We don’t always think of climate change as a driver of mental, physical, and social health outcomes, but it directly and indirectly impacts not only our health, but the systems that support our health, like hospitals and social services.
The ISK Climate Change & Health Series will explore the ways climate change is connected to health, with an emphasis on Kalamazoo’s climate change challenges and ISK’s role in building resilience.
Whether you are an administrator, a doctor, a case worker, a community health worker, or a program supervisor, you can make a difference in our community’s climate change resilience.
by Nicole Olweean, ISK Community Health Worker
We’re so thankful for the hard work of ISK’s Nicole Olweean, a Community Health Worker who created the ISK Climate Change & Health Series back in March 2023.
In 15 information-packed installments, she helped us learn how climate and health are interrelated, how things like heat and storms affect our overall wellness, and the importance of considering climate impacts on mental health. She offered actionable tips and reassurance along the way. We wish her well in her many climate-related pursuits, including her PhD at the University of Galway!
Beyond her contingent work as a climate-focused Community Health Worker (CHW) at ISK, Nicole is a second-year PhD candidate at University of Galway, researching the power of citizens to drive sustainable food systems in Ireland. She’s also a member of the Climate Change Impact Project team at the Michigan Community Health Worker Alliance, where she’s helps develop climate change trainings for CHWs in Michigan. She’s always happy to chat about anything sustainability, food, or climate-related and can be reached at nolweean@iskzoo.org.
