Springfield Resident Health Advocates

Established in 2017, our small—but mighty!—cohort of five Resident Health Advocates leads the way in inspiring our community advocacy efforts. 

Leading with passion, uniting with purpose

Way Finders Resident Health Advocates serve as both ambassadors of the Community Building and Engagement team and leaders of the Community Advocates and the broader community. In return for a commitment to volunteer a set number of hours (the goal is 45 hours a quarter), Resident Health Advocates receive a quarterly stipend. 

A multifaceted leadership role

Resident Health Advocates may:

• Do outreach to recruit, engage, and inspire residents to see themselves as advocates
• Plan and facilitate Community Advocate meetings and activities
• Attend local government meetings (to speak up or encourage others to attend and speak)
• Volunteer for neighborhood events
• Promote events and policies via social media efforts, phone calls, etc.

Why step up? Voices of Resident Health Advocates

“If you don’t participate in the process, you’re on the sidelines. If you don’t care about your community, nobody else will. You are the community. You need to participate in things that involve your community. Once you see you can make a difference, you get hooked.”
-Antonio DeLesline, Resident Health Advocate

“If we are not involved in making our decisions, someone else who is making money off of us is going to make decisions for us. It is important to speak up. Hustle and get your power and money back. Only you can do it for yourself.”
-Nate Velez, former Resident Health Advocate

“Be a blessing. Improve your surroundings. We can advocate for education and safety, a little bit at a time. Find your passion. Collect signatures, get streets fixed, make phone calls. If we don’t speak, we get forgotten. It’s a struggle to survive in America today. Sow seeds for change. If we all do our share, we can plant a forest.”
-Awilda Sanchez, Resident Health Advocate

Interested in learning more?

To learn more about the role of a Resident Health Advocate, including the application process and updates on open positions, please fill out this form.