According to the American Psychological Association, money remains a top source of stress for Americans. Finances affect people’s access to food, healthcare and housing – financial burdens don’t just affect bank accounts, they affect health.
(GNCU) and the University of ÁùºÏ±¦µä, Reno School of Public Health partnered to bring panelists together on Tuesday, Sept. 24 to explore how financial stability and literacy can significantly impact individuals’ mental and physical health.
“If we can reach people at a young age and help them build that base of financial knowledge, you can help them get a start and you can help their parents, too,” said Danny DeLaRosa, president and CEO of GNCU. “We’re making generational change by helping people, starting at an early age and it’s so inspiring to see their faces light up when they can engage with our financial education programs and be successful or make mistakes in a fun learning environment.”
During the panel discussion, which included DeLaRosa; Zach Behl, assistant dean of the School of Public Health; Travis Walker, chief medical officer of Community Health Alliance; Jim McClenahan, executive director of outreach and engagement at the College of Business; and Cori Fisher, housing manager of the City of Reno, each panelist shared their experience working to assist community members experiencing financial, mental and physical health challenges.
Improving the understanding of the relationship between financial, mental and physical health was a signification part of the conversation.
“Raising awareness of financial resources is key, as is highlighting the importance of financial wellness and how it impacts your whole life,” said Behl. “Now we need to continue to share this message. I hope that we can continue to do the work of lifting up our community in a more holistic way.”
Approaching community health and wellness issues from a holistic perspective was also a key topic during the discussion. Panelists shared their optimism on how their organizations can continue working together to improve the health of the community.
“At Community Health Alliance, we’re looking at the social, financial and mental health pieces affecting our patients to help provide wrap-around services,” said Walker. “This model is growing and we’re seeing it flourish in our community and communities like ours.”
“The collaboration is so exciting to see,” said Fisher. “Pre-pandemic, the solution to housing affordability was to build more houses, but now, we’re seeking more creative solutions and partnerships to help address the issue. At City of Reno Housing Development, we’re also seeing more funding opportunities and we are really focused on bringing funds to those we serve to help people live out the American dream of homeownership.”
Experts shared their hopes for the future of addressing health issues and contributing factors in order to lift up community wellness.
“At the college level, we’re finding gaps in our students’ knowledge that show we need to adjust curriculum to help them,” said McClenahan. “We’re now educating students during freshman orientation and through programs like Money Mentors to help provide basic financial literacy.”
“What gives me hope is that you find a lot of people who care about each other in our community,” said DeLaRosa. “If we can make a difference in someone’s life today, then we’re going to make a difference in their children’s lives too and we can see the effects of lifting people up multiply.”
GNCU offers financial resources for people navigating all stages of life. .
