This week’s Hometown Heroes, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, are UNC first-year students and Morehead-Cain Scholars Andrea Cornel, Katy Waddell, and Molly Dorgan.

“Everyone got sent home and we weren’t really sure what to do with ourselves,” said Cornel. “So we came up with a way to provide COVID-19 relief to local homeless shelters.”

People experiencing homelessness are especially at risk for COVID-19 because they lack access to personal protective equipment (PPE) or good healthcare resources. Crowded shelters are also a major factor in the spread of the virus.

And so, the trio launched Heels for the Homeless — an initiative that has already developed several upcoming events to raise awareness and funds to provide PPE and other support to people experiencing homelessness. The first event is coming up later this month, a virtual 5k called the Great Mask Run.

“Basically you run a 5K on your own time, any time between October 26th and October 31st, you wear your spookiest mask, then you just have a lot of fun with that,” said Waddell.

While much of their work is centered in the Triangle, the trio of UNC students has also reached out and built connections with organizations elsewhere in North Carolina and beyond.

“Our main partner here is the Durham Rescue Mission,” said Waddell. “But we’re also working with students at Davidson College. And we also have connections in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We’re really trying to engage anyone in the UNC community, making sure everyone feels like they’re a part of something.”

To learn more about the initiative, visit heelsforthehomeless.com.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
5 Orange, Chatham County Students Receive Morehead-Cain Scholarships from UNC
UNC has announced the members of the Morehead-Cain Scholarship Class of 2028, who will enter school in the fall of 2024. The class includes 73 scholars from 24 counties in North Carolina, and five scholars are from either Orange or Chatham Counties. From Chatham, Elphie Spillman of Chatham Charter School in Siler City received the […]
76 New Morehead-Cain Scholars Named Including Durham, Orange County Students
The Morehead-Cain Foundation announced its Class of 2025 recipients of its scholarship on Wednesday, including two Orange County students and two Durham County students who will attend UNC on the prestigious scholarship. The foundation shared 76 incoming students who earned spots in the merit-based scholarship program, a class that includes rising first-years from 21 states, […]
Morehead-Cain Foundation Names Christopher Bradford as Next Executive Director
One of the most prestigious scholarship programs at UNC will be undergoing a change in leadership this year. The Morehead-Cain Foundation has announced that Christopher “Chris” Bradford will be assuming the role of the foundation’s executive director this summer. Bradford will be arriving in Chapel Hill with his wife, daughter, and 17 years of experience […]
Hometown Hero: James Holman from UNC
This week’s Hometown Hero, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, is James Holman — crew leader for UNC housekeeping services and a lifetime delegate of the university’s Employee Forum. Holman is a longtime advocate for UNC employees and was recently announced as the winner of UNC’s inaugural Rebecca Clark Staff Award for Moral Courage. “I was real surprised. […]
Hometown Heroes: Lynne Privette and Tiz Giordano
This week’s Hometown Heroes, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, are Lynne Privette and Tiz Giordano. They’re members of the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Mother’s Club on Facebook. Earlier this year, the club turned its attention to finding ways to help UNC students who were having to stay in town after campus go shut down due to the COVID-19 […]
Hometown Heroes: Roy and Wanda Williams
This week’s Hometown Heroes, presented by Hendrick Southpoint, are Roy and Wanda Williams. After spring sports were canceled midway through the season due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Williamses anonymously donated over $600,000 to fund the scholarships for senior student-athletes who wished to return for one more season. “Student-athletes have begun to come back to […]
UNC Art Student, Morehead-Cain Scholar Dies While Hiking
The UNC community lost one of its students this week after she died while hiking. According to the Morehead-Cain Foundation, Sally Sasz of the UNC Class of 2021 passed while hiking in Utah on Monday. The 21-year-old was an art history and English major and the recipient of the Morehead-Cain scholarship. Sasz served as an Arts Ambassador […]
UNC's Morehead-Cain Foundation Receives $10 Million Gift
The Morehead-Cain Foundation received its largest ever single donation from an alumnus in September. The $10 million gift from an anonymous donor will help the foundation keep providing scholarships to more UNC students for years to come. The gift did not come with any conditions or requests to alter the scholarship program in any way, […]
Hometown Hero: Linda Convissor
This week’s Hometown Hero is Linda Convissor, the Director of Community Relations at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is retiring after over 20 years with the university. “I have the best job in the world because I really get to spend time in the community, see what the community’s needs are […]
Hometown Hero: Mitch Prinstein
This week’s Hometown Hero is Mitch Prinstein, the John Van Seters Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, and a member of the Clinical Psychology Program. Mitch’s book “Popular” was chosen for this year’s Carolina Summer Reading Program. He spoke with WCHL’s Ron Stutts about the premise of the book and the lessons we can learn from […]
›