Viva
Social and Community Context
Amplifying Joy: Viva’s Engagement to Create Community and Combat Dementia Through Music
In this episode of K. Elizabeth Toasts, we toast Viva, the Director of Operations and Community Engagement at Giving Voice, a nonprofit in the Twin Cities. Viva shares the personal and transformative journey that led her from volunteering, being a member with her mother, then finding a career at Giving Voice. Founded in 2014, Giving Voice combats dementia's social isolation by building choirs for people living with dementia, their care partners, and volunteers. With over 50 choirs nationwide, Giving Voice uses music as a joyful tool to foster connection, empowerment, and belonging. Viva explains how these choirs provide a safe space where everyone, regardless of musical ability, feels valued and seen. Tune in to hear heartwarming stories of resilience, joy, and the power of music to uplift communities!
The choral music on this episode is the Giving Voice choir performing a song called "Sing Together" which was written for Giving Voice about navigating Alzheimer's.
Healthy People 2030 is the fifth iterative of a 40+ year initiative to help communities, organizations, and individuals improve American’s health and well-being. One of the key goals of Healthy People 2030 is to highlight the importance of the 5 Social Determinants of Health (SDoH) in increasing equity and reducing disparities in health; one of the five goals of Healthy People 2030 is directly related to the SDoH to “create social, physical, and economic environments that promote attaining the full potential for health and well-being for all” (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
The SDoH are the non-medical factors and environmental conditions where people are born, live, learn, work, play, and age. The SDoH influence up to 55% of our health outcomes including a wide range of health, functioning, and quality-of-life outcomes and risks.
One of the five SDoH is social and community context. Having strong relationships and connections with relatives, acquaintances, colleagues, and neighbors can have a positive impact on people's physical and mental health. These relationships can also help reduce the negative effects of challenges and dangers that are beyond people's control, such as living in unsafe neighborhoods or experiencing discrimination. However, some people, such as children whose parents are incarcerated or who are bullied, may not have access to the support they need to thrive. By promoting positive relationships at home, school, work, and in the community, interventions can help improve health and overall quality of life.
Episode Resources:
Record a Toast to honor someone who has increased your quality of life
Start a Giving Voice Chorus Toolkit
CBS Mornings Video
US Department of Health and Human Services’ Healthy People 2030: SDoH
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Social Determinants of Health