National Blog

"Recently, I attended a conference about anti-hunger initiatives. A common theme throughout the conference was about “engaging those with lived experience” — in other words, letting those who have real life experience of hunger and food insecurity speak for themselves. The Food Bank of the Southern Tier, a food bank serving the Southern Tier region of New York, has a program called the Speakers Bureau where people experiencing food insecurity and poverty are trained to share their stories. A member of the Speakers Bureau named Dawn Tallett spoke about her experience at this conference."

"As a patient navigator, I serve persons who are underserved, underinsured, and uninsured through various innovative engagement and care management endeavors. As you may have guessed from my position title, I assist patients in navigating their journey through Pittsburgh Mercy and other community resources. This usually involves coordinating patient care with our primary care practitioners, our Hepatitis C clinic, medication-assisted treatment (MAT) program, hospital specialists, and the other essential internal and external support services. This person-centered team approach to managing care empowers the individuals we serve to comfortably integrate their physical and behavioral wellness services — that is, if they choose to engage."