[Piano begins playing] [Tiffany Scott] Hi, I'm Tiffany Scott. I have been dubbed "The CHW's CHW" because of my love for other CHWs. And I've also been dubbed the "The Learning Evangelist," because I am dedicated to making sure not only my community but other CHWs have what they need. I am a mother of two, I am a wife, I am a daughter, I am a child of God, I am a friend, I am a sister. I am someone who loves on my community and loves each and every person that I meet regardless of their circumstances that they faced or their past experiences. [Piano music fades] I’m Tiffany Scott. I’m the first certified community health worker here in the great state on Maryland, and the current president and chair of the Maryland Community Health Worker Association. We are at my mom’s home located in West Baltimore in Baltimore City. I was raised two blocks from here, but I played at my grandmother’s house who lives deeper in the inner city. Baltimore City is weird in a sense that we create barriers to different parts of town. There are quite a few nuances, but it’s really hard to describe it if you’re not from Baltimore. You have West Baltimore, East Baltimore, and South Baltimore. The residents look different, dress differently, and talk differently. Charles Street separates the East from the West, but in our mind, it’s like a whole other country with its own culture, customs, and norms. It literally makes a huge difference just by crossing the street. No one wants to travel to the other side of town to receive the resources that are needed, including the hospitals and physicians. It’s really weird how we set up these barriers that will prohibit us from accessing resources. My childhood was amazing. I had a really great upbringing. Both sets of grandparents lived on Fayette Street. When it got really hot outside, a man from the neighborhood would crack open the fire hydrants, and we would have a grand time playing in the water. I remember the ice cream trucks and the Arabbers coming down the street with their horses and cart selling fruit: watermelons, cantaloupes, bananas, and apples. They had some of the sweetest, freshest fruit. You would hear the cowbells coming down the street, and they would stop to cut the watermelon so you could taste it. That’s how a lot of seniors got their fresh fruits and vegetables. This was back in the ‘80s. I initially wanted to go to school to become a social worker. After several classes, I realized that being a social worker was not going to fulfil my quest to help my family and community. Social workers are taught by formal education. But I, and many others, have learned through our life experiences. As a CHW, I could help people from my community that needed help through situations that I had overcome. I could use my lived experiences to educate, advocate, support, and uplift. A social worker is not taught to use their lived experiences to help a client navigate health and social service systems. I began to get involved in the CHW movement in Maryland and found out they were having CHW networking meetings. I made sure to attend. The location of the meetings moved throughout the state. They invited a CHW to take charge, and I thought that maybe I could run for the office. Dwyan Monroe was spearheading the monthly meetings. The Baltimore City monthly meetings were the only meetings that kept running. Right before the voting process I prayed, and then I got up and gave my speech. I don’t even remember what I said, but I guess it was effective because I got nominated. It was just the desire of my heart. We made Baltimore City the central chapter of the Maryland CHW Network. Stephanie Brown, another certified CHW, and I decided that instead of making a network, we were going to make it an association and get it incorporated. In June 2018, Maryland Community Health Worker Network became Maryland CHW Association, Inc. I have to take my hat off to Stephanie Brown as one of the co-founders of the association. The pandemic was stressful. A lot of CHWs lost their jobs. Many were struggling financially. Whenever there was a resource that I knew that would benefit them, I would tell them. It’s sad when no one really wants to help us considering the work we do and how we help our community. Many of the CHWs don’t receive fringe benefits. They’re not in a place where they’re flourishing financially. On paper, it may look like they’re making a living wage, but when they bring the money home doesn’t cover all their expenses. My heart goes out to those CHWs, and I try to do whatever I can to help. I’ve gone into my freezer and given away food because I want them to be able to at least feed their families. I am the CHW for the CHWs, which means I’m there for all of us. CHWs go through the same things as other people: trying to make rent or mortgage payments, kids misbehaving, kids being diagnosed with abnormalities or mental health conditions. We take care of our loved ones, our parents, and our communities. I often get calls from CHWs who are just needing to vent or need some assistance. I see what I can do to figure it out. I do it because I get my blessing watching them be blessed, watching them be successful. My kids are CHWs. My husband has become a CHW. It’s what we do. I plan to leave a legacy.