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Helping Families Thrive By Sara Hall As the phrase goes, it takes a village to raise a child, but whoever coined the term couldn’t have predicted 2020. And for families who faced numerous new challenges last year, it was even harder to live up to Maya Angelou’s famous quote, “My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive.” The Family Thrive is a new e-learning platform and community designed to help families everywhere thrive together, explained co-founder and CEO Audra DiPadova Wilford. “The goal is to create the first social online learning hub dedicated to supporting the health and wellbeing of all families,” she said during a phone interview. “Everybody told me it takes a village … [At The Family Thrive], we’ve got your back.” It’s an online, holistic approach to family wellness, said Director of Marketing and PR Anne Watson during a phone interview. The site features science-backed and evidence-based information and resources. There’s a lot of misinformation out there, particularly about health, Watson added, which is why it’s important to provide content that parents can rely on. “We want to help [families] navigate those waters,” she said. “It can be overwhelming.” The Family Thrive is built on four pillars: Nourish (food, recipes, cooking); flourish (stress reduction, mindfulness, emotional health); embody (sleep, exercise, whole body wellness); and connect (community, support from other parents, social well-being). As a for-profit business, members pay a monthly subscription fee for access. Members can sign up
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Photos courtesy of Jessica Bodas and Alison Bernier
