Corporate Sponsorships
Why Colorado needs the Chillax Om Foundation Wellness Hour Program
Colorado has ranked among the two worst states in the nation for prevalence of mental illness for two consecutive years, and ranks 50th worst for adult substance abuse of alcohol and drugs (Mental Health America, 2025). Despite ranking comparatively better for access to care, residents consistently report that confusing insurance coverage and the high out-of-pocket cost of traditional therapy — ranging from $0 to $150 per session — cause many to delay treatment until they reach a crisis point.
The Chillax Om Foundation’s Wellness Hour program directly addresses this access gap by offering free, walk-in group auricular acupuncture using the NADA protocol — a treatment method recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense as having “good quality” evidence for treating PTSD, anxiety, depression, and addiction-related symptoms, and used in formal psychiatric training at institutions including Yale School of Medicine.
Since relocating to Evergreen, Colorado in October 2023, the Foundation has delivered over 250 free treatments annually to local residents, with particular demand from Veterans, First Responders, and community members managing chronic stress, anxiety, and trauma — confirmed by direct community engagement data showing educational content on these specific conditions receiving 300% higher engagement than other outreach material.
By removing the cost and insurance barriers that the data identifies as the leading cause of delayed care in Colorado, the Wellness Hour program offers a scalable, evidence-informed model for addressing the state’s mental health and substance use crisis at the community level.
Corporate Sponsors can donate:
- a single hour wellness-hour pop up clinic for 20 participants on location at a business or community organization for just $300!
- a whole 6-week wellness hour program for a group of 10 people for just $1800!
- a whole 6-week wellness hour program for a group of 20 people for just $3600!
- or any amount to support our FREE and low-cost community programs!
Just $15 provides a FREE acupuncture treatment for anyone in need of stress, anxiety, depression, pain relief and trauma recovery!
Click HERE to learn more about our Chillax Om Foundation, Inc., 501c3 and what acupuncture can do to heal our community!
Our Mission — The work of Chillax Om Foundation, Inc., 501c(3) Non-Profit
Chillax Om Foundation, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to making integrative, natural healthcare accessible to everyone — regardless of ability to pay. Founded in 2021 by Dr. Andrea Renee, DACM, LAc., a licensed Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine, our Foundation provides free weekly group acupuncture, breathwork, guided meditation, and self-care training through our signature Wellness Hour program.
We serve Veterans and First Responders managing PTSD and chronic stress, teachers and healthcare workers facing burnout, seniors seeking relief from chronic pain, and any community member who cannot otherwise afford care. Every $15 donated funds one full treatment for a neighbor in need.
Since our founding, we have delivered over 1,000 free treatments, including 250 in Evergreen, Colorado in 2025 alone. In response to the EHS shooting in our community, we also launched a dedicated weekly healing circle for those affected by trauma and grief.
We believe healing should never be a luxury. Through donor support and community partnership, Chillax Om Foundation is building a future where natural, evidence-informed healthcare is within reach for all.
The Chillax Om Foundation’s work was recognized with the Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce Best New Business Award in April 2026 — voted by Evergreen community members — and featured in Evergreen Living Magazine, May 2026
The Wellness Hour is a free program of Chillax Om Foundation, Inc. (EIN: 87-1829729), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization,
CO Charitable Solicitation Registration #20263017303
is separate from Dr. Andrea Renee Rivera’s private acupuncture practice that delivers 1:1 private treatments by appointment.
Community Acupuncture & Self-Care Training
What
CHILLAX OM Foundation, Inc., 501c3 has designed a free, private donation funded, on-site Wellness Hour Acupuncture treatment and self-care training program to support our community residents, veterans, disaster survivors, and emergency service front line workers.
Your company can sponsor a pop-up clinic on location at a business or community organization or at Chillax Om Clinic in Evergreen, CO for a community group.
A donation of just $300 provides a 1 hour Wellness Hour Acupuncture and Self-care training experience for up to 20 participants.
Why
Why the Wellness Hour Works — The Science
The four practices in every Wellness Hour — NADA auricular acupuncture, yoga, mindfulness-based breathwork and meditation, and medical qigong — are each supported by peer-reviewed clinical research published in respected medical journals including JAMA Internal Medicine, Psychiatry Research, Frontiers in Neuroscience, and BMC Complementary Medicine.
Key findings from the research:
- NADA auricular acupuncture has been shown in a randomized controlled trial to reduce anxiety, depression, and substance use while improving quality of life and employment outcomes — with the greatest benefits for high-risk participants including those with trauma and criminal justice involvement. (Carter et al., 2017, Behavioral Sciences)
- Yoga (Kundalini, Hatha, and trauma-sensitive styles) significantly improved PTSD and depression symptoms across 20 randomized controlled trials in a 2024 meta-analysis. (Nejadghaderi et al., 2024, Psychiatry Research)
- Mindfulness meditation produced clinically significant reductions in anxiety, depression, pain, and stress across 47 randomized controlled trials and 3,515 participants. (Goyal et al., 2014, JAMA Internal Medicine)
- Medical qigong significantly reduced anxiety (SMD = -0.75) and stress (SMD = -0.88) compared to wait-list controls across seven randomized controlled trials. (Wang et al., 2014, BMC Complementary Medicine)
These practices work through a shared biological pathway: activating the parasympathetic nervous system — the body’s natural rest-and-recovery state — which reduces cortisol, decreases craving and pain responses, and restores emotional regulation. This is the same physiological mechanism disrupted by trauma and chronic stress, and restored by each of the four practices in the Wellness Hour.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE CLINICAL RESEARCH
With the Chillax Om Foundation’s Wellness Hour program of NADA auricular acupuncture, ear seeds, and self-care mind-body practice training, participants can break free of stress and pain and learn to become resilient by taking control of their emotional, mental and physical wellbeing long-term with self-care tools they can use daily as their own medicine at home and work as needed.
How
Community Acupuncture is a fully clothed group treatment of acupuncture that takes place in a large room or outdoor pop up clinic with a group of people together in comfortable anti-gravity reclining chairs.
Who
Dr. Andrea Renee Rivera (“Dr. Renee”), Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine (DACM), Licensed Acupuncturist (LAc.), and founder of the Chillax Om Foundation 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has been a front-line integrative healthcare provider through two generation-defining crises. The first was the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, which she lived through and worked beside in downtown Manhattan — enduring bomb threats, toxic smoke from the Twin Towers, and military checkpoints on her daily commute. The second was the COVID-19 pandemic, during which she practiced acupuncture in Los Angeles, California, surrounded by civil unrest, homeless encampments, and public health emergency orders.
California Service (2016–2023)
From 2016 through 2023, Dr. Renee delivered over 10,000 acupuncture and auricular NADA protocol treatments across multiple Los Angeles County facilities, including the LA County/USC Wellness Center, Venice Family Clinic, and Pacific Coast Community Acupuncture Clinic, in addition to her private practices in Hollywood and Pacific Palisades, CA. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2023), she delivered nearly 3,000 acupuncture treatments to frontline workers, healthcare staff, and community members navigating the mental and physical toll of the crisis.
“Through these experiences, I witnessed participants feel stress relief, less pain, more energy, healthy weight loss, and an overall increase in quality of life — including better relationships at work and at home — after using acupuncture, acupressure, and mind-body practices.”
Colorado Service (2023–Present)
In October 2023, Dr. Renee relocated her practice to Evergreen, Colorado, opening Chillax Om Natural Health & Longevity Center. In 2024, she completed the foreign corporation filing with the Colorado Secretary of State, formally extending her practice and the Chillax Om Foundation’s mission into the state. Since establishing her Colorado practice, she has delivered over 250 free group acupuncture treatments per year in Evergreen alone, with cumulative totals across both states now exceeding 1,000 free treatments delivered through the Foundation since its 2021 founding.
Colorado’s need for accessible, low-cost mental health and addiction support is well documented and growing. The data below, drawn from independent state and national sources, frames why Dr. Renee’s work in Evergreen is addressing an urgent and measurable public health gap.
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These rankings reflect a state in sustained crisis: Colorado has ranked among the worst two states in the nation for prevalence of mental illness for two consecutive years, and ranks 50th worst for adult substance abuse of alcohol and drugs.
Mental Health Colorado’s CEO Vincent Atchity has attributed the ongoing strain to compounding factors including unresolved anxiety from gun violence, the lingering effects of pandemic-era isolation, rising cost-of-living pressure that delays care-seeking until crisis points, and confusing insurance coverage that leaves many residents — even those with insurance — uncertain how to access affordable treatment.
How the Chillax Om Wellness Hour Program Addresses This Gap
The Chillax Om Foundation’s Wellness Hour program was purpose-built to remove the two most common barriers Colorado residents cite when avoiding mental health care: cost and accessibility. The program offers:
- Free weekly walk-in group auricular (ear) acupuncture using the NADA protocol — no appointment, insurance, or upfront cost required
- A judgment-free, group-based setting that reduces the stigma many residents associate with seeking behavioral health support
- Integration with breathwork, guided meditation, and Qigong self-care training so participants leave with tools they can use independently between sessions
- Direct outreach to the populations most underserved by Colorado’s existing system: Veterans, First Responders, uninsured and underinsured residents, and those who cannot afford the $0–$150 per session cost of traditional therapy cited as a barrier in recent Colorado reporting
What Local Community Members Are Seeking Relief From Most
Engagement data from Dr. Renee’s social media outreach — specifically educational video content addressing anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, and chronic stress — has consistently outperformed other content by approximately 300% in views. This direct, real-world signal from the local Evergreen and greater Colorado community confirms what the state-level data shows: residents are actively searching for accessible relief from these specific conditions, and are responding to content that offers a non-pharmaceutical, low-barrier option.
This pattern aligns precisely with the clinical conditions the NADA protocol and broader acupuncture research base are most studied for treating.
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE CLINICAL RESEARCH
When
Dr. Andrea Renee is passionately dedicated to delivering FREE ear Auricular acupuncture with acupressure ear seeds and low-cost sliding scale community acupuncture at her Chillax Om Evergreen Clinic Saturdays 1p-5p in addition to pop-up clinics on location upon request for local community organization.
Where
If you are an employer, community or public service organization in the Jefferson County Denver area who thinks the Wellness Hour can help your local community, colleagues and employees, contact Dr. Andrea Renee at AndreaReneeLAc@gmail.com or 310-461-7494 to schedule a wellness-hour pop-up clinic and for additional information.