Season 1, Episode 59 — March 18, 2026 Runtime: 29:56

In this episode of The Big Picture, Bethany heads to Hillsboro for Tu Salud — a community health fair where music, conversation, and Spanish-language outreach create the backdrop for a deeply personal conversation with Emma Lively, a Family Coach in District 15. Emma reflects on her journey from Venezuela to Oregon, the long path that brought her into ODHS, and the lived experience she now brings to families navigating unfamiliar systems in a new country.

The conversation explores why community presence matters in ways media alone cannot replicate. Emma describes how printed materials, websites, and even translated information can only go so far if people do not see themselves reflected in the person offering help. For families who are new to the area, uncertain of their rights, or hesitant to trust institutions, connection often begins not with a brochure or a social media post, but with a face, a shared language, and the sense that someone truly understands their experience.

Emma also speaks about the complexities of working in Washington County, Oregon’s most racially diverse county, where cultural understanding requires more than broad categories. She reflects on how ODHS can help people connect not just to benefits, but to the communities, churches, organizations, and cultural networks that help them feel less isolated. Throughout the conversation, she returns to a central point: access is not only about eligibility — it is also about belonging.

The episode closes with Emma’s reflections on Oregon as a place of safety, beauty, and possibility — a state whose landscapes, communities, and openness helped turn a difficult migration story into a life she now proudly calls home.

Credits

Hosts: Dr. Bethany Grace Howe — Communications Shenika — Community Partnership Coordinator, District 10

Produced by:Dr. Bethany Grace Howe

Contact: Questions / feedback: [email protected]