My Citizenship Health Factors

Some of the factors that have been challenging for me have been...	Finding my voice and sense of purpose. The more experience I have and the more people encourage me, the more confident I have become.
It's important for me to be part of my community's health because...	The more people who are working towards the health of a community, the more assets that community will have. Everyone brings different skills to the table, and I believe I can encourage empathy and education within my community.
Some of the strength of my community health factors are:	I believe my community has strong and diverse assets. We have lots of health related coalitions, non profits and inspired people who want to see Cleveland’s health improve. I am proud of how passionate we are when it comes to taking care of our own.
Some of the challenges in my community regarding certain health factors are:	We have some of the worst health outcomes of the nation, just within our city. We need to address the social determinants of health that have made this possible.
I believe I can help improve my community's health by...	Advocating for health education, inspiring agency within our youth and working towards long lasting policy changes.

Advancing the DREAM

Advancing the DREAM - What it means to me

As a person of color, I have firsthand experience with the injustice not only within healthcare, but all sectors of life. I understand that many people who look like me do not even have the chance to life their lives to the fullest because of inequitable SDoH. If coalitions, non profits and passionate people want to advance the Dr. King’s legacy, we need to work our hardest to address and reform the foundations of our institutions. I will address our unequal SDoH by encouraging education and thus informing people of the agency they have to challenge the system. I will fight for sustainable change by lifting up Cleveland’s existing community assets and unifying them.

My Action Pledge to Advance the DREAM?

I will pledge to foster the youth of Cleveland’s education, creativity, empathy and agency in order to thoroughly address our city’s public health emergency.

General Information

Background

Organization	AmeriCorps
Professional Title	AmeriCorps Member/Force for Health Intern
Bio and Background	My name is Soilé Talmadge and I have a passion for equipping people with the tools they need to live life to the fullest. I am a recent graduate from North Central College, where I earned my honors degree in Anthropology. I am currently working as an AmeriCorps member where I work with organizations in Cleveland to address public health issues, while also working on receiving my masters in social work.
Why I am a Force for Health® Member...	With my experience conducing research, interviews, teaching and advocacy, I hope to serve the city of Cleveland by alleviating its expansive health and wellbeing concerns and foster a culture of sustainable progress. Specifically, my role as an intern assisting with the Baby Book will help me connect with other moms and create better ways to serve underrepresented mothers. As a young mother who dealt with health complications, my goal is give BIPOC mothers the care and support that I wish I had.
How I use the Force for Health Network Tools	When I was pregnant, I had several different apps that I used to track developments throughout my journey (in addition to internet searches). I really appreciate that the Force of Health Network Tools have everything from health/pregnancy education to tracking every change in my body. The data stays in one place and the interactive culture makes me feel connected to other people.
My inspiration	My mother inspires me the most, because she is the most hardworking, resilient and empathetic person I know. Despite her circumstances, she made a wonderful life for her children. I will always admire her for making me the person I am today.
Location	Cleveland
What would you like people to know about your community?	We are small but mighty!

Name	Soile
Last Name	Talmadge
Nickname	SoileTalmadge

SoileTalmadge