今年回到办公室的第一天，我在杜兰戈醒来，听到了科罗拉多州无家可归者的声音, 食品不安全和成瘾——这是我在工作中经常利用的一个机会，与科罗拉多人和他们的家人直接十大菠菜靠谱平台. This never fails to ground me.
I visited a local homeless camp and a soup kitchen, met with youth who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning or queer, and spent time with staff from area nonprofits. At one of these visits, I ran into a woman I met last year. I’ll call her Amanda to protect her privacy.
Amanda Reminded Me Why We Must Listen
As Amanda caught me up on her life, I noticed her young daughter, who was facing some speech delays a year ago, was happily prancing around the room – thriving. Yet, as we talked, 很明显，自从我们上次见面以来，阿曼达的家庭情况在其他方面发生了变化, and not for the better.
一年前，阿曼达开始在一个复杂的服务网络中导航，以帮助稳定她的生活. She was on the cusp of breaking the cycle of poverty 这使她在艰难地向前迈了两步后又后退了两步. Now, at the dawn of 2020, she had a safe home that was affordable. She was saving money. Her daughter was making developmental strides.
但一个看似可以避免的障碍却威胁着她回到危险的起点. 由于当地机构的处理延误，她已经八周没有收到补充营养援助计划(SNAP)的福利了. As a result, 她辛苦挣来的积蓄被花光了，只为了养家糊口, but that wouldn’t last long. 她又回到了食品银行，不确定自己是否还能负担得起她的公寓.
As Amanda graciously shared her story, 我被完全超出个人控制的事情可能对其家庭生活产生的影响所打动. It’s conversations like this that ground me, again and again, 在一个单一的经验，说明了为什么基金会必须履行我们的使命. And, 随着历史上权力较小的人健康状况的恶化, privilege or income, our responsibility is more critical than ever.
结束和阿曼达的谈话时，我担心她会不会失去她的家, if her daughter’s progress would stall, and how her family would fare in the coming weeks, months and years. The solutions to these concerns are still beyond our reach, tied up by oppressive systems that perpetuate inequities. 然而，面对这样的不确定性，阿曼达却毫无畏惧. 她通过不断地追求更好的生活，培养了韧性, 她想要恢复几周前的生活的愿望是显而易见的.
This is why the Foundation’s vision reflects the vision of real people across Colorado – that they can say they have all they need to live healthy lives.
Fearlessness as a Strategy
My trip to Durango was full of stories like Amanda’s. 当我问每个人健康需要什么时，他们的答案都不一样, 每个人都毫无畏惧地分享他们的故事——就像他们决心在生活中取得成功和自力更生一样——尽管人为设计的系统和社会结构阻碍了太多的人，但他们还是要茁壮成长.
I returned to Denver with a renewed, 让我感受到无畏地追求改变是多么强大. 我突然意识到，无畏必须成为基金会的下一步行动——我们工具箱中的一项战略，使所有科罗拉多人都能享有健康.
我们知道，现在是时候进一步超越现状，走出舒适的生活. We know when we show up in community – not to do the talking, 但是倾听——我们发现人们生活的现实使我们的工作成为焦点.
The things we’re hearing are calling us to be fearless. 我们无畏地追求更好地理解影响健康的不公正现象. 我们无所畏惧地呼吁人们注意可避免的障碍. 我们无畏地支持社区启发的想法和非传统的解决方案.
我们需要自己检验一下，在思考时更无所畏惧意味着什么, act, show up and use our voice. In 2020 and beyond, we are going to speak up, and be a lightning rod if needed, about inequities affecting the people we serve. We will discuss things that are considered undiscussable, 并邀请大家分享与健康有关的不公正背后的“原因”.
这并不意味着我们不害怕，但我们不能让恐惧阻碍我们. We have to take risks and, in some cases, simply be willing to start somewhere – anywhere – even, and especially, when barriers to health seem insurmountable, or injustices too deeply rooted to upend.
Living into Fearlessness in 2020
以下是我们今年将无畏置于工作中心的一些方法:
- At this year’s 科罗拉多健康专题讨论会:弥合种族、文化认同和健康, we’re tackling the impact of race and national origin on health. In past years, 我们探讨了种族主义如何影响黑人社区的健康, the conditions that support and erode mental health, and the connection between housing and health. Now, we’ll learn how people from Colorado’s refugee, immigrant and Native American communities pursue health. We’ll dig into the role that history, policy and culture play in their health, and we’ll experience treasured ceremonies, traditions, food, art, music and more from these communities.
- We’re launching another public opinion poll, and hope to continue it annually as a form of listening. This is a huge opportunity for us 建立一个可靠和准确的反映科罗拉多人在各种卫生公平政策问题上的意见和优先事项. 这也是支持倡导需求并将这些经验融入当地的重要途径, state and federal policy. 在此之前的一年里，科罗拉多人的健康受到了前所未有的威胁，我们最大胆的 policy priorities in a while.
- 我们通过我们的。邀请非营利组织的主管进入基金会的日常生活 new Nonprofit Sabbatical program featuring a unique executive-in-residence opportunity. 这是一个前所未有的机会，可以让行政领导人了解我们的幕后情况, 同时邀请他们就我们的工作和运作方式提供坦诚的反馈.
- 随着我们作为一个组织继续学习多样性的实践, equity and inclusivity (DEI) – or as I heard recently, “justice, equity, diversity and inclusion” (JEDI) – 我们正在采取措施，鼓励非营利和慈善部门一起学习采用JEDI，这与我们有意义地支持社区健康的能力是分不开的. For example, we’re centering equity at the heart of our evaluation practice 并探索存在于资助者和受助者之间的权力动态，这种动态使社区中的不平等制度永久化. If you’re interested in this work, check out the Collaboratory on Equitable Evaluation.
所有这些都是实现我们使命的新途径，每一条都是 a commitment to act fearlessly, to show up with respectful curiosity, and to build trusting relationships 与阿曼达这样的人一起努力，更好地了解卫生不平等，以及我们可以采取哪些不同的措施来解决这些障碍的根源.
我们欢迎您的反应，并邀请您参与这项工作. That starts with me. 如果你有一个愿望，一个批评或一个问题，我很乐意听到. Feel free to email me directly. Best wishes for a healthy and productive 2020, 愿我们都无畏地为科罗拉多人发声，他们理应得到更好的生活.