ABOVE: STEPUP’s Linda Darby-Dowers and Neighborhood Care Center’s Cody Monkman during Friday morning’s meeting at Second Church of Christ.
Friday morning’s (July 17th) STEPUP meeting at Second Church of Christ was a chance to introduce Neighborhood Care Center to those in attendance. This neighbors helping neighbors networking operation began in DwWitt County in Clinton in 2018. Later, they started a second office to service rural McLean County in Heyworth.
As Linda Darby-Dowers explained at the meeting; once she found out about Neighborhood Care Center’s efforts to get people in need to those who can help them, she could not wait to tell STEPUP’s Deanna Witzel about it. Darby-Dowers pointed out that major STEPUP goals of helping with substance use disorders, mental health assistance, and family and parenting needs; would be under one roof.
And now, Neighborhood Care Center plans to open an office in the Danville Riverfront Towne Center in January of 2027. Molly Goodwin has been hired as operations director. They will be open twice weekly; with various local agencies and non-profits having a physical presence on site. Neighborhood Care Center Network Director Cody Monkman was at Friday morning’s meeting. He says the idea is, when an individual or family needs help, sometimes having not needed it before; Neighborhood Care Center can be their starting point for economic support services; whatever their troubles might be.
AUDIO: High medical bills, loss of a job; maybe they’ve never been unemployed before in their life. If we can make a centralized hub, with difference making agencies, and hold the hands of families; that’s where we have seen transformation.
Grey Taylor (first picture) and Deanna Witzel (third picture) welcome everyone at Friday morning’s STEPUP meeting.
Monkman says at their Clinton and Heyworth locations, those who have received guidance from Neighborhood Care Center often stay involved to help others.
AUDIO: They meet agencies, they become friends. An
d then, the next thing you know, when they stop by the care center; and actually it has nothing to do with them and their family; they’re actually coming to get resources to help somebody else.
Monkman says Neighborhood Care Center’s philosophy is “Small is Big.” He says there are no income requirement for their services because they don’t seek government assistance nor nationwide assistance. It’s all built on local connections, and a small staff doing big things.
AUDIO: The bigger you go, the more money you need; the slower you can move. And if you’re really going to function like a network, small is key. INVITE MORE PEOPLE IN. So even though we are structured very small, we’ve connected with over 2,00 families. And between the two current locations, we have a volunteer mission partner staff of 150.
Monkman estimated that last year, with an annual budget of just over $200,000; the value of what they produced for those who approached them was over $2,000,000 worth.
