Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley

​Team’s Experience:

The BTG student interns participated in many important activities. They assisted with operations at the Promise Food & Wellness Center, packaging and distributing food orders to community members experiencing food insecurities, using the center’s Order-Ahead model to ensure a dignified and efficient experience for those in need. They participated in weekly Lunch-and-Learn sessions, engaging in discussions on topics such as community advocacy, men’s mental health, nutrition, and Black- and woman-centered mental health. They delivered an interactive health education presentation to Promise Neighborhoods staff and community members on cardiovascular health, tobacco cessation, and oral health, and shared resources for healthy living and professional support. They shadowed Dr. Letcher and her team during street outreach with Valley Health Partners, learning about harm reduction, opioid use disorder treatment, and strategies for connecting underserved individuals to care. They engaged in community outreach by playing sports with local youth and promoted Promise Neighborhoods programs, including youth mentorship, violence prevention, safe spaces, and career development initiatives. They canvased a high-risk community facing gentrification, violence, poverty, and other determinants of health to provide free resources, Narcan^®, environmentally friendly water bottles, and, most important, to create authentic relationships with the community members in that neighborhood. They volunteered with the setup for the Promise Works graduation ceremony, supporting a federally funded workforce development program that provides training and job readiness for adults facing employment barriers such as incarceration, homelessness, substance use history, and many more. They also completed T.R.E.E. Training and received certificates from the T.R.E.E. Institute, which provided in-depth education on trauma, restorative practices, emotional intelligence, and equity.