03/14/2024
Community Catalyst: Pathways to Progress
This afternoon we spent time at The Gathering exploring solutions without boundaries. Here’s some of what we heard from Community Ambassadors:
✅ We need to step away from reactive care and prioritize prevention because that is what saves lives and creates wellbeing
✅ We need truly affordable housing that creates a place for community members needing social connection but also access to wrap-around care
✅ Mental health needs to be integrated into wrap-around supports through community hubs that create entry points to care for everyone
✅ The impacts of food security are systemic - with food we are able to be more productive and have more stable employment, our kids are able to excel in school, we are connected to our culture, and we can all play our role to contribute to the wellness of the community
✅ We can’t assume people don’t want to be well - they often just don’t have what they need to be able to access it…like food, housing, employment, warm clothes, safe spaces for their families - all the things that need to be addressed before they can think about anything else
