addresses the social factors that shape health and well-being.
Vecinos brings care and partner services together under one roof at its Community Health Hub, while bilingual Community Health Workers build relationships with residents in homes, farms, and workplaces across the region. Through multi-county emergency preparedness initiatives, Vecinos connects residents and planning partners to strengthen regional resilience.
“Being a Civic Hub means recognizing that our neighbors already have the knowledge and leadership this region needs. Our job is to create spaces where a farmworker, a county emergency manager, and a nurse can sit at the same table—because when people work on something practical together, differences stop being barriers and start being assets.”
—Vecinos (2026 Civic Hub grantee)
Community impact in practice
As lead agency for a multi-county emergency preparedness and resilience initiative, Vecinos has strengthened partnerships among residents, community organizations, and planning teams—bringing together groups that rely on one another during crises but rarely have opportunities to collaborate.
At the same time, Community Health Workers, clinic staff, and therapists help neighbors build practical skills in digital literacy, nutrition, exercise, stress management, chronic disease management, and disaster preparedness while connecting them to essential resources and care.
The opportunities ahead
Trust funding will support the Vecinos vision of a community hub where people across far western North Carolina can access no-barrier services and resources, learn together, share experiences, and engage in constructive dialogue.
Photos courtesy of Vecinos.