From developing education programs to advocating for improved healthcare, Carol A. Crumby doesn’t let anything hold her back. She loves to stay busy in retirement by helping others and never turns down an opportunity to give back to those in need.
“Dealing with life survival as a young person, I became determined and engaged with people,” Crumby said.
As a survivor of polio and a tireless advocate for others, Crumby spearheaded numerous projects to help low-income and impoverished communities.
“I was and still am a physical handicap, but you can’t focus on that,” Crumby said. “You have to stay steadfast.”
Resilience in adversity: Understanding a polio survivor’s symptoms
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Crumby was diagnosed with polio at seven years old—just five years before doctors created the trial polio vaccine. She faced challenges such as progressive muscle weakness, fatigue and periodic pain. While she initially relied on crutches for mobility, she managed to transition away from assistive devices for several years. Today, she uses an ankle-foot orthosis (AFO), a crutch and a rollator walker to support her movement.
Crumby has taken on various leadership roles in nonprofit organizations over the years. From 1998 to 2011, she served as the Area & Senior Director of Educational Investments for the United Way of Greater Atlanta. She also volunteers with the South DeKalb Improvement Association Education (SDIAE), strengthening her niche in education.
“Throughout the course of my work life, it has been the whole gamut,” Crumby said. “From the Early Learning Program to college students, adult learners, and people in the neighborhoods.”
Transitioning from north to south
Crumby’s interest in Atlanta began after she visited from her home in Pittsburgh in 1994. She came as a member of Steel on Ice Ski Club, where she learned to ski with adaptive equipment. She met friendly locals and started to envision herself living in the city.
“I saw Atlanta as a Black mecca,” Crumby said.
In 1995, Crumby decided to take a leap of faith and moved to the city without a guaranteed job. Once she arrived, she met Micheal Weaver, the former director at United Way of Greater Atlanta. Weaver introduced her to The Atlanta Project (TAP), which later shaped her career.
“He told me about a program during campaign season and I applied,” Crumby said. “I worked for two campaign seasons before becoming an area director.”
United Way of Greater Atlanta
Through Crumby’s work with the United Way of Greater Atlanta, she continued her mission of empowering underrepresented communities and served as an advocate for increased resources and support for those in need. As an area director, she was in charge of community development investment in DeKalb County. As one out of three senior directors of the organization, she was responsible for investments in education, health, homelessness, policy, program and economic development investments in the DeKalb area. As a separate project, Crumby also worked for the organization’s Homeowners Association that seeks to prevent homelessness.
When Crumby began working for United Way Atlanta in 1995, the organization was instilling a heavy emphasis on children having a strong foundation before entering preschool, which led to a high demand in developing the Early Learning Regional Counsel. Crumby described the evolution within the implementation of early learning.
“Now it’s kind of the norm, but at the time it wasn’t,” Crumby said. “So some people just saw it as a babysitting daycare service.”
Early Learning Regional Counsel invests in strong learners, college and career preparation, economic stability and brighter futures.
“It’s always nice to see something come to fruition,” she said. “They never saw it happening and then boom, we got something really significant happening.”
South DeKalb Improvement Association Education
As a former leader and current volunteer in the SDIAE, Crumby plays a pivotal role in helping children, adults and families get access to education and career opportunities.
Today, Crumby aims to restore the overall quality of lives and education awareness amongst thousands of children, families and individuals in south DeKalb County.
“It was a part of my job that ended up being my passion here in the community even today,” Crumby said.
The SDIAE nonprofit organization engages with members of the Georgia Assembly and considers concerns of schools, parents and students south DeKalb as well. They develop direct student services like STEM programs, community support groups and literacy programs, and prioritize student achievement and performance awareness.
SDIAE Executive Director Ella Davis reflects on the beginning of her and Crumby’s partnership of 11 years.
“Carol was our spark,” Davis said. “I remember us sitting in a room doing our first grant and we’d be putting our ideas on the whiteboard coming up with what we needed to do for our grants, so we’ve worked together for a while.”
Atlanta Post-Polio Association
Carol’s focus eventually shifted to advocacy and education when she decided to work for the Atlanta Post-Polio Association to ensure that survivors like herself were aware of the long-term effects of polio and had access to the care they needed. At the same time, she finally got the care she needed after finding a doctor that best suited her needs.
Through this association, she met Dr. Dale Strasser, a former Emory Hospital physical medicine and rehabilitation physician. The two of them promote awareness for the ongoing needs of polio survivors and lobby for specialized healthcare services, like doctors, occupational therapy and psychiatric treatment. Most importantly, they ensure polio survivors’ voices are heard, because the group is often overlooked in today’s healthcare system.
Dr. Strasser highlights the resiliency and selflessness Crumby exhibits within and outside the community.
“Carol is a team player, has high emotional intelligence, and is empathetic in the way she cares for others, but wasn’t in denial,” Strasser said. “She knows that she has to help herself in order to help those around her.”
Support the cause
For more information on how to support Atlanta Post-Polio Association, go to atlantapostpolio.com.
The Everyday Heroes project is a partnership between Fresh Take Georgia, Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other newsrooms in Georgia.
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