Free Healthy Living Resources Gift Cards Trainings And Educational Materials From Star Programs

Introduction

Several government and organizational programs across the United States offer free resources, educational materials, and incentives to promote healthy living. These programs, often identified with "Star" in their names, provide valuable benefits to eligible participants including free training materials, gift cards, wellness classes, and educational resources. This article explores the various healthy living programs that offer freebies to participants, focusing on their eligibility requirements, available resources, and how to access these benefits.

TOP Star Program in Utah

The TOP Star (Teaching Obesity Prevention in Early Childcare and Education Settings) program is administered by the Utah Department of Health and Human Services to improve the health of children in early childcare settings. The program focuses on creating healthy behaviors that last a lifetime by supporting childcare providers in improving nutrition, physical activity, and breastfeeding environments and policies.

Free offerings through the TOP Star program include:

• Free online continuing education training approved for Career Ladder Credit, Licensing, CCQS points, and staff CDA
• Policy development assistance
• $50-$100 gift card for new or renewing facilities
• Quarterly newsletters
• Menus, lesson plans, posters, and other educational tools

Participants receive individual guidance, support, resources, and tools from local health department consultants. A TOP Star specialist at each local health department assists providers in becoming endorsed and guides them through the process. The program specifically targets childcare providers who have the opportunity to affect children's lives by creating healthy behaviors that will last a lifetime.

Healthy Living Programs

Community First Health Plans offers a Healthy Living program designed to help members achieve and maintain a healthy lifestyle through lasting lifestyle changes that include healthy eating, exercise, stress reduction, and mental health attention.

Free resources provided through the Healthy Living program include:

• Information about weight management, healthy eating habits, and ways to stay active
• Decision-making tools for use at home
• Assistance from a Community First Care Manager for members with severe health concerns
• A list of community resources offering nutrition, exercise, and mental health programs
• Monthly general health education on topics such as sun exposure and pool safety
• No-cost, virtual Zumba classes via Zoom for members of all ages

The program aims to help participants incorporate healthy habits into their everyday lives, which can reduce hospitalization or emergency room visits and improve quality of life. The virtual Zumba classes provide an accessible way for members to stay active without cost.

STAR+PLUS Medicaid Program

STAR+PLUS is a Texas Medicaid-managed care program scheduled to launch on September 1, 2024, that serves individuals with disabilities and those aged 65 and older. The program helps participants get the healthcare they need to live healthy lives through various services and supports.

STAR+PLUS offers the following benefits:

• Complete Care including medical, behavioral health, and long-term services and supports
• Help with daily life activities such as bathing, dressing, and cooking meals
• Service coordination with each member receiving a personal Service Coordinator to help develop their care plan
• Care at home services to help members stay in their own homes

Eligibility requirements for STAR+PLUS include:

• Approval for Medicaid
• Being age 21 or older, receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, and able to get Medicaid due to low income
• Not receiving SSI but needing the type of services in STAR+PLUS Home and Community-Based Services
• Being age 21 or older, receiving Medicaid through "Social Security Exclusion programs" and meeting program rules for income and asset levels
• Being age 21 or over residing in a nursing home and receiving Medicaid while in the nursing home
• Participation in the Medicaid for Breast and Cervical Cancer program

Enrollment can be completed through three methods: - Online at www.yourtexasbenefits.com - By phone by calling 2-1-1 (after selecting language and pressing 2) - Through the Your Texas Benefits application process

BeWell & Healthy Living at Stanford

Stanford University's BeWell program offers benefits-eligible university employees personalized support for well-being, including 1:1 coaching, classes, and a state-of-the-art employee wellness platform. The program includes an educational component called Healthy Living that offers evidence-based classes, apps, and coaching.

Free offerings through BeWell & Healthy Living include:

• Personalized wellness experience with opportunities to earn incentives (up to $560 per program year)
• Activity tracking through the online platform and mobile app
• Opportunities to earn points toward incentives personalized to individual interests
• Participation as a wellness champion within departments or workgroups, with exclusive perks and resources
• Evidence-based classes, apps, and coaching on topics including nutrition, mindfulness, resilience, and prevention
• On-demand webinars available for viewing at any time
• Both virtual and in-person class options

The program emphasizes a science-backed approach to behavior change, focusing on the creation of tiny habits. Participants can engage with the program from anywhere, making it accessible to all eligible employees regardless of location or schedule constraints.

Early Learning STARS Training

Washington State offers free STARS-credited trainings for early learning professionals through the Nourished and Active in Early Learning website. These trainings have relocated to the Washington State Department of Health website.

Key features of the Early Learning STARS Training program include:

• Free STARS-credited continuing education
• Focus on nourishment and activity in early learning settings
• Resources available through the Washington State Department of Health website

Participants with questions about the trainings can contact the program at [email protected] for assistance. The program provides valuable professional development opportunities for early learning professionals without cost.

Live Healthillie

Live Healthillie presents itself as a solution for consumers seeking clean health products. While the website lists various health and wellness products, there is no explicit mention of free samples or promotional offers in the provided information.

The site features products such as: - Minerals & Chill Stick Packs - Electrolyte Drink Variety Pack - Gut-Skin Electrolytes with Prebiotics + Hyaluronic Acid - Daily Hustle supplements - Fulvic & Trace Ocean Minerals - Hydration supplements - Magnesium supplements - Electrolyte drinks

The platform emphasizes providing confidence in shopping for clean products, but without specific information about free samples, promotional offers, or trial programs, it cannot be definitively categorized as a source of freebies based on the provided data.

Conclusion

Several "Star" programs across the United States offer valuable free resources to promote healthy living. The TOP Star program in Utah provides childcare providers with free continuing education, gift cards, and educational materials. Community First's Healthy Living program offers information, tools, and virtual fitness classes at no cost. The upcoming STAR+PLUS Medicaid program in Texas will provide comprehensive healthcare services to eligible seniors and individuals with disabilities. Stanford's BeWell program offers employees personalized wellness support and incentives, while Washington State provides free STARS-credited training for early learning professionals. These programs demonstrate how government and organizational initiatives can support healthy living through accessible resources and incentives.

Sources

1. TOP Star Program
2. Healthy Living Program
3. STAR+PLUS Program
4. BeWell & Healthy Living
5. Live Healthillie
6. Early Learning STARS Training