“Taking the Stage for Joy, Healing, and Human Flourishing.”

There are moments in life when we are invited to step forward—not because we have all the answers, but because our experiences have shaped something meaningful worth sharing.

Recently, I had the opportunity to do just that.

Standing at the podium in Asheville, surrounded by passionate leaders and advocates working to address childhood hunger, I felt a deep sense of gratitude. For many years, I served as the School Nutrition Director for Buncombe County Schools. During that time, I had the privilege of working alongside incredible professionals who dedicate their days to ensuring that children are nourished, supported, and ready to learn.

School nutrition work is about far more than food. It is about dignity. It is about care. It is about reminding children that they matter.

Taking the stage at this gathering of “child hunger heroes” felt like coming home. I am grateful to the Carolina Hunger Initiative Leaders Conference organizers for the opportunity to share Let Us Play - Restoring Joy in the Work of Nourishing Others.

A Moment of Reflection

As I looked out into the audience, I saw people who wake up every morning with the same purpose that guided my own work for decades: to serve children and strengthen communities.

Their dedication reminded me of something important.

Nourishment takes many forms.

Of course, there is the nourishment that comes from healthy meals served in school cafeterias. But there is also emotional nourishment, community nourishment, and the nourishment that comes when we feel seen, valued, and connected to something larger than ourselves.

Those forms of nourishment matter just as deeply.

The Next Chapter

While my professional role in school nutrition has now come to a close, the mission that guided that work continues to shape my path.

Today, my focus has expanded to include the ways joy, connection, and creativity can help people heal and flourish after adversity. Through my nonprofit initiative, Lee Lees Life Lessons, and the development of the Let Us Play™ healing framework, I am exploring how playful exploration, positive psychology, spirituality, and community support can help individuals rediscover vitality and meaning.

The same belief that guided my work in school nutrition remains at the heart of this next chapter:

People flourish when they are nourished.

Sometimes that nourishment comes in the form of a healthy meal.
Sometimes it comes in the form of laughter, creativity, and connection.

Both are essential.

The Courage to Take the Stage

Taking the stage is not always about speaking into a microphone. Often, it simply means stepping forward into the next chapter of our lives with openness and courage.

For me, this moment represented a bridge between two callings: the work of nourishing children and the work of helping people rediscover joy after life’s hardest moments.

Both are deeply connected.

Both are about human flourishing.

And both remind us that when we care for one another—body, mind, and spirit—we create communities where hope can grow.

I remain profoundly grateful to the organizers of this gathering and to the countless professionals who continue to champion the well-being of children across our state.

Your work matters more than you know.

And I am honored to have had the chance to take the stage among you.

Lisa Caughman, MSc, HHP, CAPP
Founder, Lee Lees Life Lessons
Creator of the Let Us Play™ Healing Framework

Helping individuals rediscover joy, connection, and meaning through play, creativity, and positive psychology.