A Kenyan immigrant and proud daughter of farmers, she brings a deep understanding of the vital connection between food, health, and community. Hellen earned her Bachelor’s in Public Health and Master of Public Health in Epidemiology, equipping her with both the technical expertise and lived experience to support equitable, data-driven solutions. At the Springfield Food Policy Council, she works to expand access to healthy, affordable foods and promote policies that strengthen resilient food systems.

Erin Washington is a Visual Artist from Springfield, Massachusetts. She studied Fine Art at Parsons School of Design in New York, NY, and graduated with academic honors in Spring 2020, earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts and a minor in Sustainable Cities. She is currently pursuing her Master’s degree in Art Therapy at Springfield College in Springfield, MA. Her passion for art therapy is motivated by her professional background working in healthcare, her experience as a life-long resident of Mason Square, and the desire to provide access to art-making as a resource for wellness and community engagement. In her work at SFPC she is driven to cultivate this engagement and sustainability through outreach with our community elders and youth through programs such as the “Sankofa Forward Collective”, “Stepping for Snap” initiative, and guiding youth at the Gardening the Community after-school program. She believes access and sustainability for our most vulnerable citizens should include the incorporation of creativity, art-making, and a community of folks to share and engage with it.

Liz O’Gilvie, GTC’s Executive Director since 2022, has been with the organization for 13 years, previously serving as Board Chair; she also serves as Convener of the Springfield Food Policy Council. She practices a community-centered leadership approach grounded in shared decision-making— collaborating with partners and actively listening to constituent feedback to ensure initiatives reflect community needs.

Through both organizations, Liz leads grassroots SNAP and HIP outreach efforts—work that has become increasingly vital following recent federal cuts to SNAP-Ed funding. The Healthy Incentives Program (HIP) is a Massachusetts initiative that provides SNAP/EBT recipients with monthly cash incentives to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from participating local farms. GTC/SFPC educates residents on how to maximize their HIP benefits to access more fresh produce and trains community partners to conduct HIP outreach, building a coordinated, citywide strategy to expand participation. SFPC co-authored the original HIP legislation, and GTC served as the first pilot site in 2011. Today, HIP has grown into a $25 million state-funded program.

Liz is deeply engaged with policy advocates at the state and federal levels to advance equitable food access and systemic reform. Last year, she advanced three state food system bills advocating for HIP funding and farmland access for BIPOC farmers. Liz currently serves as an advisory member of the Transformational Farm Bill Funding & Technical Assistance Committee, Massachusetts Food System Collaborative, Massachusetts Health Policy Commission, Massachusetts Public Health Alliance Policy Council, and Springfield Public Schools Wellness Committee. She was also recently appointed to the Governor’s Anti-Hunger Task Force.