ABOUT CAROL WOTRING:
Carol has served as Executive Director of the Manchester Community Resource Center for three years, bringing over 35 years of experience in community-based human services to the role. Her connection to CRC began in 2022 when she searched for "food pantries near me" to donate extra produce from her garden. When she first saw the pantry, she fell in love with the mission and knew she wanted to be a part of it, so she started volunteering in the office.
A licensed social worker with a background in mental health, Carol previously held positions at organizations including Lenawee Community Mental Health Authority and Arbor Hospice.
She has lived in Bridgewater Township for nearly 30 years, where she and her husband Glenn raised their son Jesse.
RESOURCES:
Manchester Community Resource Center (Manchester CRC)
TRANSCRIPTION:
David Fair: With the cost of living increasing, the number of people experiencing food, housing, and transportation insecurity--it's all going up. I'm David Fair, and welcome to Washtenaw United. This is our weekly exploration of equity and opportunity in our community. For those in need, there are resources available. But in many instances, people simply don't know where to find them. That has certainly been an issue at the Manchester Community Resource Center. It's been serving that part of Washtenaw County for over 35 years, yet there are all too many who don't know it's there to help. Carol Wotring has been the executive director of the Resource Center since 2022. And thanks for making time for us today, Carol! I appreciate it!
Carol Wotring: Thank you, David, for having me!
David Fair: We might not be having this conversation today, if not for a situation back in 2022. We're post-pandemic at that point, and in your home garden, you grew too many cucumbers. How did that result in you ultimately becoming executive director of the Manchester Community Resource Center?
Carol Wotring: Oh, I love that you're starting with that story because it is my story! Actually, I wasn't working or employed at all during that 2022. I took time off from another job because I needed to take care of my own mental health during that year. And so, gardening...my husband is the gardener, but we had way too many vegetables, and I didn't want to see them go to waste.
David Fair: Of course!
Carol Wotring: So, I Googled "food pantries near me," and I live in Bridgewater Township, which is in Washtenaw County, but I wasn't aware of a food pantry near me. I knew of the ones in Lenawee County, but I Googled "food panties near me," and seven miles from my home is this Manchester Community Resource Center. So, I went and I took my cucumbers there, and I immediately just fell in love with the place. It's set up as a little grocery store, and people come in to shop. I knew I wanted to be a part of it. So, I started volunteering. I wasn't working at the time, so I had time to do that. And just by happenstance, the previous director was retiring that year. And the stars aligned, and I was able to take on the director job. And I didn't start until January of 2023.
David Fair: I'm so glad that you didn't feel like making and jarring your own pickles.
Carol Wotring: Yeah, right. I tried that. And, yeah, it's tedious.
David Fair: Well, when you arrived at the Resource Center, you did so with a full resume. You had worked with the Lenawee Community Mental Health Authority, as well as Arbor Hospice. So, you were certainly no stranger to the work of a service organization. How did those experiences inform how you're leading the Manchester Community Resource Center now?
Carol Wotring: Yeah. So, I've had a lot of experience with people. My background in mental health and hospice care taught me that people's immediate needs is just the first step. It's about building relationships and understanding the whole person. So, combined with that, with living within this rural community for more than three decades, I understand the professional side of human services and the lived reality of what our neighbors face.
David Fair: So, it's interesting. I mentioned in the introduction that there are a lot of folks who don't know that this is a resource center available to help. What are the scope of services that you provide?
Carol Wotring: Yeah. So, the Community Resource Center is a basic safety net for western Washtenaw County. The Community Resource Center serves Manchester and the four surrounding townships of Bridgewater, Freedom, Sharon and Manchester Township. So, we do that by providing direct assistance through our food pantry, grocery delivery and emergency financial support to prevent things like evictions and utility shutoffs. We have a weekend kids meal that ensures that our children who may experience food insecurity on the weekends, don't go without. We also provide a lot of just information referral services, linking our rural community members to things like health care or insurance housing assistance that they may not know otherwise how to access.
David Fair: You are listening to Washtenaw United on 89.1 WEMU, and we're talking with Manchester Community Resource Center Executive Director Carol Wotring. And, Carol, I don't need to tell you the cost of living is up, health care costs are up, the cost of housing and transportation up. In most areas, need and demand outweigh available services. How are you dealing with that at the Resource Center?
Carol Wotring: So, you're right. There has been a tremendous increase in demand in especially the food pantry. For my first two years that I was there, our pantry visits were up over 40% both years, and we are on track to have another increase for 2025. We haven't done the complete numbers yet, but definitely trending up. In November, when we experienced the government shutdown and the threats to the SNAP benefits, we had 91 visits, which is the highest that we've ever had in a month period. But on top of that, we've also had a tremendous outpouring of community support. So, our food donations went up, our monetary donations up, and people were coming out and asking how they could help by volunteering. So, we've been able to meet the need this year.
David Fair: You have said, "We measure our success one household at a time." What exactly do you mean by that?
Carol Wotring: Yeah. So, each family that comes to us comes with different needs. And so, we get to know each individual and each family. People in our rural area sometimes don't want to share everything that's going on in their lives. So, they come to us with a particular need, and we do what we can to meet that need. Usually, it's food. But it doesn't end there. We want people to feel welcomed in our environment. And as we get to know them and develop that relationship with them, they begin to trust us more. And as that happens, we are often able to identify other needs that we might be able to help them with. Our whole goal is to get people to that stability, so they don't have to come to us in crisis. You know, we may be there for one or two visits for a family, or we may there for years. And so, we want to be that safety net, so that people can turn to us in need but also use us as the way to keep their household stable.
David Fair: Once again, you are listening to our Washtenaw United conversation with Carol Wotring on 89.1 WEMU. Carol is the executive director of the Manchester Community Resource Center. Pride and shame can be powerful barriers to people reaching out for a hand-up at their lowest point. How do you go about helping people pass those sentiments and emotions to get to a better place and that sense of stability and security?
Carol Wotring: Yeah, there is a lot of stigma and shame when using a food pantry. And so, the way that we address that really is meeting people where they're at. And we're not going to ask a bunch of questions right off the bat. People can give us a fake name if they want to. We know that they need to get to know us first. And in rural communities as well, there's kind of resilience is a value. And so, it's hard to ask for help. So, whatever we can do to have people feel comfortable with coming to us, confidentiality is very important to us as well. So, we're going to not share people's information. When people come in to shop, they shop one family at a time. So, they get that privacy, and they can choose the items that they want. That's how we're going to hopefully reassure people that they are respected, and it's okay to reach out for help.
David Fair: How will the Manchester Community Resource Center continue to evolve moving forward to meet the ever-evolving needs of the community?
Carol Wotring: Well, we want to be part of the community for another 35 or more years. So, we're going to be responsive to our community. We want to be involved. We have a number of connections with local community resources, things like our library or our Lions Club--we are going to part of that. So, we also take a survey of our pantry users--people that come in to visit us--to know what their needs are. And so, we're going to be responsive to those needs. That's important to us. We are there in emergency situations. So, if things happen, I know when I first started, we had a major ice storm, and people's power was off. And during that time, we were a source for emergency food for folks who didn't have any electricity at the time. And we can be responsive to those kinds of events as well.
David Fair: I hope that, through the course of our conversation, more people are familiar with the services available to them in the area. And thank you for making time and sharing some of the story of the Resource Center, Carol! I really appreciate it!
Carol Wotring: I appreciate you, and I appreciate United Way! They are very supportive of our program as well and have provided us with a generous grant, so that we can continue to provide these services. And thank you for letting me talk, so people will know that we are out here in western Washtenaw County and available.
David Fair: That is Carol Wotring. She is executive director of the Manchester Community Resource Center and has been our guest on Washtenaw United. For more information on the Resource Center and to connect, stop by our website at WEMU.org, and we'll get you linked up everywhere you need to go. Washtenaw United is produced in partnership with the United Way for Southeast Michigan, and you hear it every Monday. I'm David Fair, and this is your community NPR station, 89.1 WEMU-FM, Ypsilanti.
WEMU has partnered with the United Way for Southeastern Michigan to explore the people, organizations, and institutions creating opportunity and equity in our area. And, as part of this ongoing series, you’ll also hear from the people benefiting and growing from the investments being made in the areas of our community where there are gaps in available services. It is a community voice. It is 'Washtenaw United.'
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