Michigan's AmeriCorps Alum Spotlight
Alum of the Month – September 2026: Lydia Podlesak, Ingham County Health Department AmeriCorps Program
From 2024-2025 Lydia Podlesak served as an AmeriCorps member with the Ingham County Health Department AmeriCorps State Program (ICHD). The ICHD AmeriCorps program strives to alleviate hunger, install healthy habits within neighbors, reduce chronic diseases, and work towards a food sovereign community.
As a resident of Lansing and passionate about public service, Podlesak signed up for a year of service as a Public Health AmeriCorps volunteer. Through the ICHD she was placed at the Northwest Initiative (NWI), where she served in the nonprofit’s Outreach Office helping address food insecurity and health literacy. According to Podlesak, service was an opportunity for her to explore future career options stating, “at the time I applied to AmeriCorps, I was still figuring out the direction I wanted to take with my degree. I knew I wanted to work closely with people and communities and find a career that combined meaningful impact with analytical skills. I came across a Public Health Coordinator position connected to the Ingham County Health Department’s AmeriCorps program. This position stood out because it combined program evaluation, program implementation, data analysis, and direct community involvement.”
During her time in AmeriCorps, Podlesak led initiatives related to personal hygiene access, senior literacy, and nutritional access. She served alongside community partners and supported initiatives addressing food insecurity, health education, and other social determinants of health. The exposure to many different areas of public health and community outreach techniques allowed her to see how public health programs operate in real time. Beyond her direct service, Lydia also served as the LeaderCorps member acting as her program’s liaison to the Michigan Community Service Commission.
One particularly successful initiative that Podlesak was responsible for was overseeing a produce box distribution program aimed at increasing access to fresh and nutritious foods for families in downtown Lansing, an area heavily impacted by limited food access. Through this initiative, families who frequently relied on food pantries received boxes filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. Within six months, the program distributed produce boxes to more than 1,000 families across Lansing.
Podlesak reflects on her time in AmeriCorps sharing that, “AmeriCorps ended up being a great opportunity for career exploration and growth. This was my first professional role after college, and it gave me an introduction to public health and community-based work. Serving with a nonprofit agency allowed me to see the ‘boots on the ground’ side of public health and understand how many different organizations and sectors work together to support communities.”
After service, Podlesak decided to continue to the field and is now the Community Health Representative in the Maternal Child Health Department at the Ingham County Health Department. Podlesak credits her time in AmeriCorps in helping solidify her career path sharing that “the relationships I built through AmeriCorps ultimately helped me transition into my current role. AmeriCorps was the perfect merger of meaningful service and professional growth.”
Learn more about Ingham County Health Department AmeriCorps State Program and other Michigan’s AmeriCorps programs making a positive impact in communities across Michigan. For more information about AmeriCorps, visit www.americorps.gov.