What is a Healthy Community?
A Healthy Community is where people come together to make their community better for themselves, their family, their friends, their neighbors and others in their community. A Healthy Community creates ongoing dialogue; generates leadership everywhere; shapes its future; embraces diversity; knows itself; connects people and resources; and fosters a sense of community.
What do Healthy Communities Coalitions and Groups do?
Healthy Community coalitions/groups in Massachusetts, like communities the world over who have joined the Healthy Communities movement, work together on local issues that affect health and quality of life, such as:
• Public health concerns such as heart disease, substance abuse & air quality
• Housing and education
• Youth development
• Access to health/medical care
• Child care and elder care
• Recreation
• A clean and healthy environment
• A safe environment
• Arts and cultural pursuits
• Transportation
Who is involved in creating a Healthy Community?
People are the key to a Healthy Community. Individual participants come in all ages, from all educational and economic backgrounds, and from all sectors of the community. Groups that may be involved include:
• Municipal & local government and planners
• Local business, industry, economic development
• Civic/cultural groups
• CHNAs
• Local residents
• Faith organizations
• Hospitals and health care organizations
• Health and social service organizations
• Youth groups/organizations
• Education
• Local newspapers, local radio and TV
• Community foundations
• Recreational groups and facilities
• The arts
• Grassroots organizations and
• Environmental organization
How do you build a Healthy Community?
1. Work Together
Local residents work together in an existing or new coalition or group to:
• Decide what health means for their community;
• Learn more about the healthy communities approach
• Study the needs and assets of the community
• Identify problems and strengths in the community
• Set goals to help the community build on its assets and become healthier.
2. Take Action
• Using the goals, the coalition/group sets priorities and develops a plan of action
• The whole community works together with the coalition/group on the plan of action
• The coalition/group reports on successful outcomes to the community
• The process continues with the community building on its successes, setting new goals, initiating new activities and continuing the process of improvement