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Sacramento ACT equips local leaders to translate their faith into action while creating innovative solutions to pressing community issues.

HEALTH CARE

We value the health of our families and communities, and believe that children and adults should be able to receive medical services that they can afford.

Recent Events

On July 23, 170 faith leaders held a community action meeting at St. Mark's United Methodist Church to raise a vision of health care reform in California.

These leaders called for health care reform that includes coverage for all children. They also urged California's elected officials to find the necessary funding to cover kids this year.

Taking part in the discussion and sharing their vision for health care in California were Secretary for Health and Human Services Kim Belshé, Senator Darrell Steinberg, Assemblyman Roger Niello, and Assemblyman Dave Jones.

This community action meeting was one of 19 such events being held around the state this summer by PICO California, a faith-based community organizing effort of 400 congregations. Click here for more information on PICO California.

ACT's History on Health Care: Our Campaign for a Healthy Community

Over the last seven years, ACT has consistently organized to improve the health and well-being of families in our community and to ensure that all people have access to quality, affordable health care.  ACT has also participated in the campaigns of our network, PICO California, to win health care victories at the state level.

Here are a few highlights of our efforts:

2000: ACT won a $2 million commitment from the County to support health services for the uninsured.  The County has used these funds to expand county health clinics that serve low-income families and to create an innovative health insurance program called SacAdvantage that helps small business provide health coverage to their employees.

Also in 2000, ACT worked with PICO California and the California Primary Care Association to create a new $50 million funding program for primary care clinics that serve the uninsured.

2002:  ACT joined PICO affiliates across the state in actively opposing severe budget cuts proposed by Governor Davis to our healthcare system and helped protect thousands of low-income families from losing their medical coverage.

2003:  ACT Hmong and Latino leaders in North Sacramento converted an abandoned lot into a community vegetable garden that helps families in the area eat healthier. 

2004:  ACT congregations helped over 2,400 low-income children gain affordable health insurance through our participation in the Regional Children’s Health Project.

2005: ACT joined its sister organizations across the state in launching a campaign to win health coverage for all children.  We co-sponsored legislation with this goal, that was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger in September.

2006: ACT was a partner in Proposition 86, a ballot measure that would have increased cigarette taxes to reduce smoking, fund health coverage for all  children and support hospital emergency rooms.  ACT volunteers collected 8,000 signatures in support of this measure, which was ultimately defeated by the tobacco companies.  Not to be deterred,  ACT and PICO California are currently working with Governor Schwarzenegger and Senator Darrell Steinberg to pass state policy on universal health coverage for children.

Learn more about our work on High School Reform, Youth Minister Project, School Attendance Center, and Gang Coalition.