“They didn’t want to give him that diagnosis,” said Kenyon Baker. “I said I would step up to do that.”

Kenyon is describing a situation that happened a few years ago when he was working at the Mocha Center in Buffalo – a place that aims to improve the health and wellness of LGBTQ+ people of color. The center can also be a place where people feel safe and seen, maybe for the first time. Kenyon found himself becoming something of a “big brother” to some of the people who visited the center. One of those people was someone Kenyon had grown close with and spent time with outside the center. The day came when this person tested positive for HIV. No one wanted to deliver the bad news. So, Kenyon stepped up.

 “I just thought ‘how can we support them in navigating this’,” Kenyon recalled.

Kenyon didn’t always know that helping people navigate difficult situations would be something he’s good at. The Buffalo native originally attended school for business. Working at community-oriented organizations, after earning his degree, opened his eyes to other possibilities. He found being an advocate for others, especially in navigating the healthcare world, is very important to him. 

Navigating the healthcare system can be difficult. Navigating the healthcare system when you fear your identity will not be welcome is even harder. To Kenyon, creating that welcoming, safe environment for patients is everything. Now, as an assistant practice manager at Neighborhood Health Center, he helps set a welcoming tone at the health center, and guides his staff to advocate for every patient that walks in the door. A patient may be dealing with a sick child, the bus was late, the boss is upset because they’re missing work, the landlord raised the rent, or maybe their previous provider was unaccepting of their identity. Kenyon works with his team on understanding that they don’t know what burdens someone is carrying when they walk in the door. What they can control is how they treat each person. Each person at Neighborhood has the power to make a difference and impact someone for the better.

“Being able to help the community, especially a marginalized community, and advocate for folks who might not know how to advocate for themselves in the healthcare system, that really drives me,” said Kenyon. “I am able to help folks navigate life, through health.”