Overview: Adam Williams ties a bow on the We Are Chaffee podcast in this episode, talking once more with Andrea Carlstrom, who, as director of Chaffee County (Colo.) Public Health, has supported the show for the entirety of its more than three years and nearly 100 episodes.
They talk about the value of community stories, resiliency and advocacy, and the new programs within the larger We are Chaffee storytelling initiative. They also talk about the goings on with Chaffee County Public Health and its continuing to be a cornerstone of well-being in the Chaffee County community.
Or listen on: Spotify / Apple Podcasts
SHOW NOTES, LINKS, CREDITS & TRANSCRIPT
The We Are Chaffee podcast is supported by Chaffee County Public Health.
Along with being distributed on podcast listening platforms (e.g. Spotify, Apple), We Are Chaffee is broadcast weekly at 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, on KHEN 106.9 community radio FM in Salida, Colo.
We Are Chaffee Podcast
Website: wearechaffeepod.com
Instagram: instagram.com/wearechaffeepod
CREDITS
We Are Chaffee Host, Producer & Photographer: Adam Williams
We Are Chaffee Engineer: Jon Pray
We Are Chaffee Community Advocacy Coordinator: Lisa Martin
Director of Chaffee County Public Health and Environment: Andrea Carlstrom
TRANSCRIPT
Note: Transcripts are produced using an automated transcription app. Although it is largely accurate, minor errors inevitably exist.
[Intro music, guitar instrumental]
[00:00:11] Adam Williams: Welcome to the We Are Chaffee Podcast where we connect through conversations of community, humanness and well being in Chaffee County, Colorado. I’m Adam Williams.
Today, we’re tying a bow on the We Are Chaffee Podcast. I’m talking once more with Andrea Carlstrom, who as director of Chaffee County Public Health has been behind supporting the show for the entirety of its more than three years and nearly 100 episodes that’s been on podcast players, at wearechaffeepod.com, and airing weekly at 106.9 FM KHEN community radio in Salida. Thank you to the folks at KHEN for this media partnership all along the way.
Today, Andrea and I talk about the value of the community, stories, resiliency and advocacy, and the specialness of our community here, which we’ve highlighted over and over on this show. We also highlight the positive ripple effect that’s been possible throughout Chaffee county because of the vulnerable and insightful story sharing by around 100 of our neighbors.
Without the courage and willingness of the guests who have been on this show, there is no show. So a big, big thank you to all who have sat up to the mic with me and opened their minds and hearts for the good of all of us.
And a big thank you to you and all who have listened and introduced the podcast to others to help grow the good in our community. If you have missed some of those conversations, I encourage you to dig into the archive and push play. It’s good, good stuff.
Besides saying farewell to the podcast today, I’m catching up with Andrea on the new programs within the larger We Are Chaffee storytelling initiative and we talk about the goings on with Chaffee County Public Health and it’s continuing to be a cornerstone of well being in our community.
One more time now. The We Are Chaffee Podcast is and always has been supported by Chaffee County Public health. Go to wearechaffeepod.com for all things related to this podcast, including transcripts, links and photos related to this episode and the nearly 100 others that are in the archive now.
Here we go, wrapping it up with Andrea Carlstrom.
[Transition music, guitar instrumental]
Adam Williams: Andrea, thanks for coming back in. This is the third time in this show that you have appeared here with me for the mic. At least I guess the first time was not me, was it? You started off this whole thing with Ken Matthews as host as we transitioned to We Are Chaffee.
[00:02:55] Andrea Carlstrom: That’s right. Yeah. We were just kind of reminiscing about that first episode and what we didn’t know that we knew now, and it’s just. It’s been an incredible ride.
[00:03:06] Adam Williams: More than three years later, I can’t believe we’ve done nearly 100 episodes of this podcast. It’s hard for me to think about it in terms of favorites. I really feel like I’ve loved every one of the conversations, and I have a very, very long list of favorites, and I actually have to look through the archive myself just to even kind of reminisce through, you know, who all we’ve talked with and what those conversations were. For me as host, I don’t know if you have a take on that in terms of what you remember. I don’t want to put you on the spot because it’s hard for me to do. But what do you maybe take away from the collection, if not specific conversations of what we’ve done with this podcast?
[00:03:44] Andrea Carlstrom: Over the time, collectively, it has just warmed my heart. I feel like I’ve learned so much about people that I know in our community and perhaps have taken for granted colleagues of mine, people that I see at the local grocery store, but then also people that I had no idea existed here in this county and have since our paths have crossed. And I sometimes have joked with people that I’m just meeting for the first time but have heard their podcast. I know so much about you.
I feel like sometimes it’s meeting a movie star or celebrity. And so it is just again, I feel like every episode that I’ve listened to, and I think I’ve listened to probably 99% of them, usually while folding laundry or on a road trip or going to a meeting.
So I feel like every time I get goosebumps because these are people who are sharing their candid stories, oftentimes sensitive information about their past, and they’ve really opened up to our community for the sake of storytelling and advocacy and really uniting all of us together.
[00:04:50] Adam Williams: I feel like it’s a special seat that I have had for this because of how much people share vulnerably, and they do share with sensitivity and to me, courage to be able to open up. Not just to me, but of course they know they’re on a microphone. They know it’s going to be shared out and into the world and in these small communities where we live. I think it is.
It’s bold and courageous on their part, and I really commend them for being willing to face that with me and be part of sharing that. And it’s amazing just the stories that people have that we don’t know. And if I have One, I hesitate to use the word regret, but I sure would have loved to have been able to talk with a thousand or ten thousand more of the people in this community, because I know that those stories are there with so many others as well.
[00:05:32] Andrea Carlstrom: They sure are. And first and foremost, I just want to thank you, Adam, because you’ve also been vulnerable week after week on our podcast and have shared information about yourself and have really opened up. And I think it’s just a testament to how powerful storytelling and story sharing is, is that we all come from somewhere and we can learn from each other. And I actually did go back to the first episode archive just to see what Becky Gray and I were talking about way back then. And I guess that was our. We published it 7-26-20. And I went back and was like, wow, look how far in so many ways our community has come since then.
And also, wow, how much work we still have before us, especially when we’re talking about housing and kind of the cost of living in our rural community. But I think we’ve woven together all of these stories to say, hey, we here in Chaffee, we’re resilient, we can face adversity together and we can overcome that adversity if we do roll up our sleeves and join hands and do it in a way that is forward thinking and proactive rather than perseverating on the challenges and problems in our rural county.
[00:06:46] Adam Williams: I think that’s the essence of being willing to share vulnerably, is that when we do that, people who hear can also learn. You know, I’m not alone in how I’m feeling about this challenge. I’m not alone in my anxiety or my whatever I am feeling as I relate to, whether it’s socio political things, if it’s economic things, if it’s housing challenges, what all of these undercurrents, these social determinants of health, right, that was at the heart of this show. And I think it’s important that people have been willing to share in those ways. And some of the feedback that we’ve gotten tells me that it has resonated.
[00:07:22] Andrea Carlstrom: I would agree. I mean, who knew that when we started dreaming this up that we would be thinking about being human, sharing stories and making changes and that it would happen. And I think that vision, that dream that we had several years ago has really flourished and for those who’ve tuned in, has really made an impression on them and how we see ourselves in this complex society in this rural community. And I am one of those people who have really profoundly been changed by listening to stories and then seeing those people out on the streets. They’re now running for office in our community. They are trying to make a difference. And I think I can’t help but wonder if participating in the podcast and some of the other We Are Chaffee products has motivated them to do that.
[00:08:17] Adam Williams: I have felt like hearing from some of those people who have felt encouraged to go on into, like you’re saying, running for office or maybe a public speaking thing, because somebody who heard them sharing their story, it’s about their story that they saw value in bringing to their group. And it has rippled out into the community in some ways. And I feel like in the tiniest way that I’ve been part of helping to facilitate that. That’s so incredible. And I love that aspect of this community project.
[00:08:47] Andrea Carlstrom: I would agree. I mean, you, all of us, we’ve been part of a movement, and members of the public have heard me said at nauseum, you know, let’s take a moment and turn it into a movement. Let’s look at a transaction and turn it into transformation. And I feel confidently that that’s what we’ve been attempting to do. And it really has worked its way to, hopefully, a storytelling and advocacy and bond and bridging and belonging, an inclusive movement that we didn’t have before.
[00:09:16] Adam Williams: I hope that we have persuaded people that sharing your story matters, whether it’s on microphone for a public community sharing sort of initiative, or if it’s just to talk with that neighbor or that family member or whoever, to be more open and be open to listening as well. And that so much positive can come from that when we actually do share vulnerably instead of trying to hold it so tightly.
[00:09:38] Andrea Carlstrom: I would agree. And it could be just because of my occupational hazard that I’m sort of at the center of a lot of these projects and initiatives that people have no problem sharing with me the impact that these programs have had on their lives. And I do see it. It’s really incredible that the power of storytelling has popped up in so many different facets in our community. And I’d like to think that we were pioneers in this effort.
But as you start to see how this can impact all the generations in our community, we have a new radio show, connecting frequencies that’s bringing together younger and older people to share stories about how music has impacted their lives and how we are actually more alike than unique in the way that we cherish music in our lives. We also have had written stories and a written storytelling movement oh, my goodness. We debuted a documentary, A Home in paradise, in the last few years. And when my team came to me saying we should make a documentary, it gave me heart palpitations because it was no easy feat. And yet here we are, PBS wanting to pick.
And so I’m really excited for what we’ve been able to accomplish in the last several years. And I feel confident and almost like it’s more necessary than ever before for us to continue this work in other ways.
[00:11:00] Adam Williams: I think the documentary in particular is phenomenal. That is an extraordinary piece of work that I just don’t imagine a lot of local departments are going to take on.
[00:11:09] Andrea Carlstrom: Right.
[00:11:10] Adam Williams: 1. I mean, fairly enough, there’s a budget that’s required for that. But we had an Emmy Award winning director and producer making this film. This is, you know, as legitimate as a documentary as any other. And it’s, you know, I think, so special for this community. And all of this, all of the initiative, all of those different forms you’re talking about to me, create a time capsule of sorts.
[00:11:33] Andrea Carlstrom: Yes. Oh, my goodness. And it’s not just here in Chaffee County. I’ve had plenty of people from the state health department, from some of the health serving nonprofits and foundations in our state saying that they too have watched the documentary and they were inspired by it and really intrigued on how they can lift up rural communities such as ours.
You are right. We are a fairly ambitious local public health agency that has had just the good fortune of local partnerships, coordination, collaboration and funding. And so when we first secured the Health Disparities in Community grant program through the Colorado Department of Public Health, Environment Office of Health Equity.
[00:12:18] Adam Williams: That’s a long title.
[00:12:19] Andrea Carlstrom: It’s a long title. I wanted to get it right. What a gift for us to get that because it really has transpired, this storytelling and advocacy movement. Of course, all grants come to an end. And so I think that that’s one of the main reasons why we’re here recording our last episode is that we just had to be as thoughtful as possible with having to financially sustain it as well as other programming.
But when one door closes, another one opens. And so I’m really excited about the Belonging Colorado grant that we have that’s going to carry on. We are Chaffee’s Future, which is an exciting project that pairs young people with older adults to work on art and storytelling together. And it’s a multi month project that hopefully next spring will be able to debut and celebrate as an entire county.
[00:13:16] Adam Williams: You mentioned the radio show as well, where we’re talking about older and younger generations discussing music, and then this. We are Chaffee’s future. What is at the heart, do you think of, whether it’s your personal intention in leading this or whoever all is involved in being able to bring the multiple generations of perspective together?
[00:13:36] Andrea Carlstrom: Well, aging well is really important for Chaffee County Public Health. We do have an aging population. Over 26% of our population is 65 and older. And so we’ve been working in that aging space for quite some time.
Pre-pandemic, but certainly exacerbated. During the pandemic, our older adults were socially isolated and we were committed to working on programming to get them connected to other parts of our community so that they can age in place at home as long as possible.
At the same time, our youth experienced the same type of disconnection or social isolation. Whether it was pre pandemic with the technology boom and social media, or whether we’re talking about the pandemic during that time in which they couldn’t participate in the activities and the milestones that generations before them were able to.
We saw this interesting dynamic occur for our younger people and our older people becoming a little bit more at risk of mental health issues that could then lead to chronic health issues. And so that is sort of the spirit behind pairing younger and older adults, especially because we can learn from our older adults, and older adults can also become more youthful and open to other forms of technology and other opportunities in our society that they perhaps weren’t privy to when they were younger. So it’s sort of a win-win for both populations.
[00:15:08] Adam Williams: I feel like the range of ages and perspectives that we got to have on this show was something that mattered to me. You know, we had guests that ranged from 18 to 96.
[00:15:18] Andrea Carlstrom: So cool.
[00:15:19] Adam Williams: And every decade in between, in multiple, within all of those decades, except maybe the teen age, there might have just been the one there that kind of had to represent a lot. But I feel like it’s been important to get those different perspectives and stories.
[00:15:32] Andrea Carlstrom: Most definitely. Yeah. And I feel like some episodes were a history lesson, a history lesson in our community, in the rich history that we’ve had in the history of Buena Vista or the history of recreation on the river. And so that has really been fun too, is to appreciate the different generations our own county has had over the years.
[00:15:56] Adam Williams: Are there other programs right now related to public health?
[00:15:59] Andrea Carlstrom: Yes, there’s always–
[00:16:01] Adam Williams: Right.
[00:16:01] Andrea Carlstrom: There’s a lot of programs at public health.
[00:16:02] Adam Williams: Silly question.
[00:16:04] Andrea Carlstrom: Where do I begin? I mean, I think that on a regular basis. I’m getting questions from the public regarding kind of the future of public health. It’s not uncommon for just people who don’t know what they don’t know in the community to ask us, hey, you all in public health, will you have jobs in the future? What does that look like for you and your programming? We’re hearing about budget cuts, we’re hearing about programming having to shift or perhaps terminate because of the wording and the language that’s used in the statements of work and the contracts that we have here in Chaffee County.
We are going to stay the course. We have always been nimble and flexible, and so we are committed to making sure that we have a stellar program that does prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, bridging, listening, and being kind of that hub of all things health and wellness in our community.
And at the same time, our colleagues, our peers, other states, even other counties in Colorado are having to make some really tough decisions on their programming. I mean, when our federal administration pulls away from the World Health Organization, when it starts to defund the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Institute on Health, when we start to see some of these major grants that we’ve relied on, that the state has relied on, that locals have relied on, either get cut or completely terminated, that’s cause for alarm.
And so while I know a lot of folks are focused on the funding, I’m focused on the lives and livelihoods and the future of the integrity and the values that we hold as public health and public health champion. So that’s sort of at the forefront of what’s on my mind these days of how can we preserve this amazing public health team and our partners. We have a lot of nonprofits in our community that we work with. We’re working closely with the community foundation on ensuring that our leadership Roundtable cable is strengthened and that we build a resilient leadership network that can weather whatever cuts are in front of us, whatever storm is in front of us, that we can weather it regardless of what it is. We’re also feverishly working on a safety net leaders group to identify how do we resource the resources that we do have in this community.
And we are revamping Chaffee Resources, the website, which is your one stop hub for all things health and wellness. Be on the lookout, everyone in the public, because while the current website exists, we are going to be working on a new and improved website that will have AI built into it so that at your fingertips you can look up any resource that exists here in this county and how to access it. So really exciting. We’ve had to pivot from business and as usual to strengthening the ability of our county to experience and overcome adversity. Yet I know strongly that if any county, if any community can do it, we can, because we are Chaffee.
[00:19:17] Adam Williams: I feel like you as leader of Chaffee County Public Health, but then also this leadership roundtable that you referred to, I think all of this as a community and the leadership that we have is extraordinary.
[00:19:28] Andrea Carlstrom: I would agree.
[00:19:29] Adam Williams: I don’t have a sense of reference for that because I’m not as well tapped into the things that you are. But I do feel like we are extraordinary and not just because of the landscape and not just because of the things that draw us here that we love and the outdoors that we love to be part of, but to be able to be resilient and weather some of these challenges that everyone is going through across the country, across the world. I think we have people who are fighting the good fight.
[00:19:53] Andrea Carlstrom: There is no other place I would rather live or serve. And in fact, I was walking into the office today and checking in with a new hire who started recently and, you know, just she’s on cloud nine. And I’m like, I have to tell you a little secret, but I’ve been off for the last few days and there was this yearning even while I was out of the office to get back, to get back to my community, to see these amazing people that roll up their sleeves every day on behalf of our community. It’s not just folks that work in our public health department. It’s a lot of county departments, a lot of county and municipality leaders.
It’s incredible. I think we have a really special thing here. And when I talk to my peers and they hear about everything that we have going on in Chaffee county, they’re in awe because they don’t get that same experience. And I look at it as a gift that we don’t take lightly. And it’s something that we really need to be good stewards of.
[00:20:47] Adam Williams: I’m glad that you were able to get a few days away because honestly, you know, I worry sometimes about the level of energy that you are not only want to put into it, I know, but you’re also required to put in to keep all of this going and at very difficult times, like through the pandemic, like through these funding issues we’re talking about and these challenges with different agencies. So I am hopeful that you are able to keep finding those opportunities for, well, being for yourself to stay healthy and keep leading us because you are very much valued here.
[00:21:17] Andrea Carlstrom: Oh, thank you. Most definitely. I’ve been everywhere I go promoting self care and making sure that myself included, everyone gets a break. They get to rest and recharge so that we can be our whole selves 110%. When we start our day out, we aren’t dreading what’s to come that you know, this current day, but we’re saying, what magic can we make together? You know, if we’re going to work, if we’re going to work hard, we should be having fun doing it. We should be able to see the results. And I think that we do get to see that here in our small community.
There are people who have sacrificed a lot to be here and at the same time, I think sacrificing a lot because it truly is a special place. Now I know that it’s naive to think that we won’t experience adversity again. High cost of living, housing, challenges, you know, trying to find a sweet gig that gives you the quality of life balance between work and play. And I think that we have, we have it here in this county and we need to nourish it, we need to cherish it and we need to work hard to preserve it.
[00:22:25] Adam Williams: I appreciate all your efforts. I want to say thank you for this opportunity that I’ve had for the last three-plus years to do this show, to be part of We Are Chaffee to, in that way I guess, have a tangential connection to Public Health and all of this energy that you are leading in the community. So I told you I don’t want to get too sappy here as we say goodbye with all of this.
But I do want you to know and to publicly say, you know, how much I do appreciate the opportunity you have given me and all of us, all the guests who have come on here and talked with me. I think it’s been amazing.
[00:22:57] Andrea Carlstrom: It’s been incredible. And I think over the last few years we’ve grown together too. We’ve had some serious conversations. We’ve done some really intense brainstorming. It’s been, what a gift to get to hear these stories, to get to know people that I wouldn’t otherwise know in our community. And what a just special moment in time where we’ve been able to thread the needle with so many people and so many stories and rest assured, the work will continue. It just will look different in different ways.
But yes, I think that we’ve all been. Who knew that three years ago, three plus, years ago, we would have been given this incredible journey to be on together. And I don’t take it lightly. And yes, I have gotten goosebumps and teared up many times thinking about this day.
[00:23:51] Adam Williams: You said, who knew? I sure didn’t. This fell into my lap and I. It’s. It’s amazing. I want people to know, too, that while we’re talking about all these other stories that others have gotten to share, that you also did come on with me along the way as a guest, like anybody else, to share something about who you are, not just public health items to talk about and things like that. And I want people to know that if they scroll back through the archive at wearechaffeepod.com, they will find this conversation with you and they’ll get to learn about, I think, some really interesting things about who you are as a person.
[00:24:22] Andrea Carlstrom: It was March 2023, the three year anniversary of our first case here of COVID. Yeah.
[00:24:28] Adam Williams: Okay.
[00:24:29] Andrea Carlstrom: And yes, I have had numerous people now reach out to me in public and throw me a fish liner or two or say, hey, you know, I only knew the serious side of Andrea Karlstrom. And who knew that actually, you have a different side to you that loves live music and dancing and just traveling around the country, you know, seeing favorite bands. And so, yeah, I think that that’s all part of it is that we all have a professional gig and we take it really seriously. And at the end of the day, again, we’re all human beings. We wake up in the morning, we aspire to, you know, be our truest selves.
We want to make a difference, whatever we’re doing, whatever we’re working on personally and professionally. And so, yeah, that was an episode where I feel like I probably could have shared in detail a few more parts of the COVID response experience. And, you know, I think that we have been resilient in that adversity. Myself, my team, our community.
And so while we did have to go through some really tough stuff together, I think we should also be really proud of. Of what we have been able to achieve despite a pandemic, despite a wildfire or wildfire threats, despite any other adversity that may come our way. And again, if anyone can overcome and can prevail, it’s us in Chaffee County.
[00:25:55] Adam Williams: I don’t have anything else for this conversation. If you have any closing thoughts, you know, I’d love to hear them. If not, then we can again say thank you and say goodbye.
[00:26:05] Andrea Carlstrom: Well, again, I just want to thank you, Adam, from the bottom of my heart. You’ve sacrificed a lot to make this a quality podcast. And I think a lot of folks who’ve been tuning in regularly are going to miss it. Luckily, they’re all recorded and so you can just start from the beginning.
[00:26:20] Adam Williams: Yeah.
[00:26:21] Andrea Carlstrom: And probably learn something new about the person that you thought you had caught all the details. I also want to thank our friend John here and our friends at Cahen. This has been a fantastic experience getting to know all of you. And I think, lastly, I just want to thank the people who’ve tuned in. The people who have either listened live or who have, you know, folded it into, no pun intended, their laundry routine, like me. I think it’s just been really incredible for those who have tuned in, participated, put themselves out there. And yeah, my heart is heavy, but I so grateful that we’ve been able to be on this adventure together.
[00:27:01] Adam Williams: You’re referring to Jon Pray, who has been an engineer, the tech guy who’s helped on so many of these episodes. He also was a guest alongside Ken Matthews in an episode that was a good while ago. Some really interesting things about Jon and Ken as well.
So, you know, I would encourage people, yeah, scroll through that archive because the intention with a lot of this is that it’s evergreen. It might be a three year old episode, but that person is still that person. That still is their story.
And we, you know, didn’t get hung up on the news of the day so much as we got to know about where this person’s coming from and see them as a human being. Like you’re referring to how we get a chance to see everybody that way, not just whatever their community or professional face within the community might be.
[00:27:45] Andrea Carlstrom: That’s right.
[00:27:45] Adam Williams: So check out John, check out Andrea, get to know their episode. And yeah, thanks, John, for all your help in all of this.
[00:27:52] Andrea Carlstrom: Thank you. And please don’t be a stranger. I would say if you are intrigued with what our local public health department has going on, reach out to me. I think a lot of folks know how to find me by now. Reach out to my department. There’s always something for everyone in our community. So whether you want to volunteer, whether you want to write a check or participate in the We Are Chaffee Storytelling and Advocacy movement, we’re here. We want you to participate. And so hopefully we’ll hear from some of you in the near future on how you can be more active with public health locally.
[00:28:27] Adam Williams: Sounds like that’s a wrap, y’all.
[00:28:28] Andrea Carlstrom: That’s a wrap.
[00:28:29] Adam Williams: Thank you.
[Transition music, instrumental guitar]
[00:28:37] Adam Williams: Once more, thank you for listening to the We Are Chaffee Podcast. You can learn more about this episode and others in the show notes at wearechaffeepod.com and on Instagram @wearechaffeepod. Those sites will live on with the archive of this show for some time to come.
The We Are Chaffee Podcast has been supported by Chaffee County Public Health. Thank you again to Andrea Carlstrom, Director of Chaffee County Public Health and Environment, and to Lisa Martin, Community Advocacy Coordinator for the larger We Are Chaffee storytelling initiative.
Once more, I’m Adam Williams Williams and I have loved being the host, producer and photographer for the We Are Chaffee Podcast. Thank you to all who have joined in these conversations with me, and to you and the others who have listened, who have spread the word, and who have sent kind messages of support along the way. You’ve made a positive difference in our community. I appreciate you.
Now I’ll end how I ended every episode, reminding you to, as we say at We Are Chaffee, “share Stories make change.”
[Outro music, instrumental horns and guitar]
