ENACT Day brings together community leaders and partners from across California to connect, learn from each other, and collectively educate decision-makers about opportunities to create healthy, safe, equitable communities for all Californians. By sharing lived experiences and expertise, efforts help to educate, build awareness, and support more informed decision-making processes. In trying times we must unite to fight! Share your voice and come join us in Sacramento.
To learn more about previous ENACT issues go HERE. Questions? Email: CA4Health@phi.org
Too many communities face persistent barriers to health, safety, and opportunity. Limited food access, gaps in healthcare, and systemic inequities in immigration and racial justice prevent individuals and families from thriving. Along with inequities, violence and trauma add more challenges to people’s lives, creating cycles of hardship that are difficult to break.
But change is possible. By advocating to expand access to basic needs and remove systemic barriers, we can help build a future where everyone can live with dignity and security. Today, we come together to advocate for solutions that break down these barriers and build a future where all people—regardless of background—can access the resources they need. Through collective action, we can push for policies that create real, lasting change. Thank you for joining us in this fight for justice and equity.
Food Access- We believe that all people should have access to healthy food. Access being location, cost, culture, and quality. This includes support for things like senior meal programs (meals on wheels), healthy school lunches, and support for programs that support pregnant people and children (WIC and SNAPed). We must protect and remove barriers to critical safety net programs.
THE ISSUE: California grows a majority of America’s fruits and vegetables, yet one out of every eight Californians doesn’t even know where their next meal is going to come from. Worse, more than 2 million children are going to school food insecure every day. It’s unacceptable that so many Californians are either going hungry or lacking basic access to healthy food.
Thriving & Healthy Communities– We believe that all people should be able to live in communities that are affordable, healthy, safe, and create a sense of belonging and togetherness. Affordable meaning that people regardless of income can have a place to call home with access to quality parks, schools, and markets. Safe meaning that water is clean and drinkable, air is clean and free from toxins and pollutants, and people can walk and bike in their neighborhood without fear.
THE ISSUE:Safe, decent, affordable and accessible housing is a basic human right, as is access to transportation and opportunities for physical activities. Unfortunately, our state has a 3 million unit housing shortage and a history of building cities without regard for walkability, bikeability and adequate public transit. A diverse set of policies are needed to address critical disparities and inequities within communities and less resourced neighborhoods.
Healthcare for All– We believe that everyone has the right to health care regardless of status, inclusive care should include support for mental health, reproductive health, and wellbeing. Where health care is not just treatment but also prevention and support to help people live healthy lives.
THE ISSUE: Nearly six out of every ten uninsured Californians are undocumented and 1.4 million California residents are barred from the health care system due to their immigration status. Another 4.5 million Californians are unable to take advantage of the California Earned Income Credit. Barriers like these keep families from thriving.
Immigration & Racial Equity- We believe that no human being is illegal and that everyone of all shades and colors has the right to live in a just world. Where justice is reform of the criminal legal system, breaking the school to prison pipeline, and support for Black people who have suffered grave injustices for centuries, and where people are valued not just for their labor and production but for their humanity.
THE ISSUE: Nearly six out of every ten uninsured Californians are undocumented and 1.4 million California residents are barred from the health care system due to their immigration status. Another 4.5 million Californians are unable to take advantage of the California Earned Income Credit. Barriers like these keep families from thriving.
