Meet Shannon & Lesley
Shannon is the Director of Operations for Building Beloved Communities. She is fluent in Spanish and a mother to two children. Shannon is a co-founder & board member of Latinas Network, a 501(c)3, and is passionate about creating a future where her children can see Latinas represented everywhere. She is also a co-founder & administrator of a Roanoke based networking group, In the Mix Networking Group, where she enjoys planning events that connect professionals in a fun & relaxed environment to maximize synergy.
Lesley Butterfield is a board-certified Registered Nurse, community educator and a Family Navigator with the The Partnership for People with Disabilities and VCU. Lesley works to support families navigating change by providing workshops, parent coaching, and connection to community resources. She serves and works with a variety of organizations in the Roanoke valley and believes that through education we can increase understanding and change lives. Lesley has served on multiple boards, including NAMI-Virginia and The Prevention Council, has authored several published articles, is a frequent media contributor, and has been a guest speaker for podcasts and multiple events, including the 2019 Virginia Tech Autism Conference and 2019 TAPs A Walk in Her Shoes event. Lesley has shared her expertise at various conferences hosted by Huddle Up Moms and VagCon. In 2020 Lesley was honored to be named on the Top 40 Under 40 with The Roanoker Magazine.
What strengths did you observe in the family?
We were privileged to be able to attend a home visit with a Spanish-speaking family, which was a really informative experience. There were SO many strengths we were able to see with the mother. It was an exciting time for her, as she is currently expecting a baby boy. She was very resourceful in her ability to navigate her appointments and find the resources she is in need of to support her and her baby during this time. We were really amazed to see how she easily she communicated with her family case manager about her hopes, her needs, and even about her vulnerabilities. It takes a certain strength to be so emotionally open with others. I also really enjoyed seeing this mother be so engaged with her own health! She was very organized and detailed-oriented, and it was inspiring to see how she cared for herself and her family. This mother had an incredibly positive, upbeat personality, and she even used humor at some points within the visit, which helped to create a comfortable connection.
What did you learn from the family?
From Lesley: I learned that this mother and I have much more in common than I ever would have previously thought! I could connect with the profound love that she had for her children and her family. She described ways in which she tries to take time for herself even with several children, something that I think every busy mother can relate to. I learned that the language of love for family transcends all cultural barriers. The need for prioritizing and making difficult decisions reaches every family, no matter of culture or background. We are all trying to do the best we can with the situation we are in.
What were your takeaways?
Providing hope in the form of education and support to families within the community is so important. This is a gift that truly keeps on giving. Knowledge is passed down from generation to generation and empowering families to become engaged in their own health and well-being is work that makes our overall community stronger.