"My whole career as a public health nurse has been focused on promoting health among families in Calgary. Part of this includes making sure that parents and children have access to resources and programs and they are able to get connected to help when they need it. Recently, I have been navigating the healthcare system as a mother. Overwhelmingly, my experiences have left me beyond grateful for the incredible care and resources that are available in our city. At the same time, I’ve gained a new perspective on the challenges that families may face in navigating the healthcare system and accessing resources. Being able to take time off of work and having access to transportation or childcare are additional challenges faced by families living in poverty, creating even more barriers for connecting with available resources.
Much of healthcare is figuring out how to provide care for people, but it also requires upstream thinking. When I see people trying to break down barriers for families living in poverty, bridge gaps and improve systems, I believe this will translate into better health equity for Calgarians. When everyone comes together to leverage all of the great things that individual programs, agencies or people can do to advance real change, there’s so much we can accomplish. That is what Enough for All is doing and I’m excited to be a part of it."
