Strong, healthy communities start with engaged citizens. Getting involved creates the opportunity to live healthy lives, including access to fresh, affordable food, nice parks, safe streets, good jobs and transportation to get there. Healthy choices may seem like easy choices, but they aren’t a given in every community. Decisions about investing in our communities are made by board members and elected officials on the school board and city council and in the state legislature. Do you know them? Do they know you? They should! After all, YOU know what your community needs!
Healthier
Communities
Start Here.
Healthy communities don't happen by accident. They're built by people who show up, speak up, and get involved. So step up. It's in our hands!
Get Involved
Your community needs you.
Decisions about parks, safe streets, food access, and healthcare are made by elected officials. Do they know what your community needs? They should — and you can make sure they do.
Vote
Register and show up every election
Run for Office
Your community needs voices like yours
Attend Meetings
City council, school board, town halls
Write Letters
Letters to reps and newspapers matter
Advocate
Health equity starts in your backyard
Serve on Boards
Committees, commissions, task forces
Get Involved Locally
Local government shapes daily life
Share on Social
Spread awareness with #RaiseOurHands
Social Determinants of Health
Civic engagement shapes health in 9 ways.
Every vote cast and every meeting attended ripples out into the systems that shape our daily health.
01
Economic Stability
Policies improve jobs and community resources
02
Public Education
Better education systems lead to better health
03
Secure Housing
Safe, affordable neighborhoods for everyone
04
Social Ties
Connection gives purpose and improves wellbeing
05
Food Access
Policies that bring fresh food to every zip code
06
Health Behaviors
Making the healthy choice the easy choice
07
Access to Care
Decisions about insurance happen at the ballot
08
Environment & Climate
Clean air, safe water, and public green space
09
Transit Options
Roads, sidewalks, and bus routes that connect us
What You Can Do
Three ways to make your voice count.
Pick your path — or do all three.
Action 01
Vote
- Vote for candidates who support community health
- Help family and neighbors make a voting plan
- Consider running for office yourself
Action 02
Voice
- Write letters to local officials and newspapers
- Advocate for health equity policies
- Share accurate health info in your network
- Respond to local health surveys
Action 03
Volunteer
- Serve on civic boards and commissions
- Join local health events and campaigns
- Start neighborhood health improvement efforts
Barriers to Engagement
Not everyone starts from the same place.
Historical disenfranchisement still shapes who gets to participate in civic life — and who gets left out of the decisions that affect their health.
Solutions
Building a more inclusive civic life.
Real civic engagement means dismantling barriers, not just working around them.
Embrace diversity
Everyone's strengths matter. Inclusive communities get better outcomes.
Reckon with race & power
Honest conversations about racism and power are foundational, not optional.
Invite & listen
Especially those who've been left out. Their voices change the outcome.
Build real trust
Keep promises, follow through, and make sure everyone has a genuine voice.
Honor dissent
Disagreement and protest are how communities learn and grow.
Adapt with your community
Stay open to change and navigate transitions together, fairly.
Community Health Workers
CHWs are civic engagement multipliers.
Community health workers are uniquely positioned to connect patients to their power as civic actors.
Educate patients
Explain how civic participation improves healthcare access, living conditions, and neighborhood safety. Offer voter registration resources and info on local opportunities.
Empower & support
Help patients navigate voting and volunteering. Provide materials on contacting representatives and getting involved in community decisions and advocacy.
Encourage participation
Lead sessions connecting civic engagement to health outcomes. Form peer groups that support involvement and build accountability in the community.