ARISE supports communities to build a strategy to:
Improve the mental, physical, social and spiritual health and well-being of communities experiencing equity gaps in the context of COVID-19.
Address underlying vital community conditions, such as access to meaningful work and wealth, humane housing, and reliable transportation, that perpetuate health inequities.
Address root causes of health inequities, such as racism and an inequitable economy.
Building civic capacity and infrastructure for long-term systemic change.
WE in the World convened a partnership of 18 organizations across the state of Illinois who brought deep relationships and lived experience with communities experiencing inequities to bend the trend toward well-being and justice. Heluna Health stepped forward to act as the fiscal sponsor for the effort.
Together, we bent a $3.7 million pipeline of state funding toward communities experiencing inequities and created a response that created jobs and met people’s need for food, health and well-being. Together, we’re investing in building civic capacity to change the system so that these communities do not remain vulnerable to future pandemics.
Approach & Building Blocks
“Public health has a distinct role in walking alongside our communities to tackle and address the root causes of health inequity, While these inequities have been brought into stark contrast by the impacts of COVID-19 on our communities, we know that there are solutions that can be applied. The heart of this project is to uplift local voices and develop local solutions in a way that will provide sustainable improvements to health and well-being for our Illinois communities.”
— Dr. Amaal Tokars
Advance intergenerational well-being and equity on a foundation of racial and economic justice.
We are change agents passionate about igniting transformation for well-being and equity.
No one changes the world alone. Meet the broader “WE” that we’re building together.
Real change is only possible when we have the support of funders and investors who care about well-being and equity as much as we do.
Looking for community? Get plugged into resources and networks through WE.
A world of mutual abundance unshackled from systemic injustice is within reach, but it will take all of our contributions to get there.
WE in the World is a non-profit supporting changemakers globally to change the system.
Investing in a better world for our grandchildren.
Stewarding natural resources. Creating space for all races and voices.
Invest in changing the system.
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