About GEMS
Girls & Guys Exercising Mindful Solutions (GEMS) was founded by Whitley English. A survivor of domestic violence, and mistreated at the hands of an unjust legal system when she sought protection, Whitley realized that her community lacked capacity to provide help, support, or advocacy for women in similar situations. She has worked as a peer support specialist, and is also a community health worker, concentrating on direct services for women at-risk or victims of violence and abuse.
Whitley D. English
CHW-VPP, Community Cultural Coordinator
Whitley sits on the Board of Directors for Just Economics. She is a North Carolina Community Health Worker (CHW) Violence Prevention Professional, Peer Support Specialist, and Recovery Coach trained in trauma awareness & resilience skills. Whitley works with the City of Asheville for affordable housing as part of the residents' engagement roundtable. She is also on the committee for Project Cara, and is a community advocate for the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity. She holds First and Second Degree Reiki Practitioner Certification, is trained in Foundations of Motivational Interviewing, and is a Level 1 Certified Sound Healer.
What Is a Community Health Worker?
"A Community Health Worker (CHW) is a frontline public health worker who is a trusted member of and/or has an unusually close understanding of the community served. This trusting relationship enables the worker to serve as a liaison/link/intermediary between health/social services and the community to facilitate access to services and improve the quality and cultural competence of service delivery. A community health worker also builds individual and community capacity by increasing health knowledge and self-sufficiency through a range of activities such as outreach, community education, informal counseling, social support and advocacy."
-- American Public Health Association Community Health Workers. Published 2009.
Read a feature about Whitley in the November-December issue of The Envoy Guide (starts on Page 6).
NOTE: Please help support The Envoy Guide with a paid subscription! This is an important local resource in Western North Carolina that gives inclusivity and voice in media to the diverse people in the region.
Witley is also a contributing writer for The Envoy!
Volunteering
The following are organizations to which GEMS has contributed volunteer efforts in an official capacity.
