Providence caregivers can build connection and awareness of community health needs through service

Anne Bergado, a caregiver in the Seattle area, was recently asked to plan a team service activity with colleagues in Southern California. She turned to the Action Hub, an online platform that helps Providence caregivers connect with community partners and local service opportunities, and was able to find a service event for her team. The Healthcare Intelligence (HI) team, alongside other Providence caregivers, served at a community event held by the St. Roberts Center in Santa Monica, California that included food distribution, free health screenings, and haircuts.

The event Anne found in the Action Hub was organized and led by fellow caregiver Christina Crawford. Both Anne and Christina are members of their local Activation Networks in Puget Sound and Southern California, respectively. These networks are made up of caregivers who work to inspire and activate other caregivers to serve in their local communities, organized by Providence’s Global & Domestic Engagement team.

Network members plan service activities and immersions and share information about systemwide community-based initiatives. They focus on helping caregivers address community health needs through service, advocacy, and giving. The Action Hub is the online tool key to enabling this powerful networking across geographies and communities. 

Anne’s connection to service has grown profoundly over the past couple of years. While she has personally volunteered for over a decade, she recently became more involved with serving her community through Providence. Two years ago, she was invited by a colleague on the Puget Sound Activation Network to join a service immersion with the Asian Counseling and Referral Service’s Food Bank, a community partner of Providence Swedish. Anne’s participation in that one event launched an incredible journey for her and the colleagues within her department. 

Anne asked her supervisor if he would be interested in engaging their larger team in a similar experience. Anne’s enthusiasm and her leader’s support led to multiple community service events and a hygiene kit assembly activity for her team. She also continues to engage in personal service with Providence community partners through a service immersion program¹.

Anne’s supervisor, Jon Knight, director of IS engineering program management, shares, “The team and [executive] leadership frequently share their positive experiences partnering with Anne and joining the events she organized... Anne's service work exemplifies Providence's core values and mission to serve the poor and vulnerable. Her invaluable contributions have strengthened the connection between the HI team and Providence Mission."

Anne continues to be an inspiring example for her department and the wider caregiver population. She credits the leadership she has taken on through the Activation Network with strengthening her career path. She has been able to be a voice for Providence’s Mission within her team and gain recognition as a reliable and committed colleague. 

Activation Network members, such as Anne and Christina, make positive community impact and engage caregivers in meaningful service throughout our service areas, a great demonstration of why Providence’s Global & Domestic Engagement team launched both the Activation Network and the Action Hub. Their growth as leaders allows more caregivers to get involved and make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.

For more information about Providence’s Activation Networks or Action Hub, please reach out to the Global & Domestic Engagement team at Activation@Providence.org. 

¹ Providence’s Global & Domestic Engagement Department leads an intentional service-learning program aimed at engaging caregivers in day-long service, education, and reflection with community partners. The experiences center on helping caregivers learn more about our community health needs and actively serve and reflect on the experience.