Until Feb. 1, 2023, we were Group Health Foundation. This post was written under our former identity. To learn more about our new name, read our announcement here.
Camille on a hike with a friend in Colorado.
Camille Baker joins Group Health Foundation with almost six years of experience as a paralegal primarily in worker’s compensation and personal injury law, where she built relationships with and advocated for clients in both English and Spanish. She saw firsthand how grueling the fight for justice can be, but she also saw how legal representation can right some wrongs, securing life-changing compensation for people who have been harmed.
“That was what was meaningful to me. It was less about the fight to get the money. I really didn’t care for the fight. I wish that we would have just been able to give them money because they deserve the money,” Camille shares.
That’s part of what drew her to the Foundation. As she has learned more about how GHF funds and supports organizations, Camille realized ways to serve communities and reach justice exist beyond the legal field. “Maybe justice will be redefined for me, and I would love that,” Camille reflects.
As an administrative associate, Camille provides executive-level administrative support and manages special projects and initiatives in close partnership with Cory Sbarbaro, our executive vice president. The way Camille sees it, she and Cory are each other’s “person,” providing the support they each need to carry out their work at the Foundation.
After moving from Colorado to Seattle in 2020, Camille knew she wanted to establish roots and engage in the community despite the restrictions of the pandemic. She soon started volunteering with Black Star Farmers, which gave her an outlet for her passion for food justice and the opportunity to experience new parts of Washington along her food delivery routes.
Camille looks forward to learning more about the history, communities, and people that make up Washington through her work at GHF. “I’m excited to put my heart here and for my heart to grow while I’m here.”
Coming from a high output, high productivity work environment and industry, Camille says she is exploring how to better care for herself in order to better care for others. “It’s the community first, and the community is us as well.” She acknowledges that in order to feed into one’s community, one must first receive and feed themselves.
Outside of work and volunteering, Camille enjoys roller skating and hiking with her dog Paz. She is a big believer in making the most of where her feet carry her, opting to walk rather than drive, when possible. Recently, Camille received a piano for free and is determined to learn the instrument in her spare time.
Camille also enjoys bike riding, both stationary cycle and outdoors on trails.
