Urban Ministries

As a full-time volunteer, I feel like it's important for me to let you know of some of the wonderful people and resources in Wake County. I'm going to start with Urban Ministries. I have been nothing but completely impressed by the staff at Urban Ministries and the amount of heart they all have. Some of the services they provide are:

1. A comprehensive clinic for uninsured citizens (acute and chronic care), including pharmacy services with $3.1 million dollars of free medicine.
2. A food bank, providing more than 270 tons of food each year.
3. A transitional women's shelter for 230 women in Wake County
4. A JobLink Access Point, complete with AmeriCorps volunteers (like me!)

Urban Ministries has shown me that there really are physicians and medical professionals who want every citizen to have comprehensive medical care. Dr. Greenberg is a perfect example. Both he and his wife are physicians, and they both worked as faculty physicians at Duke for many years. Realizing that they were making more money than they actually needed, Dr. Greenberg greatly reduced his hours at his prestigious job and took a significant pay cut to heal the people who needed it most. People like Dr. Greenberg are the reason why I have hope for our world.
If you want to learn more about Urban Ministries or need a place to volunteer, visit their website! www.urbanmin.org

Sweet and Sour Shrimp Stir-fry
3/4 lb. peeled shrimp
1 egg white
1 T. dry sherry
1 T. cornstarch
3 cups vegetables (I used snow peas, onions, carrots, and edamame)
Vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
A pinch of salt and sugar

For sauce:
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsp. cornstarch
1/4 cup ketchup
2 tsp. soy sauce
3 T. rice vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sesame oil

Whisk egg white, sherry, and cornstarch together. Toss with shrimp; cover and refrigerate, 1 hour.

Meanwhile, combine all sauce contents to make sauce.
Drain the excess marinade from the shrimp. Place your sauce, vegetables and protein near the stove. Heat 1/4 inch vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp; slowly stir until almost opaque, 30 second to 1 minute. Transfer to a plate; discard oil and wipe out the pan.

Heat the pan over high heat, 1 to 2 minutes. Add 2 T. oil, then 2 cloves minced garlic and a pinch of salt and sugar; stir-fry about 30 seconds. Add the vegetables, starting with the ones that take the longest to cook; stir-fry until crisp-tender.

Add the shrimp and sauce and stir until the sauce is thick and the vegetables and shrimp are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Thin with chicken broth, if needed. Garnish with peanuts.