Elena's Big Day of Giving Fundraising Page

Hi, I am Elena Michel, Program Director of the Wellness Education Team and Wellness Hub!

One moment that stands out from my early time at HEC was during one of our first Walk with Friends sessions I was trying to get going in Roseville. Roseville was a different community for HEC, and we had just opened a satellite site on Vernon Street. I was committed to building the program, figuring things out, and really trying to get people to feel comfortable showing up and participating in activities we had going on. I was the only HEC staff there and it was really all on my shoulders to bring the program to fruition. For weeks, I walked up and down the streets business to business introducing myself to the area workers. And on the first WWF (business edition) I had a group of 7 people. Business men and women who took time out of their lunch hour to learn about the work HEC was doing and put their health first. Though the Roseville program is no longer running, I often think of how cool it was that I had a part in starting a new initiative.

That moment stuck with me, especially in those early days, because it showed me how powerful something as simple as a genuine welcome can be. It really reinforced that creating a space where people feel seen and comfortable is just as important as the program itself.

One of the early programs I supported was our Shopping on a Budget series at local grocery stores. Through that, I learned how to really read labels, compare products, and stretch a budget in a way that still supports healthy choices. This past weekend while shopping my 12-year-old son was reading labels! I had one of those full circle moments where I realized this work wasn’t just impacting participants, it was shaping how I show up for my own family too.