“My name is Shawn Markovich Fields and I am a nurse, a business owner, a wife, a mother, a woman of faith, an educator, a believer that we all have a purpose on this earth, a fierce advocate for women and children, an exercise enthusiast ( boot camp, walking, yoga, biking), an optimist, a worrier, a nature and earth lover, a loyal friend and sister, a lover of anything sweet, a firm believer that the words " I can't do this! " should never be in one's vocabulary, a home visitor that believes it really does take a village to raise our children and that we all need each other to lean on for friendship and support, and most importantly I am me.”

“Hello! My name is Crystal, and I have been in the field of Social Work for 18 years. I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in social work from GVSU. I have always loved being around people, and this is one of the reasons I chose to be a social worker. I have been married for 17 years, and have two children. Luke is 14 years old, and has started high school. Ainsley is 12 years old, and she is in sixth grade. I have to say that this is my favorite job that I have had yet! I think that pregnancy is so miraculous, and I love to be a part of the journey. I really love babies, and enjoy watching them grow and develop. This job allows me to build relationships with families and children in a way that is so special. I consider it a privilege, and such a joy to be a part of Twenty Hands, and the families we serve!”

“I have maintained my Lactation certification and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner certification since 2000. I have worked in the Obstetrical and Pediatric units in the hospital setting for over 29 years. I worked in Bronson hospital’s Breastfeeding Center for 13 years, which included consultant practice in the hospital setting and in an outpatient clinic setting managing mothers with breastfeeding issues through direct patient care, outpatient consults and follow up phone calls.

I currently work as a Lactation Consultant and Registered Nurse for Twenty Hands Maternal Infant Healthcare program providing lactation services to pregnant women and infants. My focus is to increase the duration of breastfeeding in low income and minority mothers.

I also currently hold a full time tenured Master Faculty Specialist position at Western Michigan University Bronson School of Nursing where she specializes in Pediatrics and Health Assessment. I am certified in Holistic Nursing and was the primary faculty involved in obtaining Bronson School of Nursing’s Holistic re-endorsement in 2017. I am actively involved in the Empowered Success program at WMU Bronson School of nursing serving as a faculty mentor.

Prior to COVID, I served many years as a Board member on the Kalamazoo Safe Kids Coalition and was active in volunteering for many community safety events. I served as a Board member on the Southwest Michigan Lactation Coalition whose mission was to promote and support breastfeeding through education, outreach and advocacy in the community. I served on the Pioneering Healthier Communities Leadership Committee planning annual health fairs at Sherman Lake YMCA.”

“Graduate of Spring Arbor University, I began my social work career as a MIHP program participant. I was pregnant with my youngest and was referred to this program by my WIC dietician because I was told this program offered home visits and helped with resources. After giving birth to my son, I felt that sharing the benefits of the program as well as my testament of achieving my goals as a single mother of two would be the best way I could express my gratitude for the program.

I have had the pleasure of serving MIHP families for nearly 4 years and I’ve enjoyed the relationships it’s yielded as well as the triumphs I’ve shared with them and I look forward to building many more.”

“I am a nurse with 10 years of experience in inpatient pediatric and community health nursing. I am passionate about issues of social justice and economic equity—in particular, early childhood development, women’s rights, family-friendly societal change, environmentalism, and national health care models.

I love maternal-infant health nursing largely because of how much I enjoy motherhood and seeing my children develop into who they are! Child development continues to awe me as I—along with my very involved husband—strive to teach my children to be emotionally intelligent and empathetic, curious and inquisitive, and humble and wise human beings. I have three young children—ages 5, 3 and 1—all who I had unmedicated births, two were home births and all three I did extended breastfeeding with.

I also love healthy cooking, restoring our 100-year-old house, vegetable gardening, and international travel. On any given day you will find me hiking through the nature preserve near our home, being active in my neighborhood on civic issues or learning about the history of social movements in Latin America. Prior to becoming a nurse, I worked in Latino communities in Washington, DC; central Mexico; and Chicago on issues of labor rights and community organizing.”