In Good Health

It’s day 27 of the longest standing partial shutdown of the federal government in U.S. history, and its impacts are hitting Coloradans hard. Of the many harsh realities rising to the surface is how the closure is making it harder for many Colorado families to keep health within reach.

Colorado is home to more than 220,000 Colorado families who are at risk of losing food benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If the shutdown continues, the Colorado Department of Human Services anticipates additional strain on local food banks and social service agencies due to a spike in customers. And more than 15,000 furloughed federal workers missed a paycheck this last Friday as a result of the shutdown.

In

Many are familiar with the term “leaning in,” but we're talking about it as “living into” whatever we’re doing, especially with a new strategy that we are earnestly putting to test. So, as we closed out 2018 and collectively reflected on how the year went for us, we changed the frame and began talking about how we’ve been “living into” our commitment to equity across and within Colorado communities.

I think I like it better, and I want to share our perspectives on it by reflecting on 2018 and forecasting what’s on the horizon for 2019. Living into the work we’ve committed to means we have to be intentional about how we approach implementing the Foundation’s mission and strategic framework. If

At the Colorado Health Foundation, we believe policy advocacy is an important and effective tool for improving the health of Coloradans. This is because public policies enacted at the local, state and national level can have a substantial impact on the health of individuals, their families and their communities. There is much power in sharing Coloradans’ perspectives with policymakers so they, too, can recognize and act on the opportunities they have to support health across Colorado.

Our policy advocacy approach is informed by our cornerstones and commitment to serving Coloradans who are living on low income and have historically had less power or privilege. Throughout the year, we listen intently to the perspectives of those we exist to serve to

Parkland.

March for Our Lives.

Migrant children detained at our borders.

CHIP reauthorization.

In a year filled to the brim with news that has shaken us as a country and a culture, there are common threads to be found. In both increments and startling leaps, our youth, including kids in Colorado, have been disproportionately affected and mobilized by the political and social turbulence of these times.

From those who are most vulnerable – children of families with low income, whose health care hung in the balance for months with CHIP reauthorization – to those who have stepped forward with truly unbelievable determination and bravery after the Parkland shooting, our young people have gone from classrooms to center stage. In