I spend a lot of my time trying to convince foundations and coalitions that authentic community engagement is the best way to work toward health equity. I mean the kind of community engagement that includes residents who are facing an issue in the decision making about how to address that issue. The kind that recognizes […]
I was a “free-range” kid before that term existed. In the rural Southeast, neighbors’ homes lay miles beyond pastures and tracts of forest. I was a serial trespasser on other folks’ property, but we were all spread so far apart that no one seemed to notice. I followed cow paths to creeks and swam in […]
When we think about sustaining healthy community change, it can feel a bit like running on a treadmill. It’s hard and, no matter how high we turn up the speed, it can feel like we’re not making any progress. Sometimes it seems futile, especially if we focus on sustaining individual projects rather than whole communities […]
I once knew a guy who couldn’t smell. Anything. At all. And because scent is invisible, his inability to detect it was also invisible. So despite the fact that his cologne could overpower an entire room, I often forgot his perspective. I created countless awkward moments by suggesting that he smell food, flowers, or crayons. […]