Being receptive to an offer of professional help with community resources can make all the difference in the complex life of a young woman.
Just ask JC Whitaker.
Her last year of high school was grueling. It was 2020, there was a pandemic, she lost several classmates to violence, she was trying to manage her social anxiety, there were problems at home and she became a local hospital patient for a week because she was talking about going so far as causing self- harm.
The youngest of three children, Whitaker met her now ex-husband at the end of 2020 and had a C-section delivery of a baby girl identified with autism spectrum disorder. “I love her so much,” Whitaker said.
Diagnosed with diabetes and bursitis, she found herself struggling with finances, food and evictions in Vermilion County. “There were times I wouldn’t eat just so my daughter could eat.”
Then she received a call from Carle Health Community Health Worker Services in Vermilion County. Launched by Carle Health in 2024 through Community Health Initiatives, the services consist of a team of community health workers who act as a bridge to vital healthcare services, community organizations and local agencies. As part of Carle’s Community Health Worker Services, each worker meets individuals where they are in life by conducting home visits and recommending resources and solutions to help clients overcome obstacles and improve their mental and physical well-being.
Whitaker knew transportation was a roadblock for her financially. “When they said they could help me out with transportation, I said ‘yes.’”
The kind of support Whitaker received is an example of the community outreach that resulted in Carle
Health being named Community Health Worker Employer of the Year by the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA). Community Health Worker Services in Vermilion County received a plaque for Carle Health on Sept. 11 at the Illinois Public Health Workforce Conference. The IPHA is the oldest public health agency in the state, created in 1940 with a focus on health equity and wellbeing.
Kathryn Wimmer became Whitaker’s community health worker, offering advice and resource connections. “Working with Kathryn helped me with my social anxiety and I conquered my hesitation of using public buses.”
Wimmer also connected Whitaker to anxiety support and food bank locations. “She found a lot of resources for me and now I am saving for my own car and getting my daughter ready for pre-school,” Whitaker said. Having worked in the Danville High School office as a student and later at the local library, Whitaker is now a manager of a local fast-food restaurant.
“I fully believe my life would be very different without meeting Kathryn,” Whitaker said.
Wimmer said, “JC is the type of person who keeps trying even if she hears the word ‘no.’ She focused on making her life better. We are providing the education that can help her in the future.”
Whitaker said she continues to grow and no longer experiences panic attacks at work. “Even my mom says I behave differently.”
Community Health Worker Services in Vermilion County is part of the Vermilion County Collaborative which receives grant funding from the Illinois Department of Health and Family Services.
To learn more about community health workers in Vermilion County, go to Carle.org/chw.
Categories: Culture of Quality, Community
Tags: community health initiatives, , community health workers, Danville, Vermilion County