MANSFIELD — A phone call, a ride to an appointment, or help finding the right resource can make all the difference for someone facing a difficult situation.

That’s the kind of work Lavandalyn Bentley does every day as a community health worker (CHW).

On Friday afternoon, Bentley and other community health workers were celebrated during CHAP’s annual Community Health Worker Appreciation Day luncheon at the Buckeye Imagination Museum.

The luncheon featured bingo, door prizes, conflict resolution training from Great Triumphs and other activities. Toward the end of the day, CHWs chose between two options: a guided meditation session at the CHAP office or a visit to the Ontario Center to experience Apex Entertainment.

For Bentley, a community health worker with Project One, the recognition carried special meaning.

Bentley started working as a CHW in January. She said currently she is a licensed practical nurse and hopes to become a nurse navigator. The CHW position was a great opportunity to continue moving forward on that path.

“What a nurse navigator does is help patients find resources for their sickness or whatever barriers they’re going through,” Bentley said. “This came up and I thought, ‘Oh, this will be perfect.'”

Each morning, Bentley reviews case notes, identifies who needs help first and begins making calls.

She schedules doctor appointments, arranges transportation and follows up with participants to make sure they stay connected to services.

You meet people where they are, not where they should be.

Brice eyerly, executive director of chap

“When they call you and say, ‘Thank you so much, you really helped,’ that makes me happy,” Bentley said. “That makes it all worth it.”

Watching those in her care take steps toward improving their lives provides some of her proudest moments.

“When I have a participant who I can see is trying, it makes me really proud of them because I can see they want to better their lives,” she said.

Behind every statistic is a person

Bentley reflected on hearing stories from people whose lives changed because of CHWs.

“You hear the testimonies and how they praise the CHWs, and it makes you feel good,” she said. “It’s really nice to be celebrated.”

Bentley’s experience reflects the larger mission of Community Health Access Project (CHAP), which has spent nearly three decades helping residents navigate challenges affecting their health and well-being.

CHAP Executive Director Brice Eyerly told attendees the event serves as a reminder of the critical role CHWs play throughout the region.

“When people think about healthcare, we think about doctors and hospitals,” Eyerly said. “What people don’t think about is the mom getting to her prenatal appointment. What happens when a family can’t afford diapers or when somebody receives a referral but doesn’t know how to navigate the system?”

“That’s where all of you come in.”

Eyerly described CHWs as advocates, navigators, educators and trusted members of the communities they serve.

“You meet people where they are, not where they should be,” he said.

CHAP was founded 27 years ago by Dr. Mark Redding and Dr. Sarah Redding. The organization operates on a simple belief: healthier communities require more than medical care alone.

Today the organization serves residents in Richland, Ashland, Knox, Morrow, Crawford and Huron counties.

In 2025, CHAP’s community health workers assisted nearly 1,300 individuals, completed almost 5,000 visits and helped clients overcome more than 11,000 social barriers.

“My favorite statistic is the 11,000 pathways,” Eyerly said. “Each one of those pathways represents a social barrier overcome.”

He urged attendees to look beyond the numbers.

“The truth is the work is not just about the numbers,” Eyerly said. “Behind every statistic is a person.”

Local leaders offer support

Mansfield Mayor Jodie Perry thanked the CHWs for their efforts and highlighted the city’s ongoing work to address housing challenges.

“I know this is really tough work you do,” Perry said. “You watch people make many steps forward and to get set backs and I know how much that can weigh on a person, so I just want to say thank you.

“We are trying to work alongside you as much as we can, particularly in the area of housing.”

Perry also presented a proclamation declaring June 5, 2026, as Community Health Workers Day in Mansfield.

Ashland Mayor Matt Miller said he arrived at the luncheon with limited knowledge of CHAP’s work but quickly learned about the organization’s impact through its partnerships.

Miller said a conversation with the director of Ashland County’s Access Program, which provides emergency shelter services, helped him understand the connection to CHAP.

“Today, from Brice, I have learned how they come alongside social service agencies to help them better help their clients,” Miller said. “It’s good to know these agencies have someone that can help them in the work they do every day.”

(Photos from the CHAP CHW luncheon. Credit: Hannah Martin)