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Healthbeat Live: Storytelling is community
People from many different journeys in public health joined us to share the “aha” moments that drive their dedication. It was a powerful evening.
Rebecca Grapevine
November 06, 2025 • Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Hi Atlanta!
It was standing room only on Monday night, as more than 80 people gathered at Manuel’s Tavern for Healthbeat’s first live storytelling event. What unfolded was a powerful expression of how individual stories about the smallest of moments can build a big community.
People from many walks of life, from a firefighter to a professor, shared stories of their “aha” moments. The audience was spellbound, as people talked about the transformational moments that powered their lifelong commitment to improving public health.
These ranged from a patient of a rare disease realizing she could be a scientist who studies that disease, to an addiction counselor sharing his harrowing story of bringing a patient back from the brink of death, to a CDC employee sharing how she found meaning in her early career as a social worker in a large and impersonal system in New York City.
In true Atlanta fashion, the world came to us: The stories leapt from Haiti to India to Kenya and back again, to familiar hospitals and streets of our own city. We nodded our heads in affirmation and recognition, oohed-and-ahhed, laughed, cried, and took two precious hours to connect with each other.
To everyone who came and those who helped us – especially our sponsors at the Georgia Health Initiative and our storytellers — thank you! We at Healthbeat are grateful for your support.
To those who couldn’t make it: Don’t worry. Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing the stories and videos at Healthbeat.org and our social platforms.
We’re also eager to explore how our small but mighty newsroom can facilitate more events like this. We want to help people understand the stories behind public health, the often invisible work that holds up a community. Let us know what events you’d like to see.
Data scientist Brandon Kenemer, foreground, and friends listen to a speaker at Monday’s event. Kenemer shared his story of moments of inspiration going back to his childhood. (Rebecca Grapevine / Healthbeat)
Upcoming Events
🔥Bonne Fire ATL’s next health Innovation happy hour will be on Nov. 13 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Krog Street Market. Find out more and sign up here.
🔊ARCHI’s 2025 State of Metro Atlanta will be held Nov. 14 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Decatur Conference Center. Renée Branch Canady, CEO of the Michigan Public Health Institute, will give the keynote address. More details here.
ICYMI
Here’s a recap of the latest reporting from Healthbeat:
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The Grapevine 🍇
A student and teacher at the Arthur M. Blank Early Learning Center at the E.A. Ware YMCA in Vine City. (Rebecca Grapevine / Healthbeat)
I visited the Head Start program at the E.A. Ware YMCA in Vine City last week. As we reporters took photos and videos, the children waved at us, blew kisses, and flashed thumbs-up with giant smiles. Getting to step behind the scenes to see the adorable children being lovingly cared for made my month.
But we were there to discuss a serious issue: The possible temporary closing of Head Start programs in Georgia due to the federal government shutdown. The three metro Atlanta area programs – run by the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, Sheltering Arms, and Easter Seals – are going to be able to continue to operate until early December thanks to a bridge loan from the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. But Action Pact has had to shutter its 15 Head Start centers across 11 Southeast Georgia counties.
That means families will lose out on high-quality child care, and kids will miss out on two nutritious meals and a snack daily, as well as health services.
What I’m hearing from readers:
What an incredible woman. I taught English at Clarkston High for 15 years before transferring to Chamblee, and my students shared such inspirational stories about the challenges their families faced getting to the U.S. Truly an amazing community.
What Do You Know?
Test your knowledge of public health topics. Today’s question:
Many social service programs are facing funding challenges due to the federal government shutdown. Head Start is among them. When was it founded? |
Tell Me More
Is the federal government shutdown affecting your work or personal life? What questions do you have about how it will impact Georgia? You can reach me at [email protected], post a comment, or reply to this email.
In health,
Rebecca
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