Houston

Community Action Model for Building Healthier Communities

healthyplacesbydesign.org

Health Foundation Fights Health Gaps Between Races

www.hfsf.org

Houston Health Groups Work Together for Better Care Access

www.hfsf.org

Harvard Business School Annual Reports Archive

hbs.edu

Free Mental Health Support App with Trained Listeners

HearMe is a paid app ($7.99/month) that connects people with trained listeners for emotional support. The app lets you chat anonymously about anything on your mind - like work stress, health, parenting, or identity issues. Listeners are trained volunteers and social work students who provide judgment-free support. Your conversations are private and encrypted. You must be 18 or older to use HearMe. The app is not for crisis situations - if you're having thoughts of suicide or self-harm, call 988 instead. The FAQ page also lists many other mental health resources like the 988 Crisis Lifeline, therapy directories, LGBTQ+ support groups, and hotlines for different needs. HearMe offers internships and is looking for new volunteer listeners who complete their training program. Technical support is available through the app.

www.hearme.app

Community Action Model for Building Healthier Communities

Healthy Places by Design created a Community Action Model to help communities work together to improve health and well-being. The model has three main parts: understanding your community's unique background and challenges, following six essential practices for success, and using a 3-step cycle called Partner-Prepare-Progress. The Partner step builds relationships between different groups. The Prepare step helps communities plan and set priorities. The Progress step puts plans into action through new programs, policies, and changes to neighborhoods. The model shows how communities can create lasting change by working together over time. Early impacts include new programs and stronger relationships. Intermediate impacts include policy changes and new community spaces like gardens and farmers markets. Long-term impacts create a 'culture of health' where healthy living becomes part of how the community works. The model has been successfully used in cities like Buffalo, New York and Denver, Colorado. This guide helps community leaders, coalitions, and funders understand how to create comprehensive approaches for community health improvements that last.

healthyplacesbydesign.org

How to Fight Authoritarianism by Understanding Its Support Systems

The Horizons Project explains how authoritarian leaders stay in power through support from key groups called 'pillars.' These pillars include businesses, faith communities, professional groups, labor unions, and veterans' groups. The organization uses research to understand how these groups provide resources and legitimacy to authoritarian systems. By identifying these support systems, pro-democracy organizers can develop better strategies to protect democracy. The framework helps activists understand that power flows upward through specific institutions, and by targeting these institutions, movements can weaken authoritarian control. Horizons provides tools, research, and case studies from around the world to help people take effective pro-democracy action. Their work focuses on building diverse coalitions that can strategically challenge threats to democratic institutions and norms.

horizonsproject.us