Connecting with her community, reading and telling stories, nourishing plants, and listening to music brings pure enjoyment to Lauren. So, it is not surprising that when Lauren reconnected with CEO Sarah Leathers at a local event, she became intrigued with Healing Meals. When she visited the kitchen and was warmly invited to join in the circle of youth and adult volunteers, she felt the genuine care that makes Healing Meals so special, and she knew she wanted to be part of this growing community.

Prior to joining Healing Meals, she earned her Master of Public Administration degree at UConn and put that learning into action when spent several years working at arts and humanities organizations. She has been a grant maker, grant seeker, program evaluator, and advocate for the artists and scholars who help us understand the human experience through cultural expression. Now as the Grants Manager at Healing Meals, she loves to tell the stories of wellness and compassion that help funders understand how we provide nutrition for the body and nourishment for the spirit. With her lifelong interest in gardening, her favorite grants are ones that bring support for the Nourishing Garden – seeing youth learn about organic farming gives her hope for a healthier future for our planet and our people! After a lifetime in New England, Lauren and her husband Rich recently moved out of Simsbury. Lauren is genuinely grateful that she can continue to be connected, tell the Healing Meals story, and remain a part of their caring community, even from a distance.