For Advocates for Better Health, the goal of the Public Health Fellowship is simple: equip emerging leaders with the tools to improve community health at a systems level. For Justice Spriggs, that mission became a career path.

In rural communities across Minnesota, neighbors look out for one another. There’s a deep sense of connection, resilience, and pride; qualities that make these communities not only unique, but essential to the fabric of the country. Yet too often, the people who know these communities best are left out of the conversations that shape their health. That’s exactly what Project REACH is working to change.

For some, commercial tobacco use can feel like a public health issue of the past. Smoking rates have declined dramatically over the last few decades, and in the U.S., prevalence has dipped into the single digits for the first time. But according to Dana Carroll, the Director of the Tobacco Research Programs at the University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center, that perception is far from the truth.

Access to dental care is often treated as optional or secondary, but for many Minnesotans, it is anything but. Oral health is foundational to overall health, quality of life, and dignity. And yet, for communities relying on public programs, dental care remains out of reach far too often.

At Advocates for Better Health (ABH), we believe that effective tobacco cessation support must be rooted in trust, cultural responsiveness, and community partnership. That’s why we have been honored to collaborate with NorthPoint Health & Wellness Center, an organization that has long been a cornerstone of care for North Minneapolis and beyond.

We are seeking energetic, thoughtful, and strategically minded leaders who want to contribute their experience and perspective to a collaborative, values-driven board.

We are in deep mourning as the aftermath of the shooting in Minneapolis reverberates throughout our city, state, and community. We are heartbroken by the loss of life, and by the harm done to our collective sense of safety, stability, and wellbeing.

At Advocates for Better Health, we believe that every Minnesotan deserves to feel safe, valued, and respected. Public health is grounded in the understanding that people and communities thrive when they are treated with dignity, and that the words we use about one another matter.

The following blog post is guest written by Anna Irmiter, Director of Programs at Open Arms of Minnesota. Anna was a featured speaker at our most recent Night Out with ABH focusing on food access and justice.

We are honored to have a new blog post from Merry Grande, Executive Director of the Minnesota Public Health Association. MPHA has been a boon for public health across the state through their commitment to engaging the community and public health workers.