Every day, millions of people in our communities face an impossible situation. They’re stuck in a gap—unable to afford health insurance but also not qualifying for federal assistance. It’s a harsh reality, leaving many with nowhere to turn when they need care the most.

In Cabarrus County, North Carolina, the Community Free Clinic is stepping up to fill that gap. Led by Laura Lyerly, the clinic provides not only vital healthcare services but also a data-driven approach to understanding and meeting client needs.

In today’s episode, Laura shares how her team supports those who fall through the cracks, tracks their impact with data, and builds meaningful partnerships to amplify their work.

Skip Ahead:

(00:37) What is a typical patient at the Community Free Clinic and how do the barriers they face reflect larger systemic issues in healthcare.

(03:35) What are the less visible challenges—beyond cost—that prevent people from seeking care.

(10:14) How does the Community Free Clinic use data to understand the health care needs of their community.

(13:24) How does the clinic evaluate its success.

(19:28) What successes has Laura found in building partnerships that create a continuum of care across all healthcare services.

(21:50) What policy changes would Laura like to see to better support their patients.

In a quiet Irish town in 1985, coal merchant Bill Furlong faces a life-altering choice: maintain the status quo or risk everything to do what’s right.

This is the heart of Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These, a novella that feels like it was written for anyone who’s ever faced an ethical dilemma in their work or life.

In this holiday episode, you’ll hear the quiet but powerful lessons this story holds for nonprofit leaders like you. Whether you’re fighting for funding, advocating for change, or simply trying to show up every day for your community, you’ve likely felt the tension between doing what’s easy and doing what’s necessary.

Skip Ahead:

(02:01) What a coal merchant in 1980s Ireland has to teach us about courage, compassion, and standing up to injustice

(04:19) How do the quiet, often overlooked moments in nonprofit and public sector work mirror acts of bravery in Small Things Like These

(06:28) What ripple effects could your smallest, most courageous actions have in the year ahead

Resources Mentioned:

• Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

  
  

Housing has become a silent crisis that's reshaping lives across America, with each rising rent bill and rejected application chipping away at people's sense of stability and hope.

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Jeffrey Smythe, executive director of the Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI), to explore a different approach to rental assistance.

Jeff explains his innovative technology solution that's changing how people access housing support, the critical connection between housing and health, and how nonprofits can build strong partnerships to tackle this challenge.

Getting housing right is fundamental to improving health outcomes and supporting community well-being.

You’ll Hear:

(02:35)  How housing instability traps families in cycles of poverty and hardship

(05:30) What is unique about housing instability in the Atlanta metro area

(08:39) What is ARCHI and how it supports rent, mortgage, and utility relief

(13:05) What was the process like for creating ARCHI, and what did it take to build the necessary partnerships across organizations to share data

(16:59) How ARCHI tracks whether someone has been served after a referral is made

(18:36) What led 18 members to say ‘yes’ to joining ARCHI

(21:43) How housing instability and homelessness are connected to negative health outcomes

(25:20) Some examples in Atlanta where the conversation around housing is integrated into the client-provider relationship, using terms like a “prescription” for housing assistance

Connect with Jeff Smythe and learn more about ARCHI.