Community Contact

Contact with the Central and East Durham communities developed through initial contact with assigned preceptors Lloyd Schmeidler, Director of St. Philip's Community Kitchen, and Janna Harton of Durham Health Partners in September 2000. Each of the preceptors agreed to work with one community diagnosis team to facilitate the work and experience of students in the community. Lloyd Schmeidler worked primarily with the East Durham AOCD team, while Janna Harton assisted the Central Durham AOCD team.

Initially, each team familiarized themselves with the Central and East Durham communities by participating in a combination of walking and driving tours of the area with preceptors. Each team member took field notes during the tours. After the tour, each team debriefed key points addressed in individual field notes and provided the preceptors with a summary of the notes and discussion.

The teams continued informal contact with the community through participation in various community events from October 2000 through March 2001. While the Central Durham AOCD team focused on neighborhood summits, community presentations, and various government meetings, the East Durham AOCD team focused on events and activities geared towards homeless community members. Several members of both teams went to breakfast and lunch at St. Philip's Community Kitchen, periodically visited the Shelter for Hope, and attended various church services in the area. During all community outreach efforts, all team members made extra effort to introduce themselves, explain the teams' presence in the community, and gather contact information of potential key informants.

Method: IRB Application and Approval

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Secondary Data Collection