HEALTH
IMPROVING PEOPLE'S PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH
| Health is such a basic need. It impacts every aspect of a person's daily life - whether it is a neighbor without health insurance, a victim of abuse, or someone struggling with mental illness or an addiction. A child with a toothache is unable to concentrate in school and succeed. A family without health insurance is often overwhelmed to the point of bankruptcy by the financial burdens of an illness. Seniors without prescription assistance have to make frightening decisions on which medicine they can afford and which ones they will go without. |
the facts
- Today, more than 33% of children and adolescents are overweight or obese.
- The number of Americans without health insurance has increased steadily since the beginning of the century, now totaling about 47 million. Nearly 9 million of these are children, and more than 8 out of 10 are from working families.
- 13% of persons over the age of 65 and almost 50% of persons over the age of 85 have Alzheimer's disease.
- More than 8 in 10 of the non-elderly uninsured live in families where the head of the family works.
your investment provides opportunities such as:
- Health education and prevention services to ensure that children and adults stay healthy.
- Programs that provide advocacy, education, research and program support for mental health issues.
- Senior day programs that create environments for social interactions, medical monitoring, and therapeutic activities.
- Reducing substance abuse by offering after school based and community preventative programs.