The Town of Concord is embarking on a healthy community planning project to assess the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and overall well-being of our community. The project will work to identify Concord’s existing assets and resources, define our residents’ needs, and determine opportunities for improvement.
In the coming months, we will be asking for residents’ feedback about what you think would make Concord a healthier place to live. What are Concord’s strengths and assets? What are our residents’ needs? What could we be doing better? Please give some thought to what services and programs you think would be of benefit to yourself and others. The Healthy Concord project team will be putting forward a number of surveys asking for your opinions, and we look forward to your participation. This Healthy Communities Planning Grant project is funded through the Northest Suburban Health Alliance/CHNA 15 DoN funds from Leahy Clinic.
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:
• Local government/ staff and committees
• Local business, industry, economic development
• Civic/cultural groups
• Community Health Network Areas
• Local residents
• Faith organizations
• Hospitals and health care organizations
• Health and social service organizations
• Youth groups/organizations
• Schools
• Local newspapers, local radio and TV
• Community foundations
• Recreational groups and facilities
• Arts and Cultural organizations
• Grassroots organizations and
• Environmental organizations
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
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