Basic Social Needs

A healthy community provides a network of services, including basic social needs. We need to catch people before they fall through the cracks and provide them with tools to strengthen their lives and economic resilience. Failing to meet basic needs not only jeopardizes an individual’s quality of life, but also creates more costly and complex problems for our community over time.

The consequences of not providing for basic needs accumulate quickly. Hungry children are absent from school more often than other children, impacting their educational progress. Uninsured individuals and families put off needed healthcare, let prescriptions go unfilled and the results are costly emergencies. A lack of access to affordable housing pushes working people out of the community.

San Juan Island should be a healthy place for everyone. Philanthropy can bridge funding gaps, leverage public dollars and support promising approaches to reach people on the edge and give them the tools to help them lift themselves out of poverty.