A vital connection

Hennepin Health Community Outreach Coordinator Chaltu Omar began her journey to working for Hennepin County as a child, when she and her father would visit county facilities in search of services to help their family thrive.

In the early 1980s, her parents emigrated from Ethiopia and settled in south Minneapolis. A Hennepin County native, Omar vividly remembers those trips with her dad and the impact it had on her family’s well-being.

“One of my brothers is special needs and it was difficult to get services at times because of language barriers and not knowing all the possible programs that could benefit our family,” Omar recalled. “But it was the staff who made all the difference. They took time to make sure we understood our options, and that meant the world to us.”

It was this lived experience that inspired Omar’s passion for public service. For the past 11 years, she’s worked at Hennepin Health, connecting residents to resources and helping them navigate the complexities of health insurance.

“It’s come full circle for me,” she said. “Now that I’m on the other side, it helps to have that understanding when I’m helping people on their own journey.”