NC man doesn’t let disability stop him from making positive impact on community
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FLETCHER, NC (WLOS ) — Nick Hlifka has a long-distance relationship with a community 700 miles away.
And the Fletcher resident has broken down more than a few barriers along the way to becoming a community resource specialist for The United Way of Buffalo and Erie County, NY.
“I have a pretty significant visual impairment. I only have light perception, so I’m not totally blind,“ Hlifka said. “ I can tell if the sun is out, or if it’s cloudy or if the light is on in a room versus, versus turned off, but I don’t have any usable vision beyond that.”
Hlifka, a native of Ripley, New York who moved to Fletcher last year, utilizes adaptive technology like a computer screen reader and a Braille Note Taker. He links 2-1-1 callers from his hometown to vital human services in eight counties in Western New York.
“ It could be anything from homeless shelters to food pantries to counseling services,” he said.
2-1-1 is a free service and is also available to residents of Western North Carolina and Upstate South Carolina.
Hlifka and other CRS’s nationwide have seen a dramatic jump in calls since the early days of the Coronavirus pandemic.
“We’ve had a dramatic spike in our call volume it was a several hundred percent increase.” In the first week of the pandemic, he said there were up to 30 calls in the queue. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Many of the callers are asking for help from the United Way for the first time and need help navigating the maze of social services.
“We hear hundreds of stories every day, but some of them are just really impactful, especially with COVID. Families and people that never thought they would be in these kinds of situations, all of a sudden having to reach out for help and really just not knowing where to turn.”
Hlifka has had a limited vision since birth, he said most likely linked to a genetic condition.
Nick’s mother Gale pushed him to adapt from a very early age. “His mother was very demanding that he not use, not being able to see as an excuse for anything, “ said his father, Gene.
23-year-old Nick earned a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from The State University of New York at Fredonia in just three years, maintaining a perfect 4.0-grade point average.
The move to North Carolina has allowed him to walk at least five miles a day, three days a week, with his dad in Fletcher Park. Nick’s mom takes him on more rugged hikes other days in The Pisgah National Forest, recently completing 19 miles in one day. “It really is a blessing. I don’t know that people realize how wonderful it is to have these opportunities to get outside.”
Nick credits his faith as a driving force in helping others connect to the help they need. “I’m a believer in Jesus Christ and I believe it’s my duty to serve those in my community. And so it’s been really positive for me, just to know that I’ve been able to make an impact on the community.”
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