Easterseals Porthealth

Partnering with Easterseals Port Health in Wilmington was truly inspiring and so much fun. We were able to highlight so many of the amazing people and programs that are a part of Easterseals Port Health there, “We have intentionally created a culture that the leverages unique strengths, perspectives and viewpoints of our workforce, which can and will advance our just cause, while building a healthy, sustainable organization. That’s why we listen, seek to understand and act to make our organization a safe place for individuals to be their authentic selves.” Their mission is “to help people with disabilities, mental health and/or substance use challenges, their families, and our employees embrace their potential, access opportunities, build resilience and thrive.”

Special shout out to the amazing people that welcomed me in to help them share the stories of the great work they do! I loved partnering and am exited to continue to help them tell stories of their impact in the Raleigh area.

Laurie Neverdeen of Easterseals Port Health shared after our time together, “Roxanne really captured the passion, learning, support and fun that goes into our human services agency. I love so many, of the pictures, it will be hard to choose. She took her time to really understand the work we do and how to show that through the camera lens. I highly recommend hiring Roxanne as she is creative, flexible and easy to work with. Her carefulness to ensure the subject is comfortable and willing throughout the session sets her apart from other photographers. She graciously split the edited picture galleries into separate photo sessions so that each group who was present could review the pics and decide whether they approve them without other program teams viewing them. This took an extra step and more time but again, she recognizes how anyone, especially vulnerable populations who deserve to feel like they have control over how images are shared.“

If your organization is in need of ethical storytelling reach out and let’s connect!

We spent the afternoon with the Empower program and had a blast with tie dye, music, and play time together.

We celebrated Maxwell’s high school graduation and during one of his mentor Caleb home visits.

We also met Benji and his mentor Ryan who meet together often as a part of Easterseals Port Health Autism Program. They love basketball and recently Benji has taken up surfing too so we had to celebrate him!

We also headed to their program Culinary Connections at the Wilmington Arboretum with Taylor and the leader Stephanie. This program focuses on inclusion and creating spaces where people feel welcome and wanted and build skills for independent living. This group is also group therapy in a kitchen setting and offer people an opportunity to socialize and build confidence in life skills. We highlighted the many unique and accessible kitchen tools they use! The connection between these women was clear and Stephanie shared, “ my client has become family.”