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Thriving Together: Faith
Photo by Ron Smith on Unsplash
"Faith networks do not need to be invited into the work of recovery, mercy, justice and well-being. They are already present in the places of greatest pain and creativity."

Teresa Cutts & Gary Gunderson, Thriving Together
Stakeholder Health
Thriving Together: Faith
In addition to the seven vital conditions, Thriving Together: A Springboard for Equitable Recovery & Resilience in Communities Across America explores four selected topics that also shape our community well-being: place; faith; investment; and measurement, learning, and evaluation. This issue of the WIN Digest highlights the second selected topic: faith.

Faith includes spirituality and religion, both personal and organized. Faith captures the way shared values and purpose converge to build community, often reflected in the communal actions of congregations and faith networks. Modern faith practices are rooted in traditions and rituals that bring people together and strengthen our sense of belonging.

FAITH, INCLUSIVE OF ORGANIZED RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY, is rooted in place, usually through congregations. Each faith tradition has entities that are linked in a complex system of formal and informal networks. A century ago, these faith networks created the politics that made public health possible, viewing public health science as a gift to serve the mission of mercy and compassion. The social structures of faith have strengths on which cross-cutting public health programs can be built.

Faith groups commonly use an integrative framework for health, linking bio-psycho-social- spiritual well-being into existing structures and ministries. This four-fold model weaves congregation practices with physical and mental health service providers, community-based trainers, and peer supporters.

The movement within faith communities toward a fully integrated model of health led to the development of the Leading Causes of Life. Like the concept of well-being, the Leading Causes of Life cuts across disciplines and domains to help us see our assets: connection, coherence, agency, inter-generativity or blessing, and hope.

Learn more about faith from Thriving Together contributor Stakeholder Health.

Connect and share ideas at Thriving.US.
"Faith"

Faith is doing.
Faith demands.
Faith is knowing.
Faith commands.
Faith is endless:
Faith is all.
Faith will save us
from the fall!

Faith is purpose:
Faith is wise.
Faith deserves us:
Faith makes ties!
Faith is mischief.
Faith is sure:
Faith is this if
we endure!

Faith is surging!
Faith is light!
Faith is purging:
Faith abright!
Faith is healing;
Faith within.
Faith is cleansing
us from sin!

Faith is stressing!
Faith is strong!
Faith is pressing
Faith along!
Faith within us;
Faith, abide...
Faith: Redeem us
from inside!

Chris Schleier Jr, "Faith"
Photo by Ben White on Unsplash
THRIVING TOGETHER: CHANGING COURSE
Changing Course summaries feature working definitions, recent facts, key issues, and a short list of pivotal moves that stand out as high priorities for quick action.

Deep Dives are the full source documents contributed by colleagues on the various topics selected in the Changing Course summaries.
Changing Course
Deep Dive
IN THE NEWS
Surgeon General Priority: Community Health and Economic Prosperity

In order to improve the health of Americans and help foster a more sustainable and equitable prosperity, the Office of the Surgeon General is implementing an initiative called “Community Health and Economic Prosperity” or “CHEP” for short.

The Vital Conditions and WIN Measures are fully integrated into the report, with WIN members as contributing authors.
Stewards as Vital Deviants
by Gary Gunderson with Arvind Singhal, Jim Cochrane, Teresa Cutts, Bobby Milstein and Somava Saha

Learn more about the confluence of Stewardship, Leading Causes of Life, and Positive Deviance with Stakeholder Health and Thriving Together colleagues.
The Growing FaithHealth Movement
by Gary Gunderson

The FaithHealth movement is alive in every community — from San Diego, California, to Wilmington, North Carolina; from El Paso, Texas, to Big Timber, Montana — where small groups organize themselves at the intersection of their most mature faith and some stream of relevant science.
Children of the Setting Sun Productions: Lummi Nation & Martin Luther King Jr - Unity 2021 - Flood Song

We raise our hands to Martin Luther King in thanks & unity

Lummi Nation "Survivors of the Great Flood" aka "Lummi National Anthem"
Othering & Belonging Institute: Storming the Capitol: Trumpism's Last Stand?

Watch the January 8 livestream Q&A with OBI Director john a. powell and law professor Ian Haney Lopez about the chaos in Washington, D.C. this week when Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building demanding Congress halt the validation of presidential election results.
The National Civic League is now accepting applications for the 2021 All-America City award! 

The theme for 2021 is Building Equitable and Resilient communities.
Since 1949, the National Civic League has designated over 500 communities as All-America Cities for their outstanding civic accomplishments. The award, bestowed yearly on 10 communities, recognizes the work of communities in using inclusive civic engagement to address critical issues and create stronger connections among residents, businesses, and nonprofit and government leaders.
PODCAST
The case for a True New Deal

Listen to Bharat Ramamurti, the incoming Deputy Director of the Biden administration’s National Economic Council and a co-author of the A True New Deal, Building an Inclusive Economy in the COVID-19 Eramake the case for a True New Deal.
All In Podcast (Seasons One & Two)

The All In: Data for Community Health podcast features local leaders who are going “All In” to collaborate with other sectors to systematically share data to improve community health.
UPCOMING JANUARY 2021 EVENTS
WE WIN Together Racial Justice Community Spring Orientation
Thursday, January 21, 2021, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Want to reflect and take action to advance racial justice in your life, in your organization and in your community? Join us to learn how you can do so through the WE WIN Together Racial Justice Community which offers you a path and opportunities to be in relationship on this journey.
Building Community Connection Through Conversation
Thursday, January 21, 2021, 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM

Join the National Civic League for a webinar discussing practical steps for addressing our divisions and bringing our communities together.

WE WIN Together Racial Justice Community Spring Orientation
Thursday, January 28, 2021, 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM

Want to reflect and take action to advance racial justice in your life, in your organization and in your community? Join us to learn how you can do so through the WE WIN Together Racial Justice Community which offers you a path and opportunities to be in relationship on this journey.
WE WIN TOGETHER RACIAL JUSTICE COMMUNITY
SPRING SEMESTER STARTS FEBRUARY 3
The WE WIN Racial Justice Community provides space for individuals, communities, organizations, and coalitions to learn from one another as part of our racial justice journey.

Together, we reflect and gather insight for addressing racism in workplaces and throughout life.

Register today for our Spring Semester (February - May) for you or your organization to join this community in transforming from within and together.
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The moment is NOW to address the legacies of racism in our work, lives, and systems. Join the @network_win @WEintheWorldOrg Racial Justice Community to learn how you and your organization can take action to advance racial justice.
Register: http://bit.ly/2WAlqYf   
#WIN4Equity

OPENINGS & OPPORTUNITIES
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Senior Vice President, Health Equity and Diversity Initiatives
Association of State and Territorial Health Officials
Senior Analyst, Health Equity (Policy Analysis and Program)
Full Frame Initiative
Director of The Wellbeing Blueprint
Full Frame Initiative
Director of Technology
BRIGHT SPOTS
Reasons for Hope on Climate Change in 2021
by Matthew Hoffman

Despite the onslaught of climate disasters, there is more momentum for political action now than ever before.

Rebecca Solnit argues that hope is found in uncertainty—that the future is not set. Even given torrents of bad news, there are a number of reasons for hope. And 2020 could indeed be the turning point.
Photo by Fanatic Studio/Getty Studio
biden npr indoguration
Photo by Stephanie Gomez Carter/Delaware Humane Association
Biden's German Shepherd To Be Celebrated With 'Indoguration' Hosted By Animal Shelter
by Taylor Haney

President-elect Joe Biden is set to restore a bipartisan norm upon moving into the White House: presidential dogs. The Bidens have two German shepherds, Champ and Major.

Major, in particular, has a "wags to riches" tail.

He'll soon be the first dog to go from a shelter to the White House. That shelter, the Delaware Humane Association, plans to "indogurate" Major on Sunday in a virtual ceremony.
"Hold America Together" ft. Gov. Gary Herbert, Rep. Dean Phillips, and Rev. Franklin Ruff

On January 12th, Braver Angels brought together 4,500 liberal and conservative Americans to reflect on what is happening in the country and how we can act to hold America together. Speakers included former Republican Utah Gov. Gary Herbert, U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MM), Rev. Franklin Ruff, pastor of First Baptist Church in Stilwell, KS. Also featuring live music, Braver Angels leaders, and citizen red/blue pairs
Photo by David Exler / @HungryEngineer
TikTok Users Rally to Help Elite Athlete with Parkinson’s
They’re building a pill bottle that’s easier to use with shaky hands.
by Kristen Houser

Jimmy Choi is an elite athlete. He's run more than a dozen marathons, holds the world record for both push-ups and burpees, and has competed on four seasons of American Ninja Warrior. He's also been living with Parkinson's since 2003.

In late December, he posted a video demonstrating his difficulty removing just one pill from his bottle of meds — his hands were shaking (a common symptom of Parkinson's) and the pills are very small.

Together, the TikTok community 3D printed and tested multiple versions of the pill bottle, eventually sending a prototype to Choi to test for himself so that they could take his feedback into consideration.
TOOLS TO BUILD WELL BEING
Photo by CDC on Unsplash
Grant Opportunity

The Office of Minority Health (OMH) is forecasting an upcoming grant: Advancing Health Literacy to Enhance Equitable Community Responses to COVID-19. 

The purpose of this grant is to demonstrate the effectiveness of local and grassroots efforts to improve the access, use, and outcomes of vaccination, testing, contact tracing and health behaviors related to COVID-19 among racial and ethnic minority populations and AI/AN populations including those in rural communities.
Prioritize people, not projects: Addressing the harms of legacy infrastructure in the COVID-19 recovery

Infrastructure investment offers one way to stimulate the economy that continues to elicit bipartisan support. But to truly improve the country’s infrastructure and help the most vulnerable households, federal leaders must invest with purpose and undo the harms of our legacy infrastructure systems.
Design Impact Discussion Guides: Disrupting White Supremacy 

Design Impact hosts a monthly discussion called Disrupting White Supremacy. The discussion questions are available for those who would like to host similar affinity groups in their own organizations.
Making Connections Backpack

Prevention Institute’s Making Connections Backpack is a resource library for those engaged in building a gendered and community-level approach to improving mental wellbeing among men and boys.
Racial Equity Tools

Racial Equity Tools supports everyone working to achieve racial equity. The updated site offer tools, research, tips, curricula, and ideas for people who want to increase their own understanding and to help those working for racial justice at every level – in systems, organizations, communities, and the culture at large.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION!
The World Cafe


1/21 at 1-3:30 PM ET

An interactive collective inquiry into the heart of learning. Online World Cafe with David Isaacs, Carol Gorelick and Bruce Noll.
All In: Data for Community Health


1/28 at 12:30 PM ET

This webinar will spotlight three All In organizations aligning efforts by building trust and sharing power in order to advance shared governance and data systems.
United States of Care and Well Being Trust


2/1 at 1:30 PM ET

Leaders from the United States of Care and Well Being Trust co-host a webinar, offering deeper insights into their recent report as well as their concerns and priorities for 2021.
Policy and Tools Corner

  1. Center for Popular Democracy - Further Provisions to Ensure Immigrants are Included in Relief
  2. World Health Organization - Practical considerations and recommendations for religious leaders and faith-based communities in the context of COVID-19
  3. Poor People's Campaign - 14 Policy Priorities to Heal the Nation: A Moral and Economic Agenda for the First 100 Days 
  4. NAACP - Black America Policy Recommendations for Biden Administration
WIN Cooperatives