The Colby Community Health Program

The Colby Community Health Program, CCHP, founded by Saathvika Diviti ’25, an O’Hanian-Szostak Fellow for Civic Leadership, continues to attract Colby student volunteers and strengthen relationships with the staff and residents at the Mid-Maine Homeless Shelter. Students work with shelter staff to deliver workshops on a range of health-related topics, including healthy habits, goal-setting, nutrition, and accessing resources. Students also participate in mandatory training sessions with shelter staff, CCHP leadership and a faculty advisor. Recognizing homelessness as a critical social determinant of health, CCHP works to reduce barriers to care, promote health literacy, and foster meaningful relationships between Colby students and the local shelter community.

“By combining education and dialogue, the program supports residents’ well-being while reducing harmful stigma—helping Colby students see beyond stereotypes and allowing residents to view students not as outsiders, but as familiar and empathetic members of the Waterville community. Together, our experiences with CCHC have shaped us into more empathetic, collaborative, and equity-minded leaders, committed to driving positive change in the Colby–Waterville community.”