Serving the Community Since 2012

WE ARE HIRING

Village Heartbeat Logo
Village Heartbeat Logo

Who We Are

Connecting You to Tools & Resources That Help You Navigate Life

Village Heartbeat Inc is a 501c3 collaborative program organized to address health disparities in under-served communities through faith-based organizations. The overarching goal is to be a bridge in the community to improve health outcomes.

Meet the Village Heartbeat Inc.
Leadership

Pastor Jordan B. Boyd
VHB Inc.
Executive Director

Donna Thompson
VHB Inc.
Chief of Operations

E’Tiana Smith
VHB Inc.
Associate Director of Operations

Ena Kurene
VHB Inc.
Human Resources Administrator

Quija Marshall
Bridge to Better Mental
Health Program Manager

Shaquita Freer
Youth Wellness Hubs
Program Manager

Dejah Alston
Bridge to Better Mental Health Clinical Supervisor

Elhanan Bone
Youth Wellness Hubs
Clinical Supervisor

Julia Davis
Youth Wellness Hubs
Clinical Supervisor

Board of Directors

A strong collaboration of multi-denominational Faith-Based Organizations

Rev. Dr. Ricky Woods
Chairman
First Baptist Church-West

Rev. Dr. Cathy Jones
Vice Chairman
Parkwood Institutional CME Church

Pastor Donnie Garris
Antioch Baptist Church

Rev. Dr. Sheldon Shipman
Greenville AME Zion Church

Rev. Dr. Dennis Williams
Faith Memorial Baptist Church

How We Started

2012
Our Beginning

Village HeartBEAT began in 2012 as an initiative to address chronic diseases within the 'Crescent' with 7 Faith Based Organizations and 70 participants.

2019
Awards & Recognition

Along the way, the model received several awards and was recognized both nationally and internationally. It positioned the FBOs' leadership to establish a non-profit organization in June 2019: Village Heartbeat Inc.

2022
Bridge to Better Mental Health Launches

as a proactive, community-led initiative providing a comprehensive, systematic response to behavioral health challenges in historically underrepresented communities.

2023
Thrive Family Wellness Group Launches

Connecting youth and their families with licensed clinicians, including free therapy sessions, to close the mental health gap in under-served communities.

2025
Youth Wellness Hubs

as a support program for youth ages 8 to 20 who have experienced thoughts of self-harm, or have attempted to give up on life within the past 90 days.

CURRENTLY
Where We Are Now

Village Heartbeat, Inc is now a growing collaborative effort of multi-denominational Faith-Based Organizations, currently 60 FBOs and 600 participants.

We partner with the public health system, hospitals and universities. We are committed to addressing chronic diseases and other health disparities, such as Covid and Mental Health, without our communities.

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Become certified in Adult Mental Health First Aid! Learn how to recognize the signs of mental health challenges and provide support when it matters most.

Be prepared to make a difference. Join our Adult Mental Health First Aid training and gain the confidence to support someone experiencing a mental health challenge or crisis.

July 24 (Virtual) or July 31 (Rockwell A.M.E. Zion Church)

Register: http://bit.ly/44RgD7M

Joelle Dugue

Joelle Dugue is a first-generation Haitian American who grew up in Brooklyn, NY. She was raised by her grandmother after losing her parents at the age of ten. Her experience shaped her passion for addressing the healthcare needs of underserved communities. Now she combines her passion with public health to increase health equity for underserved communities.

Today, she serves as the Executive Director of Village Heartbeat Inc., an organization addressing health disparities in the Black and Brown communities in Charlotte, NC. She runs the operations, fundraising, and partnership departments of this amazing organization that is so close to her heart. In addition to leading an organization, she teaches health education at the Nest Academy in East Charlotte to refugee, Immigrant, under privileged, at-risk, under represented children. As a first generation Haitian American, she is passionate about helping kids become first generation graduates. She continues to advocate for children by dedicating her time to support children and young adults who have lost a parent through the international nonprofit Empower. She is also a member of the Women’s Impact Fund, an organization strengthening communities by maximizing women’s leadership in philanthropy through collective giving, education and engagement and serves on the Member Education Committee.

Joelle earned both her Master’s Degree in Public Health and Bachelor’s Degree in Respiratory Care from Long Island University. After graduating undergraduate, she worked in the healthcare system as a respiratory therapist for over 10 years in both leadership and direct patient care. She later transitioned into the Public Health sector.

Most importantly, she is a wife, mother, sister, friend, and a daughter to many. She adores her family and friends, a good dining experience, Christmas season and watching the sunrise.