The Crown Legacy Network

Leaving a legacy of good health

Legacy Network (CLN) is a collaborative initiative established with comprehensive services to address the unmet needs of communities of color specifically and disenfranchised communities generally, throughout Mecklenburg and surrounding counties. The CLN membership is comprised of five community based, minority owned and operated 501 c3 non-profit agencies; Bradley-Reid Corporation, Health Equity Inc, Project Health Beat Inc, Innovative Community Resources and Homecare for the Carolinas. This collaboration creates a network of community-based service providers capable of providing comprehensive health and wellness intervention services.

Bertha Allen

Health Equity Inc. established in 2002 to address health disparities throughout Mecklenburg County through health education programs, awareness campaigns and empowerment focused client-centered objectives. She was founded by Theresa Elder, retired public health nurse and current community advocate, and operates under the supervision of Bertha. Bertha holds a Master of Science in Health Promotion and is a Certified Health Education Specialist, an HIV/AIDS pre and post test counselor, Guardian Ad Litem Volunteer and US Navy Veteran. She successfully enlisted 10 local churches to adopt tobacco-free church grounds. She collaborated with Durham, NC based Center for Health and Healing (an affiliate of the NC Greater General Baptist Association) on this youth focused project to address youth exposure to second hand smoke. The Tobacco Free Environments Project was funded by the NC Health and Wellness Trust.

Ann C. White

In 2009, Ann founded of Project Healthbeat Inc. (PHB). Out of the desire for and compassion to provide on-going communicable disease prevention education, PHB was established to address the great divide in health disparities; specifically communicable and chronic disease through aggressive education efforts. After years of working in communities of color to combat disproportionately alarming rates of HIV infection, syphilis, tuberculosis, hepatitis, and other sexually transmitted disease, Ann realized that the most effective strategy to address this issue and wok to reduce communicable disease rates and prevalence was to organize efforts around outreach education and prevention programs. Ann's efforts and hard work has led to a steady decrease in the overall number of new preventable infections, which in turn deceases the rate of disease increase.

Loretta Tillman

Loretta is the founder of Innovative Community Resources NC Inc (ICR) which is a non-profit 501 c3 corporation located in Charlotte, NC. ICR was established to empower individuals with essential resources that allow them to reenter society with confidence and a desire to succeed. "Our mission is to provide services and resources in an integrated and innovative service delivery system that will promote and improve the mental, physical and behavioral health by assisting them in removing negative barriers that interfere with self-sufficiency." ICR provides professional disability representation services, organizational representative payee services and community based treatment to low-income individuals, veterans, severe and persistently mentally ill (SPMI), and co-occurring disorders. ICR's professional disability representation services have been successful in obtaining disability benefits at all levels of the disability process (initial, reconsideration, and hearing).

SOAR services include disability representation, organizational representative payee service, and community based outpatient treatment. ICR provides SSI/SSDI, Outreach, Access & Recovery (SOAR) services. (SOAR) is an evidence-based method used to assist chronically homeless clients with the disability application process. The focus of SOAR model is to provide assistance to the homeless individuals and/or at risk of becoming homeless in obtaining Social Security Administration disability benefits in an expedited manner. Based on the SOAR model, all individuals are eligible to receive this service if the criteria for acceptable is met.

ICR has been instrumental in reducing incidences of homelessness through collaboration with landlords, long-term motels and hotels in securing housing placement and case management services.

Tamara Neely

In 2006, Tamara founded Home Care for the Carolinas and the R.I.S.E. Project. She is a RN/Medical Technologist and a real estate broker. The mission of the RISE project is to effectively enable individuals, families and communities within the Carolinas to use all available mainstream services that address challenging health, housing, employment and educational condition by providing appropriate support and direct services. The organization' multifaceted approach to services is non-judgmental regardless of race religion, age, economics, and sexual orientation. Neely Realty and Home Care for the Carolinas serves disabled adults/children with personal care services/non-medical home care and Medical Case Management.

Angela Morrow

Angela Morrow is a graduate of North Carolina A&T State University. She received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She is a children author, and the Executive Director of A Healthier Youth. Since there are a limited number of available programs that provide fitness and nutrition classes, Angela decided to create fun programs specifically designed to get kids moving. For fifteen years, Angela has volunteered to work with children in various settings: summer day camp programs, day cares, youth outreach programs and as children ministry leader. Through education, AHY programs are designed to improve individual quality of life through health and wellness classes, seminars, fitness classes, and cooking classes. The outcome of our program is to create healthy eating habits and lifestyles; that unhealthy habit never starts.