Lauren has spent the last 15 years focused on shifting outcomes for families through local and international development work, mental health-informed program design, nonprofit capacity building, and advocacy. After graduating from Michigan State University, Lauren participated in empowerment efforts with women in rural Costa Rica and in community development work in indigenous Ecuador, focusing on improved waste management practices and the reinstatement of kindergarten classes and a daycare. She began her nonprofit career in the US in 2008 as an AmeriCorps VISTA with Habitat for Humanity, which led her to the role of Assistant Executive Director. Later, as the Statewide Director of Programs for Climb Wyoming, Lauren oversaw a holistic workforce development program for single mothers that was recognized by the Aspen Institute as a 2GEN organization for its outstanding and lasting outcomes for both mothers and their children. She currently resides in Grand Rapids where she works as a consultant and project manager. Highlights of this work have included supporting the facilitation of collective impact and community engagement efforts with KConnect as well as nonprofit capacity building work with the team at SIDE Strategies.

Lauren is near completion of a Masters in Social Work from Grand Valley State University. She was excited to begin a Policy and Advocacy internship with MCAH, as she aims to apply the principles and values of clinical social work to affect change at the legislative and policy levels. When she completes her MSW and her MCAH internship, Lauren hopes to apply her experience to efforts that engage communities in the political and legislative process - she believes that policy change is the best way to attack systemic injustice at its roots, and that we have the greatest impact when we work together.

As a Policy and Advocacy Intern with MCAH, Lauren will be helping to advance our policy priorities and to grow our network of partners working against homelessness. She'll be working to initiate MCAH's Legislative Liaison program, to overhaul MCAH's website to better reflect our advocacy work, to plan and implement monthly LAC meetings, to update MCAH's Advocacy Toolkit, and more. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys playing the guitar, exploring Michigan's outdoors, and trying to keep up with her two little kids.