Last Updated: January 17, 2025
For RHHD Community Health Worker Ethan Satterwhite, making healthy changes is a personal and professional resolution.
Ethan began working at the Mosby Resource Center in the summer of 2024. At RHHD’s Resource Centers, Community Health Workers like Ethan help neighborhood residents connect to care and find support for related needs like transportation and housing. Ethan recognized right away that food access—and especially healthy food access—was an important part of his job.
“It matters what we put in our body,” Ethan says. “Food is another kind of health prevention. It can be a way of boosting our immune systems.”
Ethan knows that healthy foods can be expensive, and that making changes to our diets can be hard. Whether he’s talking to clients or building his own healthy practices, Ethan uses some of these strategies to take small steps forward:
- Start with where you are. “I try to be transparent and honest with people,” Ethan says. “Making these changes can be emotional, and so I try to meet people in that emotional part.” Ethan will ask people to make a list of their favorite fruits and vegetables and to share their favorite protein. Then, he helps brainstorm: if you like blueberries, can you try adding another berry to your diet? If fried chicken is your favorite meal, can you test out a grilled chicken instead? “It’s about making the puzzle a little easier for people,” Ethan explains!
- Get to know the experts. Richmond and Henrico have lots of farmers and organizations doing important work on food access. Ethan regularly works with Shalom Farms and REAL LIFE to bring healthy foods to Mosby Court, and the neighborhood has a community garden. Richmond Parks and Rec has information about starting or participating in a community garden of your own!
- Learn about ingredients. It’s easier to get excited about eating healthy when you know what a food is providing you! Ethan loves teaching people about the benefits of healthy foods. The #WhatsOnMyPlate initiative is a great place to learn what nutrients are in your food!
- Pair healthy eating with more movement. Ethan’s 2025 resolution is to walk more, especially at work. “I’m not used to sitting at a desk all day, and I want to get to know the neighborhood,” he says. If you see Ethan on a walk near the Mosby Resource Center, make sure to say hello!
You can find a list of nutrition programs, especially for children and new families, and food access help at VDH’s Healthy Food Environments site.
Ethan Satterwhite (kneeling) is a vital member of RHHD’s Community Health Worker team!
Ethan works hard to add fresh fruits and vegetables to his diet!