How Healthcare Works, LLC

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH I'm working on my next book, "Keep Walking, Keep Moving: How to Keep Going When Life Gets Hard." Friends and strangers alike compliment me on my strength, my resilience, my bravery, and my courage. They wonder how and why I do it.  Because I feel like it's my only choice. It's not anger that fuels me. It's hope. It's the hope that I will reach the summit one day and see the beauty of the world around me.  I’ve spent my entire life pushing uphill—out of foster care, through college that I paid for myself, into jobs that barely paid the bills, and through homelessness that I had to claw my way out of. Five years later, I was getting my master's degree and sitting in the boardroom of a billion-dollar organization. I had to start my life over with next to nothing and no support during a global pandemic. I’ve never had a financial cushion. No real safety net. No backup plan. The plan I'm working on every day when I wake up i...

  by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH A few weeks ago, I found myself in one of the most stressful situations a person can face: eviction mediation. My rent was over $8,000, and I only had five weeks to figure out how to pay it. I was earning about $600 a week through a temporary job at a local accounting firm—barely enough to cover basic expenses, let alone thousands in back rent. But through a combination of resources, determination, and generosity, I pulled through. A local eviction prevention program stepped in to help. I used my entire income tax refund. I stretched every dollar and ended up living on $100–$200 a week. Some incredible individuals donated during that time, and I want you to know that your help went directly to essentials: rideshares, the bus, groceries, my phone bill, utilities like gas and electric, and other bills. I am so grateful for your kindness and generosity. It still wasn’t easy—I was hanging on by a thread—but I stayed housed, and that matters. What keeps...

Over the past few weeks, I’ve been home recovering from viral pneumonia. How did I get it? I’ve been walking to get where I need to go—often in cold, wet weather, through snow or rain, on roads that weren’t made for pedestrians. People have told me to “just walk” several miles to work or to buy a cheap bike—even though I’m 53 years old, living in a region where winter weather can be unexpectedly harsh and public transportation is limited. The nearest bus stop is five miles away. It’s not that I mind walking. I actually love walking and even created a whole wellness resource around it. But there's a difference between walking for health and being forced to walk for miles just to survive because no other option is available. That’s not wellness—that’s struggle. I took this picture one day last Spring.  I was walking home five miles from the bus stop  after a long day at work in my $19.25/hour day job.  This ongoing lack of transportation has affected nearly every area of ...

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH Today, I’m proud of how far I’ve come, even as I face another unexpected hurdle. I realized too late that I forgot to clock in my hours on Friday, and by Saturday morning I discovered my paycheck was missing an entire day’s wages. For someone struggling financially, even a small setback like missing a day of pay can be a huge hurdle—especially when every dollar counts. That missing amount is the final piece I need to settle my mediation agreement—a commitment that’s already cost me nearly $6,000. It's only $200, but it might as well be $2000.  I took this picture on a walk several years ago, and it was a representation of how even a lone, fragile flower can be strong against a storm.  My day job is incredibly tiring. Working long hours in an entry-level position and spending two to three hours a day on a commute while living in working-class poverty isn’t just physically exhausting—it wears on you emotionally, too. After another tiring day, I fou...

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH I wanted to take a moment to share an update and express my heartfelt gratitude. Thanks to the incredible generosity of others, I was able to make my rent payment with a 24-hour extension. Your kindness made a huge difference, and I can't thank you enough for stepping in when I needed help. The very next day, I received my paycheck, which allowed me to catch up on my electric and gas bills, pay for Uber rides, and grab some groceries. That support not only helped me get through last week but also left me with a little extra for other essentials, including transportation to and from work this week. Mosie and I had a few days where we could relax and practice some stress reduction.  Tonight, I am waiting for a payment from an outside organization to be credited to my account. This organization helps with eviction prevention in our area and has served many families, working on the front lines of the rental crisis in Ada County. They have been an invaluab...

by Jeanette R. Harrison, MPH   Update: Navigating Mediation and Overwhelming Stress I want to share an update on what’s been happening over the past few weeks. In a desperate bid to avoid eviction, I participated in mediation and signed an agreement requiring weekly payments. I have to make these payments or else I can still be evicted. Even though I paid several thousand dollars already in less than two weeks. Those initial payments drained every bit of money I had. Without the generous help of people stepping in at critical moments, I probably wouldn’t have been able to get to work or even afford a meal over the past two weeks.  I feel like giving up a lot of days. I pray  and wonder how I will make it through this time. Still, I keep looking for those rays of hope.   Now, I’m facing another urgent challenge: my next payment is due this week—the day before I get paid. I reached out to several contacts who are supposed to be helping me for guidance, but they all s...