United Way addresses pressing health
and healthcare issues facing communities across the country. Community by
community, United Ways and their partners target childhood obesity, health
insurance coverage, healthcare quality, childhood immunizations, substance
abuse, family violence, oral health or other healthcare concerns voiced by
their community.
We're working to improve the health of our country, and we've set a bold goal
for the next 10 years to help us get there. With your help, United Way is
working to increase by one-third the number of youth and adults who are healthy
and avoid risky behaviors.
Achieving this goal requires us all to become more aware of health risks and
the potential effects they have on ourselves and others, starting from before
birth. And working to change policies and practices, such as extending health
care coverage, will enable more people to live healthier lives.
Whether you support our public
policy work, or you choose to wear the LIVE UNITED Shirt, let your voice be
heard
You can also find volunteer opportunities right where
you live. You'll see that many of those are in support of our work in the area
of Education.Go to volunteer opportunities and sign up to give of you.
Deeper dive on Health
Health is such a basic need, it impacts every aspect of a person's daily
life. 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.
Whether it is a neighbor without health insurance, a victim of abuse, or
someone struggling with mental illness or an addiction, United Ways work to
ensure everyone has access to affordable and quality care so they can lead
safe, healthy, and rewarding lives. United Way supports local health and human
service programs as well as partners with local advocates, faith leaders,
healthcare professionals, the business community, and policy makers to create
sustainable answers to the current healthcare crisis.
Join United Way and make your community stronger by ensuring families receive
the healthcare they need to stay healthy and thrive. Every day our friends,
neighbors and colleagues are forced to live with the fear of getting sick or
injured. We can make a difference and the time is now.
Key Health Facts
During the
past four decades, obesity rates have soared among all age groups,
increasing almost fivefold among children ages 6 to 11. RWJF
Today, more
than 33 percent of children and adolescents are overweight or obese.
That's nearly 25 million kids and teenagers. RWJF
Children with health
coverage are better prepared to learn in school and succeed in life. (Institute
of Medicine. From Neurons to Neighborhood: The Science of Early Childhood
Development. Washington DC: National Academies Press, 2000.)
