Hi, I’m Steph Thornton—a Community Health Worker (CHW), MSW student, mom, and founder of SAGA Farms, a grassroots wellness and advocacy project rooted in Detroit and Highland Park. I’m reaching out because I’ve been selected to present at the 2025 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.—a national platform where I’ll be speaking on how to reimagine funding, power, and purpose in CHW work.

This is a huge honor. My presentation, “Walking With, Not For: Reframing Funding, Power, and Purpose in the CHW Movement,” uplifts the voices of CHWs, parents, and families navigating real barriers every day. It’s based on lived experience, love, and labor I’ve poured into the Detroit community for over a decade.

But here’s the thing: CHWs rarely get funded to be in the rooms we belong in.

Despite receiving a small grant, I still need help covering:

• ✈️ Travel to Washington, D.C.

• ️ Hotel lodging

• ️ Conference registration

• Local transit and meals

If you’ve ever seen me advocate, speak, parent, organize, or build community, you know I show up with heart, humor, and honesty. I’m asking for your help to make this possible—so I can represent our people and our purpose on a national stage.

Any donation, share, or words of encouragement mean the world. Thank you for helping me walk with—not ahead of—the communities I serve.

With gratitude,

Steph Thornton

CHW | MSW Student | Founder, SAGA Farms

#WalkingWithNotFor #APHA2025 #CHWVoices #SAGAFarms