BETHEL – Sullivan 180 staff, volunteers and community members gathered on Wednesday night for the non-profit organization’s “Celebration of Our Community” at Bethel Woods.

CEO Denise Frangipane highlighted the work that Sullivan 180 and its vast network of volunteers have accomplished to improve health in the county “one degree at a time.”

“In years past, we have reinforced something that was known as the Robert Wood Johnson ranking as a marker for our progress,” she said. “And what those rankings never showed were the steps that we have taken along the way, those degrees of change that we embrace as core to our mission.”

Just some of Sullivan 180’s programs that were highlighted are the Hope Squad peer-to-peer mental health awareness program; Step into Wellness walking challenge that saw 29 teams walking over 300 miles in August; and the Healthiest Fire Department Challenge, a competition for Sullivan County fire departments (this year’s winner is the Smallwood-Mongaup Valley Fire Department).

“A healthier community starts with people who care about one another,” Frangipane said. “Our grassroots movement is built from the ground up and powered by all of you.”

The keynote speaker of the evening was Julia Holtz, author of “The Connection Cure” who offered an insightful look into the practice of “social prescribing.”

But first, she acknowledged the triumphs of Sullivan 180. “Tonight is a celebration of this community,” she said. “The work you are doing—the spaces you’re making more beautiful, the schools you’re filling with nutritious food, the walking challenges you’re leading—they’re not just nice to have; they’re making a real difference in health and healthcare.”

Holtz’s book is about an internationally known concept of “social prescribing,” which takes a holistic approach to people’s health, showing how movement, nature, creativity, service and belonging can influence well-being.

She cited research and individual stories of people who utilized this concept and improved their outcomes. The idea is that a doctor or other medical professional will shift the conversation from “What’s the matter with you?” to “What matters to you?”.

“What if as part of treatment we could put people in environments that made them feel better?” she said. “That is the idea behind social prescribing.”

It was clear that her message was reverberating through the room as many people spoke during the Q&A period to bring up ideas to make Sullivan County more connected in the search for a cure—one degree at a time.