Cullman Senior Magazine Summer 2020 | Page 4

• From Your Local Leader • I Julie Hall Director of Neighbor Relations The Link of Cullman County The Link connects with individuals and families 4 | SUMMER 2020 n his book, When Helping Hurts: How to Al- leviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself, Steve Corbett writes, “If we remember that humans are spiritual, social, psychological and physical beings, our poverty-alleviation efforts will be more holistic in their design and execu- tion.” Julie Hall explains that the founder of The Link of Cullman County took this statement to heart. Hall said, “As we carry out current programs and implement new ways to reach the marginalized in our community, we make every effort to address not only the needs of the whole person, but the whole family.” As Team Leader, Hall is eager to share how The Link’s philosophy comes down to Jesus’ command to “love your neighbor as yourself.” Hall shares, “Really, we all want the same thing – to feel val- ued, to experience peace, to have connections.” The Link’s approach to addressing poverty involves encouragement, education and employability training. Hall continues, “It is an investment in people and in our community. Although we do all we can to find resources for immediate and urgent needs, we do not attempt a quick fix. Instead, we try to build relationships. We try to offer hope and dignity in circumstances where folks might not feel those things. Our experience shows that in- CULLMAN COUNTY SENIOR MAGAZINE