Name: Liz Fields How did I get involved in IMPACT?
I got involved with IMPACT after my freshman roommate and several of my friends had gone on trips and then went on to become Site Leaders themselves! Their passion and high praise of IMPACT struck a chord with me, so I applied and was a participant on the Memphis trip for HIV/AIDS Advocacy and Awareness trip last Spring Break.
Why am I interested in my trip focus?
I am interested in Community Health and Well Being because of the current climate we’re all forced to live in right now. I feel that it’s important to educate ourselves on how to live and treat the communities and citizens we live in with respect, especially as people who call Athens our home away from home. I think it’s important to foster interest and compassion about a space that you have the ability to grow and enhance, which we all do over the course of our time at UGA. Athens, and the communities of our futures, deserve to be loved and treasured along with all the people within it.
Favorite IMPACT memory?
One of my favorite IMPACT memories is of the gigantic Bass Pro Shop in Memphis, TN. The Bass Pro Shop there is in a glass pyramid, yes shaped just like the ones in Egypt. Between service sites, we even found time to go wander around and see the artificial swamp inside! Seeing that huge building and being able to drive in and out of Memphis each day, crossing the Mississippi River and seeing the city skyline, was a scenery I could never get tired of.
Contact info she/her/hers 3rd year Management Information Systems major eaf07836@uga.edu 770-598-9902
Contact Info: she/her/hers 4th year Sociology major agh93901@uga.edu 706-255-5325
Name: Grace Hicks How did I get involved in IMPACT?
I got involved with IMPACT my freshman year by taking the Leadership in Action course, a service learning class that I could engage in co-curricularly with my IMPACT trip! I had the best time learning about Food Justice in Durham, and my site-leaders encouraged me to apply for site-leader. I had the honor and privilege of leading the Education Access & Advocacy Trip last spring break, and had an amazing time with my Co and participants despite having to leave early because of COVID-19! Leading the trip in Charlotte reaffirmed my love for peer mentorship and passion for social justice, so I’m back again to co-facilitate a roundtable with Liz!!!
Why am I interested in my trip focus?
I was particularly interested in this topic given the public health crisis we’re experiencing with COVID-19. I came in with a lot of questions about how COVID-19 affects communities and their efforts to be healthy. Our nation’s response to the pandemic governmentally and socially has really made me think about individualism versus collectivism, and I’ve been trying to learn more about how I can help and serve. I’ve also done some research into Food Justice and seeing how these two issues overlap and intersect has been really interesting to me.
Favorite memory from an IMPACT trip?
Two words. Rap Battle
Giant jenga
Shoveling compost to Kacey Musgraves :-)
The Belmont Boys & Girls Club
Don’t burn tater tots at your housing site… it’s a bad idea
Playing a million different games in Charlotte to kill time
ABOUT COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Community Health and Well-being is the combination of economic, environmental, cultural, and political conditions identified by individuals and their communities as essential for them to flourish and fulfill their potential.”
Health is defined by the WHO as “the complete state of physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease of infirmity.”
Community Health and Well-being encompasses many facets of living, and how the individuals within a community have a direct impact on the future and long term effects of the health and prosperity of that community.
TERMS TO KNOW:
Connectedness: the fostering of connection and relationships through a community’s social networks; connectedness enhances social trust, fosters civic engagement, and empowers members to participate in community development.
Livability: supporting a livable community through the development of transportation, housing, education, public safety, human services, and other aspects of local infrastructure.
Equity: An equitable community is supported by values of diversity, social justice, and individual empowerment, where: basic needs are met, equal opportunities for education and upward mobility are provided, and all members are treated with fairness and justice.
VIDEOS: Dr. Candace Nykiforuk from Alberta University discussing how your environment affects overall health: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1k6TBpEPB4 A video explaining the 8 Dimensions of Wellness, pieces that make up an individual’s wellness as well as shape their environment, and in turn, their community: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDzQdRvLAfM How local governments can invest and improve their communities to better the overall health of the community and people in it:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z1MZn2jG1eM