Strengthening Rural Families: Promoting the Health and Wellbeing of People in Rural Communities

This article features news and updates from Strengthening Rural Families, a recipient of an LBLHEA Policy and Systems Change Grant.

Strengthening Rural Families uses a collaborative approach to promote the health and wellbeing of people in rural communities. For the most part our programs are focused on prevention services and programs, we believe in helping our neighbors have access to resources, skills and educational opportunities that support healthier and fuller lives. We have a variety of ways to accomplish this by providing early childhood and parenting education programs, parenting and financial coaching, self-regulation skills building, oral health projects, policy and coalition work and community events. For example, we operate kindergarten readiness programs in Mill City and Philomath and a preschool in Alsea, we provide dental van clinics in rural Benton County, as well as providing parenting education class series and workshops, and skills building groups in many of our communities. Our funding and partnership with the Linn Benton Lincoln Health Equity Alliance has specifically helped us to hire a Spanish speaking staff person that is involved in coordination, outreach, and engagement efforts and is able to provide financial coaching in both English and Spanish. Strengthening Rural Families has always valued and both community involvement and community voice.

In our work we are regularly reminded that when those of our neighbors who have been historically disadvantaged, marginalized or further from opportunity are given access or resources the whole community ends up being lifted. This is one of reasons that we continue to invest in prevention approaches, which by their nature and impact are designed to reduce some of the harms that people might experience. We also understand that some of these issues have existed for generations and that sometimes bigger policies, or structures need to be altered to provide increased levels of fairness to individuals, families, and communities. Which is why we also participate in coalition work that is intended to reshape some of the policies and behaviors that create barriers for us from living healthier and happier lives. We believe that by elevating community voices and experiences we are more likely to achieve solutions that bring the shared reward that exists when equity, inclusiveness and justice exist at the center of our and our neighbors’ experiences.