When the city of Roanoke received federal HUD funds, Shauneequa Owusu, Chief Strategy Officer at ChangeLab Solutions, along with the NY Academy of Medicine, supported the city through a public deliberation process to empower residents to shape the investment decisions. As we look towards rehabbing sectors hit hard by the ongoing pandemic, Shauneequa’s experiences shed light on how we can ensure that the use of the American Rescue Plan Act funds could lead to equitable and community driven investments.

When Covid-19 hit the village of Maywood, Randy, Chris, and Lena mobilized community relationships to address food insecurity, mental health, and other needs exacerbated by the pandemic. The three share poignant stories of the experiences of individual community members in Maywood, which has a history and legacy of grassroots advocacy. Part 2 explores the unconventional collaborations between residents and Loyola Medicine, the large local hospital, that has inspired change agents to take positive action in the community.

When Covid-19 hit the village of Maywood, Randy, Chris, and Lena mobilized community relationships to address food insecurity, mental health, and other needs exacerbated by the pandemic. The three share poignant stories of the experiences of individual community members in Maywood, which has a history and legacy of grassroots advocacy. This effort has also led to unconventional collaborations between residents and Loyola Medicine, the large local hospital, that has inspired change agents to take positive action in the community.