What do you do when people without homes aren’t getting the medical care they need? What do kids design when given an opportunity to create a place of community within their rural home town? The solutions these communities came up with may surprise you.
“Creating Common Wealth” is a new VPM docu-series from Silverthorn Films, showcasing extraordinary stories of how everyday citizens are using entrepreneurship, innovation, and creative problem-solving to revitalize their hometowns, strengthen the bonds between neighbors, and provide a blueprint for a prosperous and unified future.
Watch the episode now:
Suitcase Clinic & WagiLabs | Creating Common Wealth from VPM on PBS.org.
The first episode explores how communities are working together to serve the underserved. In Harrisonburg, Virginia, we meet a group of nurses who realize there is no medical care available to the homeless population in their community. Rather than have people seek out medical care in emergency rooms or go with no care at all, these nurses are bringing care directly to them. They created the Suitcase Clinic, which treats over 300 homeless members a year.
In the second half of the episode, we visit Cumberland Elementary as 4th graders participate in WagiLabs, an idea incubator for grade school kids to brainstorm new ways to bring their community closer together. The students came up with a creative solution to the lack of recreational options in their area. They researched, developed, and pitched a family outdoor activity they hope will be a hole-in-one.
The premiere episode of Creating Common Wealth, “Serving The Underserved,” airs September 10th at 8:30 p.m. on VPM PBS. Learn more about the 2nd episode here or watch both episodes on PBS.org/videos today.
