Take Action in Your Community

Your community counts on people like you to help make it better. Even small changes can make a big difference when it comes to creating a healthy community!

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

As you get involved, you need to decide what changes you want to see in your neighborhood. Here’s how:

1. Talk to your kids, family, neighbors, or coworkers. Find out what healthy changes they’d like to see happen in your community.
2. Decide what you want to do. Pick one thing that all of you want to change to help your community be healthier. Here are some examples:
   • Ask your store to offer quality fruits and vegetables at a low cost.
   • Start a local farmers’ market.
   • Work with your schools to get after-hours and weekend access to parks, play yards, and/or gyms.
   • Get healthier food items in your office vending machines or cafeteria.
3. Create a vision. Together with your team, write a clear statement that describes the change you would like to see. Here are some examples:
   • We want affordable fresh fruits and vegetables at our local store.
   • We want to see a farmers’ market in our neighborhood.
   • We want our children to have safe places to walk and play.
   • We want healthy snack options at work.
4. Make a plan to fulfill your vision. Write down the steps it will take to create the positive change you want to see.
5. Encourage others to join. Once you identify your vision and plan, involve others who can help.
6. Involve the community. Bring in other people—like community leaders, local business owners, and local government agencies—who can help you solve the problem.
7. Talk to decision-makers. If appropriate, let your community leaders know about the issue. Share your ideas and solutions with them. Let them know how they can help make these healthy changes happen.

Need some help identifying areas for improvement in your community? Here are some tools: