Athletes for Advocacy

Wherever you are on the athletic spectrum – an aspiring weekend athlete, a podium champion, an exercise minimalist, or anywhere in between – you can be an athlete for wellness advocacy. Join this coalition in advocating for health through environmental sustainability and social impact. Make a difference in your community so your community can THRIVE!

For more information on becoming an advocate for wellness in your community, email contact.thrive.wellness@gmail.com.

Community Service

Volunteering helps not only the beneficiary, but can improve the health and well-being of the volunteer through decreased depression, mortality, and the effects of functional limitations, while increasing a sense of life’s purpose, social connections, and quality of life.1,2,3

ANNUAL FOOD SORT: Food insecurity is a term describing food access which results in a lower quantity and/or quality of food intake.4 As of 2020, almost 12 out of every 100 Americans and almost 1 in 10 Californians were food insecure.5 In Santa Clara County, over 144,140 people were food insecure in 2020, an increase of almost 6,100 residents in 2 years.5 Join us every Fall to sort food at our local food bank to help our neighbors with access to fresh produce.

ANNUAL FOOD SORT: COMING FALL 2024

For more information about upcoming community service event location, details, and SIGN UPS, email contact.thrive.wellness@gmail.com

Legislative Action Awareness

2023 Farm Bill

The Farm Bill affects food access, agriculture practice and economics, and the environment. Since it was first introduced in 1933, there have been 18 revisions of the Farm Bill. Every 5 years the Agricultural Committee in both the House and Senate revise the previous Farm Bill legislation. The current 2018 Farm Bill, expiring in September, 2023, has 12 sections, called Titles: Commodities, Conservation, Trade, Nutrition, Credit, Rural Development, Research, Forestry, Energy, Horticulture, Crop Insurance, and Miscellaneous. 6,7,8,9

H.R.485 – Protecting Healthcare for All Patients Act of 2023

Introduced in January, 2023, H.R.485 proposes that federal health care programs such as Medicare and Medicaid may no longer use “quality-adjusted life years” when determining benefit coverage.10

S.269 – Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act

Introduced in February, 2023, this legislation amends the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act to strengthen and enforce pesticide registration and ban the use of toxic pesticides such as paraquate, chlorpyrifos, malathion, and other organophosphate pesticides. Many of these pesticides are known to be harmful to human health and biodiversity.11,12

Sources:

1 Morrow-Howell, N. (2010). Volunteering in later life: Research frontiers. Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences 65B(4):461-469. doi: 10.1093/geronb/gbq024

2 Boyd, D., & Bee, H. (2009). Lifespan Development. Boston:Pearson Education. 516-520.

3 Okun, M.A., August, K.J., Rook, K.S., & Newsom, J.T. (2010). Does volunteering moderate the relation between functional limitations and mortality? Soc Sci & Med, 71: 1662-1668.

4 USDA Economic Research Service. (2020). Definitions of Food Security. Sept 9. Retrieved from https://www.ers.usda.gov/topics/food-nutrition-assistance/food-security-in-the-us/definitions-of-food-security.aspx

5 Feeding America. (n.d.). Food Insecurity in the United States. Retrieved from https://map.feedingamerica.org/

6 Farm Aid. (2023). Farm Bill 101. Retrieved from http://www.farmaid.org/issues/farm-policy/farm-bill-101/

7 Congressional Research Services. (2023). Farm Bill Primer: What Is The Farm Bill? IF12047. Retrieved from https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF12047

8 Library of Congress. (n.d). History of the United States Farm Bill. Retrieved from https://www.loc/gov/ghe/cascade/index.html?appid=1821e70c01de48ae899a7ff708d6ad8b

9 Kiss the Ground. (n.d.). What is the 2023 Farm Bill and What You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://kisstheground.com/regenerate-amarica/

10 Congress.Gov. (n.d.). H.R.485 – Protecting Healthcare for All Patients Act of 2023. Retrieved from https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/485

11 Congress.Gov. (n.d.). S.269 – Protect America’s Children from Toxic Pesticides Act. Retrieved from https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/senate-bill/269?s=1&r=78

12 Center for Biological Diversity. (2023). Senate to Consider Legislation to Protect America’s Children From Toxic Pesticides. Retrieved from https://biologicaldiversity.org/w/news/press-releases/senate-to-consider-legislation-to-protect-americas-children-from-toxic-pesticides-2023-02-02/