July Volunteer Spotlight: Jamie Stokley

Jamie began volunteering with NPAF earlier this year and serves as a stakeholder advisor on one of PAF’s grant projects. Jamie has a strong passion for helping people in need.  She runs her own non-profit called Helping Harvest Foundation, Inc. and advocates for people who are medically-at-risk, disabled and limited-resourced populations and their families in the Cape Fear area. Learn more below about Jamie and her advocacy.

Describe the advocacy work that you’re doing in your community and what motivated you to start.

As the owner of Helping Harvest Foundation Inc, we advocate for the medically-at-risk aging and disabled populations and their families in the Cape Fear Region. We provide necessary resources and support services to receive and deliver quality home care. Searching for resources online is what led me to NPAF’s webpage. I instantly knew you all had a passion for advocacy and serving disabled communities. The resources were unlimited, and each webinar and zoom call has been very welcoming and informative. The organization’s voice and the powerful stories fellow advocates shared, motivated me to volunteer for NPAF. Being an advocate isn’t easy, and finding a foundation that shares the same interest and passion for advocacy as me was jaw-dropping. Sharing the same interest, which is, helping others is our gift. Serving others is our passion and advocating for patients and caregivers is what we do.

What advice would you give to other volunteers who would like to do something similar?

I would advise other volunteers to get involved! Promote NPAF and their advocacy and have fun doing it! Network throughout your community and share resources with different audiences. I would also recommend hosting educational workshops, support the fantastic grassroots campaigns, and consider partnerships right in your communities.

Since you’ve been a volunteer with NPAF, what are some of the things you are most proud of?

I am incredibly proud to have shared my story with my Senator’s office about why financial and social needs navigation is essential to the people I’ve been serving in North Carolina. Being a voice for North Carolinians and corresponding with congress on behalf of my community will help address the needs here of many people here. I’m also proud to have supported the Be A Hero, Make A Plan campaign. I have taken NPAF’s Care Planning Guide to people here in my community, and the feedback I’ve received has been phenomenal. This resource has helped many families that we serve. Finally, through NPAF, I’m super proud to support their sister organization, Patient Advocate Foundation (PAF) on a grant project “Paving a Pathway to Engage Underserved Populations in Research,” as part of their stakeholder advisory group. This project focuses on identifying gaps within research engagement for underserved patients and caregivers and I am excited to continue supporting this project in improving research engagement within these communities.

Jamie Stokley is a NPAF volunteer and resident of North Carolina.