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Blog Archives

Knowing When It’s Time to Refocus

By Risa Wilkerson and Niiobli Armah IV on June 12th, 2018

We recognized that our season of change had come. And we want to share how we knew it was time to refocus.

Imagine Such a Place

By Risa Wilkerson on March 19th, 2018

Imagine a place where everyone has a fair and just chance to lead the healthiest life possible

Empowered Learning

By Abby Lowe-Wilson and Risa Wilkerson on February 21st, 2018

When we’re all teachers, everyone learns. Accelerating health equity, addressing social determinants of health, and advancing community-led action are built on individual and organizational exchanges that require two-way interaction. These […]

Consider Yourself a Community Healer

By Risa Wilkerson on December 13th, 2017

“How many of you are ministers?” the speaker asked. Years ago at a spiritual growth retreat, I kept my hand down. I wasn’t trained to lead congregations. He went on […]

Limitless Thinking for New Solutions

By Risa Wilkerson on November 15th, 2017

Limitless. That was TEDMED 2017’s theme this month. Many of the talks were introduced with “what if” statements. “What if electricity were medicine?” “What if we could detect diseases so […]

It’s Not About the Horseshoes

By Risa Wilkerson on October 25th, 2017

A few months ago I joined members of the Alamance Wellness Collaborative, a county-wide coalition that Healthy Places by Design supports, on visits to sites around Alamance County, NC. I […]

To Reduce Impact of Natural Disasters, Strengthen Social Ties

By Risa Wilkerson on September 20th, 2017

Layered deeply in the process of healthy community work, so integral they can be overlooked, are two key factors that impact our ability to survive and thrive: trusting relationships and […]

The Unexpected Way Organizations Exploit Vulnerable People

By Risa Wilkerson on July 20th, 2017

Imagine this scenario: you’re part of a group of summer interns working on healthy community projects, each with a specific focus that requires a deep understanding of the local context […]

Good Neighbors Address Rural Health Disparities

By Risa Wilkerson on June 14th, 2017

I grew up in southern Michigan near a small town with only a thousand people. I lived in the “country.” That’s what we called anything outside of the one-square-mile town […]

Preventive Health Care through Community Cohesion

By Risa Wilkerson on May 11th, 2017

I recently watched “Resilience,” which talks about adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and toxic stress. The combination of having a high ACE score and little-to-no protective relationships has been shown to […]