Meet Neighborhood Coordinator Jeanne Arnts

Now retired, Jeanne Arnts spent many years working as a clinical social worker, with a focus on child protection issues. 

“I have been to people’s homes,” she says. “I know how desperate circumstances can be for families. Not having beds for children. Children sleeping on floors.” 

Once, she delivered a birthday cake to a family, as part of her work with a support group that helped vulnerable mothers and children. The mother asked: “Can I keep the plate?” 

“It really brings home how people struggle to make ends meet,” Jeanne says.

Since 2011, Jeanne has served as the Neighborhood Coordinator for the Falls of New Hope neighborhood, located off Mount Sinai Road. 

“I know from working in child maltreatment that stress is a major problem for both abuse and neglect,” she says. “By helping to relieve stress over food insecurity, we are not only helping the family, but we’re building a stronger community. Those kids who get abused and neglected are needing more help in schools. They are more likely to be involved in the juvenile justice system … So many societal ills are related to struggling families and poverty.” 

More than 125 Neighborhood Coordinators organize monthly food collections for a neighborhood or street. They are responsible for spreading the word about the designated day for the monthly food drives, picking up donations from nearby porches, and getting the non-perishable bags of food to a central location.

Jeanne emails her neighbors – about 100 of them – each month to offer an update about pickup dates and to specify PORCH’s non-perishable needs for a given time period. About a dozen of her neighbors donate non-perishable groceries every month. Another 10 or so make a financial contribution.  

Jeanne tries to make it as easy as possible for folks to give. She will pick up from their porch. They can drop items off on her porch. One neighbor who gives a significant amount each month texts Jeanne when she gets home from the store, so that the many bags can be directly transferred from her car to Jeanne’s. 

“It’s very rewarding to participate in a volunteer activity that engages many members of your community,” says Jeanne, who has lived in her home for 30 years. “There are people living here who I wouldn’t have known otherwise, were it not for my work with PORCH.” 

If Jeanne ever needs a month off from her PORCH duties, due to travel or another conflict, other neighbors are eager to step in. 

“There are so many people who would love to have my volunteer job,” she says. 

Her husband, Robert, also pitches in as needed. 

Along with her work for PORCH, Jeanne is a master gardener in Durham County and an Orange County Beekeeper, helping to educate others about pollinators. She is also a member of the New Hope Bird Alliance Bird Friendly Habitat Team. 

We are currently seeking Neighborhood Coordinators in communities all around Chapel Hill and Carrboro. If your neighborhood doesn’t have a Neighborhood Coordinator, would you or someone you know want to help fill this role? This is a great leadership opportunity for students! Prospective NCs can reach out to us at chc@porchcommunities.org. You can pass along the link to our Neighborhood Coordinator information page, which gets into the nuts and bolts of what NCs do; it includes this very handy video.