Introducing Jessica Govea, Health Program Assistant
Jessica Govea joins the Harry Tompson Center as a Health Program Assistant, bringing a unique background in film, community organizing, and direct service. Originally from Michigan, Jessica earned a B.S. in Film from Full Sail University and spent 10 years working in film and television before transitioning into community work.
During COVID, when film and television shut down, Jessica realized she wanted to make direct service her career. She built her resume around both paid and unpaid community work, including Renter’s Rights Assembly and Santosha Village, serving in volunteer leadership roles with both. They found full-time work as Volunteer Coordinator at Second Harvest. From there, they worked in outreach with Travelers Aid and later did research with Women and Ethnic Studies. Those positions were grant-funded, so when the grants ended, she began looking for what was next and that’s when this opportunity came up.
Jess says, “I’ve known Eva for many, many years and have been involved on and off. The Rebuild / HTC is beautiful mecca in the middle of the city, and people speak so highly of it. I’m incredibly excited to be part of a community I already know and care about.”
Jessica’s extensive work with the unhoused community means that she's already recognized by many of our guests, and a familiar face goes a long way when delivering care. In the role of Health Program Assistant, Jess’s job is to tend to guests’ healthcare needs by linking them with our medical clinic’s doctors, nurses, psychiatrists, and community agencies present at the Center. Present at that first appointment, Jess becomes a primary touchpoint for our guests and helps them plan follow up appointments and general healthcare navigation. She comments:
“I love being able to see people through. We have so many regulars and such a strong community of people who love this space and keep coming back. We can follow up with people and ask how their appointments went, whether they made it, and how they’re doing afterward. You don’t always get to have that many touchpoints with someone. Being able to see someone’s health evolve from a place where they’re having a really hard time to a place where they’re taking accountability, receiving guidance, and connecting with the physicians here is beautiful. I don’t think something like this exists elsewhere in the community.”
Outside of work, Jessica continues to engage in activism and community outreach. They love recharging in nature, playing board games, spending time with her husband Lincoln, and watching movies in the theater, “a dying art” she jokes. They’re also passionate about bringing joy and silliness into everyday life and find that the folks at our Center are extremely willing to get on that level. We look forward to getting to know more about Jess and working with her!
