Natalie Freehan was recently hired as a DIP-IN project manager for the Northeast community. Natalie joins Near West project manager, Ariez Christmon, and Near Northwest project manager, Ron Rice. to round out the project management team.
Read on to learn more about Natalie’s experience working in the DIP-IN and greater Indianapolis communities!
How long have you been a part of the DIP-IN team and what is your role?
My start date with DIP-IN was February 27, 2023. This May marks a little over two months of working with the program. I am a project manager working with the Northeast neighborhood.
Tell us more about your background working with Indianapolis communities?
I moved from northern Indiana when I entered my freshman year of college at IUPUI. My studies in the social work program helped me to unlearn things I had been taught about the world in a small town, and learn how to be a more open-minded, understanding person.
Both during my time in college and after graduation, I have worked with several kinds of communities, ranging from those based on location to those based on similar situations. I have worked in healthcare and education, serving individuals and communities within the city of Indianapolis.
Has there been a particular moment in the project you felt like you made a significant impact?
I have been meeting with the steering committee members to get to know them and learn more about the Northeast. While I have yet to feel like I have made a significant impact, I have been blown away by the work that the steering committee members have done within their community. I am so excited to support them in their endeavors to make a longstanding impact on the health of their neighborhood.
What are you looking forward to in the coming years of DIP-IN?
I am most looking forward to building relationships with those who participate and partner with DIP-IN. Without fostering connections, the work done by programs as large as this will not withstand the test of time. Empowering communities to foster an environment of change is not an overnight thing. I am ready to continue to build relationships with those I have met with so far and those yet to come.
When you are not working, what are you up to?
I spend most of my time with my partner and our dog. We enjoy entertaining and spending time with friends and family. We often hang out with others that have dogs around the same age as ours so they can have playdates together.
I like to cook and bake, along with watching TV shows that are focused on the same. I am currently in graduate school as well as working full time, so a lot of my spare time right now is spent writing papers and reading for class.