Lauren Vance
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive"
I have always been driven by the need to help others and have a great passion for improving communities health and well being. It is sometimes difficult for me to comprehend the fact that essential elements, such as food, water, shelter, and safety, are not equally accessible to all. Good health is the result of access, resources, education and opportunities made available. I am passionate about contributing to our communities health and wellbeing, and I am particularly driven to help aid hunger relief by supporting community-wide efforts such as expanding and securing resources that are available and improving communications and education efforts. I have been blessed to volunteer and work in the non-profit sector for the past 8 years. I currently live in Berlin, Germany and work remotely as a communications specialist for local non-profits in Florida, USA. In the past, I enjoyed my time working with Meals On Wheels of Tampa, as the Director of Programs & Partners, Director of Donor Relations, and Director of Communications. During my time with this organization, I helped them to rebrand their agency, develop new programs and partnerships, evaluate programs and their impact, exceed fundraising goals, plan events, create effective communication and marketing pieces (like annual reports, direct mail campaigns, website/social media, etc) and increase the amount of people engaged with their mission (clients, volunteers, donors, and partners). I also worked for the Johnson County Community Foundation in Iowa City, Iowa as a Communications & Event Coordinator. I am a published author two times, of original research studies titled, "The Impact of Home-Delivered Meal Programs on Nutritional Risk, Dietary Intake, Food Security, Loneliness, and Social Well-Being" and "A Community University Partnership to Improve Access to Fresh Produce among Homebound Seniors".
I received a Master of Public Health degree from the University of South Florida and a bachelor's degree in Anthropology and International Studies-Global Health from the University of Iowa. I enjoy spending my time writing my travel blog, discovering new parks, getting lost in a great book, laughing with family/friends, and giving back to my community.