The Sustainable Health & Wellness Village® Festival (SHWV) is a multi-day community-based health and wellness program that seeks to connect at-risk populations with community resource providers to expand access to healthcare and enable self-advocacy to advance public health outcomes and quality of life within urban and minority communities. A unique collaboration across the public and private sectors, government, and faith-based organizations, the SHWV Festival represents a vital community link for target populations to access essential clinical and social services.
Baseline health screenings and consultations, expert-led educational presentations, and practical lifestyle products are presented and provided to the public free of charge, complementing many fun and enriching entertainment and recreational activities. The SHWV’s thoughtfully designed festival environment generates considerable interest and appeal for local communities, employing culturally relevant entertainment and recreational attractions as it expands access to community resources - especially valuable for those with limited access to healthcare.
Informed by the CDC’s Social Determinants of Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Culture of Health Action Framework, the SHWV’s innovative, evidence-based model integrates acute care and wellness services with lifestyle activities to address the full spectrum of determinants to overall wellbeing.
This innovative community program model promotes meaningful engagements between providers and program participants, creating access to a trusted network of committed experts and organizations on which underserved populations can rely in response to public health emergencies, to advance their long-term wellbeing, and to elevate the collective quality of life within their community.
