iHOPE - identity
National CHW Awareness Week
Greetings,
There was a time when I could tell you my titles much faster than I could tell you who I was. Wife, Mother, and Certified CHW can tell someone what I have done and studied or the credentials I hold and roles I occupy but they cannot tell the whole story of who I am.
Our titles do not tell people what we have overcome, who taught us how to listen. or why certain communities feel like home. They cannot capture everything we notice, understand, and carry with us when we show up as Community Health Workers.
That is why our first iHOPE conversation begins with Identity. Before we celebrate what CHWs do, I want us to honor who we are.
Ask yourself: Who am I when the job title is removed? What experiences shaped me, what strength do I carry naturally, and what part of my story helps me connect with people differently?
Then complete one simple sentence:
I bring __________ to the CHW workforce.
Our Scripture for iHOPE (identity) reminds us, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” — Psalm 139:14 NKJV
There is something meaningful about beginning here. We are not starting by asking what more you need to accomplish; we are recognizing that there is already value in who you are and what you carry.
iHOPE begins with me
SHARE HOPE: Tell us what you bring
GIVE HOPE: Read another person’s response and tell them something you recognize, appreciate or celebrate in what they bring
Join the conversation: https://bit.ly/iHOPE-discussion
Download the iHOPE identity card: https://www.chwstrength.com/ihope
Today, commemorate your journey, including the person you have become along the way.
with gratitude,
Stephanie Toney, CCHW, RN, BSN Visionary at CHW Strength
I bring HOPE to the CHW workforce. As The Hope Dealer, I help evoke hope so that energized optimism takes root and carries people forward