Manor Wellness Alliance

Manor Wellness Alliance is a local group of community leaders, health care clinicians, medical school and college instructors, their students, researchers, and lay volunteers. After its founding in 2018, the Alliance surveyed Manor residents to hear their answer to the question "What Does Manor Need?" The top answer by far was local health care, especially doctor visits. And so, the first project of the Alliance was Manor Free Clinic. We provide the uninsured and underinsured with free doctor visits, vision testing, flu and covid vaccinations, and dental, HIV, and other health and social services. We have partnered with the March of Dimes, a national organization dedicated to the health of mothers and babies, to promote a transformative prenatal care program that puts patients at the center of their health journey. Our program, Supportive Pregnancy Care offers a comprehensive approach combining brief prenatal doctor visits with patient-centered group discussions, tailored to stages of your pregnancy. In SPC, mothers have the chance to discuss worries with others on similar journeys and learn how to manage pregnancy-related health challenges. Over the past decade or so, we have seen rapid social change and overwhelming advances in technology become sources of stress for many people. Then the pandemic brought long-term loss of regular activities and social connections. While adults have felt these challenges, adolescents have often been affected even more, showing a greater rise in rates of depression, anxiety, and even suicide. To address this problem, Manor Wellness Alliance has created the Hope in Action program to help members of the Manor community experiencing depression and anxiety, and especially teens. In partnership with UT-Austin, this new project is a long-term effort to develop free resources to improve mental health. With these projects, we hope to accomplish our mission and provide community belonging for residents of Manor, Texas.