Inspiring Change Through Community Engagement and Support, with Virginia Dick, Next Step Evaluation

About this episode

Arlia Hoffman reconnects with Virginia Dick to discuss community health, resilience, and the importance of deep listening in creating meaningful change.

Host Arlia Hoffman reconnects with her longtime friend Virginia Dick, a public health evaluator specializing in nonprofit and community group support and founder of Next Step Evaluation. They discussed Virginia's professional journey, her passion for tango, and her impactful work in community health across Georgia. Virginia shared stories of meaningful change, emphasizing the importance of listening deeply to communities, addressing complex issues like housing and mental wellness, and creating spaces for thriving. They also emphasized personal resilience, the importance of maintaining a positive outlook, and concluded with Virginia reading her heartfelt poetry. Virginia Dick is a public health evaluator, poet, and community advocate with over 20 years of experience supporting nonprofit and grassroots organizations across Georgia. As the founder of Next Step Evaluation, she provides technical assistance and evaluation consulting to help local organizations understand community needs, measure impact, and adapt systems to better serve individuals and families. With a PhD in Child and Family Development from the University of Georgia, Virginia brings both rigor and heart to her work…

People in this episode

Host: Arlia Hoffman

Guest: Virginia Dick

Topics covered

• community engagement
• public health
• nonprofit support
• personal resilience
• mental wellness

Keywords

• community health
• public health evaluator
• nonprofit
• tango
• mental wellness
• poetry
• Georgia

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Next Step Evaluation, Georgia Family Connection Partnership, Healthy Savannah

Places: Georgia

More episodes of The Women's Sanctuary

• When You’re Overfull: Turning Chaos Into Ceremony · November 5, 2025 · 51 min
• Breaking the Matrix: Radical Optimism in Modern Chaos · September 23, 2025 · 43 min
• Meet Me in the Garden: A Visual Journey of Beauty and Becoming · May 16, 2025 · 48 min
• Embracing Feminine Power and Creativity with Lulu Trevena, Quantum Healing and Soulful Living Coach · March 18, 2025 · 57 min
• The Sacred Intersection of Healing and Abundance with Erin Newman · March 6, 2025 · 47 min
• The Awareness Studio: Transforming Relationships with Patty Farinola · February 18, 2025 · 44 min