7 Thoughts on The BUILD Health Challenge's 2025 National Gathering
This post kicks off a new series on LPPIH.org, where members of our team reflect on the national conferences that shape our work. These reflections are not just summaries of where we’ve been, they’re also windows into the evolving field of community health, development, engagement and systems change.
We begin this series with insights from Cheryl Arndt, PhD, our Community Partnership Data Strategy Analyst, and Matthew Rivera, our Project Manager, who recently helped commemorate the 10th anniversary of The BUILD Health Challenge in San Diego, Calif.
What is The BUILD Health Challenge?
This is a national initiative with an acronym that stands for what it supports: bold, upstream, integrated, local and data-driven (BUILD) approaches to improving community health. Since its inception, BUILD has invested in partnerships across the country among community-based organizations, health systems and local health departments to address the social drivers of health and advance health equity. In 2023, Allentown was selected as part of BUILD’s fourth cohort of communities to receive support.
The 10th anniversary event brought together current and past BUILD communities. It was both a celebration of progress and a call to continued action. Leaders, practitioners and advocates from across the country gathered to reflect on lessons learned, inspire one another and recommit to community-led transformation.
Arndt and Rivera offer seven reflections from San Diego:
- Hope and realism can coexist
Many speakers walked the line between hopeful vision and grounded reality. There was a clear recognition of the challenges ahead including limited resources and political headwinds. But there was an equally strong commitment to nurturing community-driven change. We were reminded that even in difficult conditions, progress is possible.
- Growth happens in the dark
One presenter used gardening as a metaphor: winter’s darkness doesn’t prevent growth; it prepares the soil for what’s to come. In the same way, our communities can grow and flourish when we plant with intention, even in challenging times.
- Community is the expert
Policy change was a major theme. Experts emphasized the importance of community members as real problem-solvers. As one speaker said, “Politicians need solutions, and community members are the experts on the solutions.”
- Listen to be heard
Collaboration demands humility. If we want to be heard by decision-makers and partners, we must also be willing to listen deeply, translate across perspectives and find shared values. This work is relational, not transactional.
- Trauma-informed ecosystems matter
Sustainable change means creating trauma-informed, healing-centered spaces where all partners can show up fully. We must be intentional about trust, safety and belonging in every coalition and gathering.
- From a legal lens to purpose-driven practice
For Rivera, who recently transitioned into public health from a legal background, the BUILD event offered a much-needed sense of clarity and connection. “Coming into this work and being new, I hadn’t yet seen the full impact of what we do,” he said. “But hearing firsthand stories from communities across the country helped me understand the deeper purpose behind our efforts. It showed me how the relationships we’re building today can lay the foundation for lasting, generational change right here in our own community.”
- The roots we help plant today will bear fruit tomorrow
Both Arndt and Rivera came away with a renewed sense of the importance of LPPIH’s mission: creating conditions for local partners to plant deep, resilient roots. “Each partner has their own reason for community engagement,” Rivera said, “but together we help build lasting change for residents.”
Looking ahead
As we continue attending national gatherings like BUILD in California, we’re committed to sharing our takeaways – what we’re learning, how we’re challenged and where we’re growing. These posts will spotlight the people, programs and ideas that are helping shape a healthier future for communities like ours.
Stay tuned for the next installment in our Reflections series. In the meantime, learn more about The BUILD Health Challenge at buildhealthchallenge.org