LATINAHERSTORY

The human spirit is one of the strongest forces we never see.

In Buffalo, one woman has made it her life’s mission to protect and uplift that spirit.

Ivette Chavez (Fullenweider), a proud Puerto Rican, peer advocate, and Executive Director/Founder of Connections to Giving Back, a 501(c)3, is leading with empathy. Her leadership is not marked by titles or speeches—but by presence.

Founded in Buffalo, Connections to Giving Back is a grassroots, peer-led organization whose mission, as described on their Facebook page, is:

“To build community and support people who use drugs by providing food, clothing, and harm reduction supplies.”

Their work is grounded in the philosophy of harm reduction. According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, the goal of harm reduction is simple: save lives and protect health. But for Ivette, it’s also about dignity.

She meets people where they are—literally. Her leadership is rooted in lived experience and authenticity. 

At the heart of her work is the important message:

You are worthy. Right now. As you are.

This philosophy, though simple, is powerful—and sorely needed in a world where people fighting dependency are too often dismissed, dehumanized, or blamed. Through acts of care like handing out warm clothing, hygiene kits, and harm reduction supplies, Connections to Giving Back offers hope as an acknowledgement of shared humanity.

Ivette's approach emphasizes the strength in vulnerability, values people over systems, and insists empowerment begins with active listening. She is not just advocating for individuals on their recovery journey; she’s also changing the way we understand leadership, community, and public health.

This October marks Health Literacy Month, a time to reflect on how we communicate health information—It reminds us that empowering people starts with compassion.

Organizations like Connections to Giving Back bring health conversations beyond the exam room, making them approachable, relevant, and rooted in trust. As we recognize Health Literacy Month, let’s also lift up and support the people doing the work—on the ground, every day.

Follow Connections to Giving Back on Facebook. Donate, volunteer, or simply share their mission. And most of all, remember: the power of empathy starts with us.

It begins in the quiet choices—to listen, to withhold judgment, to show up. Leaders like Ivette remind us that real change isn’t top-down; it’s built hand-in-hand, heart-to-heart, outside in the spaces where trust is earned and humility is an asset.  

As we move through Health Literacy Month and beyond, may we all strive to communicate not just with words, but with presence. As a community we have work to do, despite improvements, significant differences remain: between 2015 and 2022, the uninsured rate for Latinos fell by 2.8 percentage points, with 6 million more gaining coverage. 

Latinos are still more than twice as likely as non-Latino Whites to be uninsured. In 2022, Latinos made up 21% of the non-elderly population but accounted for 39% of the uninsured. (ASPE, 2024). Knowing our stats, may we choose understanding over stigma, and dignity over distance. Because when we lead with empathy, we don't just support others—we build a stronger, more resilient, healthier future.