Healthy Insights from Healthy Learners

Thursday, February 07, 2013

Tags: Healthy Learners , Outreach

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Healthy Learners continues to make great progress in connecting South Carolina children to care so that poor health is not an obstacle to doing well in school. In school year 2011-2012, Healthy Learners provided 4,963 vision, dental and other health-related services, and traveled nearly 110,000 miles to provide access to health care for 1,758 children in five program areas across the state. Read the complete report card (Measuring Our Impact) on page two of the Healthy Insights from Healthy Learners newsletter to find out more.

As part of that work, Healthy Learners is making a difference in the lives of 12-year-old Aleesha and 11-year-old Shemer. Their story, which also appears in the newsletter, is below.

A Better Environment
Wanting a better life for his grandchildren, Reverend Samuel Greene moved Aleesha, 12, and Shemer, 11, from their crime-ridden neighborhood in Delaware to his home in Georgetown, South Carolina, in 2011. As the head pastor of a small congregation, the Bread of Life Outreach Ministry in Georgetown, Rev. Greene is pulled in many directions making hospital and nursing home visits, running a food pantry in a nearby city, and running a congregation. With a limited income, a job that he can’t take time off from and no other transportation options, Rev. Greene had a difficult time getting his grandchildren to medical appointments.

He learned about Healthy Learners through his grandchildren’s school. For more than a year, Healthy Learners has driven Aleesha and Shemer to dental appointments and Aleesha to her monthly medical appointments at the Georgetown Health Group.

“Healthy Learners does an excellent job transporting my grandchildren to their medical appointments and also encouraging them to be good, healthy learners. Before, I had to take time off or cancel their appointments when I couldn’t take time off. It was a difficult situation,” said Rev. Greene.

The move to South Carolina and the additional support Aleesha and Shemer receive from Healthy Learners and others has made a big difference in their lives. Rev. Greene said both are doing much better in school, making the honor roll the past two years. “They are in a much better situation here. They have more peace of mind and can focus on school and other good things,” he said.

In speaking about Healthy Learners, Rev. Greene added, “God bless you and keep up the good work.”

Healthy Learners is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System.

Healthy Learners Winter 2013 Newsletter (E).pdf (427.37 kb)