Go Austin/Vamos Austin (GAVA) is a place-based health equity initiative working to build community power, increase access to healthy food and safe physical activity, and foster permanency in Austin’s Eastern Crescent.
We work from an understanding of the Social Determinants of Health: the structural conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work and age. This population health framework recognizes that healthy behavior is not possible in an environment that lacks access to physical activity, healthy food, stable jobs, safe housing, and social support networks in addition to traditional healthcare. GAVA frames all of our projects based on resident feedback, using community organizing strategies to influence the social determinants of health.