The health of a community can depend on the civic participation of community members in the decision-making process. There are a wide range of activities that foster community well-being, strengthen democratic institutions, and empower people to make a difference. Here are some meaningful ways to stay engaged within your community:
Participate in local government meetings
Attend public meetings like city and county councils, school boards and public comment hearings to get first-hand knowledge and stay informed about local issues, voice your concerns, and learn more about the decisions affecting your area. By attending and even speaking up, you contribute to the health of a community by informing policies, especially around community health, education, safety, and infrastructure.
Join community boards and commissions
Many cities and counties have advisory boards or commissions that provide valuable insights on areas like health, transportation, housing, and youth services. Serving on one of these groups not only deepens your knowledge but gives you a direct role in shaping the health of a community through the development lens. Civic bodies often seek people with varied perspectives to bring fresh ideas into discussions. Look for notices in your local newspaper and on social media
Volunteer for local organizations
Volunteering lets you address specific community needs through action. Whether it’s joining a local nonprofit focused on nutrition security, supporting youth programs, or advocating for healthier neighborhoods, volunteering helps communities thrive. Beyond contributing hours, volunteering builds empathy, strengthens connections, and can be a pathway to lasting relationships and the health of a community.
Engage in advocacy and policy change
If you’re passionate about an issue, consider advocating for it. Advocacy can be as simple as writing letters to elected officials, organizing petitions, or collaborating with Wholespire and others to push for policy, systems, and environmental (PSE) changes. Advocacy campaigns can help secure funding for local projects, reduce barriers for underserved groups, or create new opportunities for youth, families, and seniors.
Support local media and stay informed
Staying informed is key to understanding and addressing community needs. Subscribe to Wholespire’s newsletter and local newspapers, watch for community updates, and follow reputable local journalists and organizations on social media. When community members stay informed, they help keep local governments and institutions accountable.
Start or join a community group
Sometimes, small groups of residents can drive meaningful changes. You could start a group or join an existing coalition that advocates for safer parks, works on civic action projects, or promotes physical activity and nutritious food resources. Community groups can bring people together to create solutions-focused action plans, mobilize around shared goals, and ultimately help to make the community a healthier place for everyone.
Mentor youth or participate in youth engagement programs
Youth engagement programs that encourage civic involvement are critical for fostering long-term community health and resilience. By mentoring young people or supporting youth-led initiatives, you help shape a new generation of engaged citizens. If you work with students, engaging them in the policy change process teaches invaluable skills and brings fresh perspectives to the health of a community. Wholespire helps communities engage with youth through The HYPE Project®, coaching and technical assistance.
Get involved with community planning or visioning efforts
Many communities offer residents a chance to weigh in on their long-term vision. Public planning sessions, workshops, and surveys allow residents to give input on future projects, like new parks, affordable housing, and transportation networks. Oftentimes, state agencies, like the SC Department of Transportation, and other entities post these notices on social media. Your ideas can influence how your community develops and ensure it meets the needs of all residents.
Encourage civic engagement in your network
One of the best ways to expand civic engagement is to inspire those around you to get involved. Encourage friends, family, and neighbors to attend meetings, volunteer, or even run for local office. By building a network of active citizens, you contribute to a culture where civic participation becomes a shared, community-wide responsibility.
Civic engagement is a continuous commitment to improving our communities and creating a more inclusive, responsive society. Whether by volunteering, advocating for policy change, or mentoring youth, every action we take contributes to the health of a community and creates a lasting legacy of positive change. So, let’s get involved, stay engaged, and inspire others to join us in building a healthier South Carolina!
Are you passionate about advocacy but concerned about the fine line between impactful advocacy and lobbying expenses? Join us for an insightful webinar, ” Navigating the Fine Line: Balancing Advocacy and Lobbying for Effective Impact,” where we delve into the art of structuring advocacy efforts strategically within the boundaries of non-lobbying expenses.
Have you attended an Eat Smart Move More South Carolina (ESMMSC) meeting or event and felt annoyed that your only beverage options were water and unsweetened tea? Or that your only food options were salads, wraps, or grilled chicken? There’s a reason for that! ESMMSC has a Healthy Meetings and Wellness Policy that supports its mission and work: to advance community-led change to reduce obesity, by making the healthy choice the easy choice for every South Carolinian.
Many organizations and businesses are implementing healthy meetings and events practices. To send the message that health is important to them, to help support the health of the employees, members, and partners, and to have more energized and engaged participants, organizations and businesses should adopt healthy meetings and events policies too.
“If we served sugar-sweetened beverages, fried foods, and went heavy on refined carbs at our meetings and events where food is served, it would completely go against everything our organization stands for,” said Meg Stanley, executive director at ESMMSC. “We care about the health of everyone we come in contact with, so it just makes sense to have these types of policies in place and to implement them.”
Far too often, organizations and businesses serve unhealthy breakfast, lunch, and snack foods at conferences and meetings. And that’s easy to do when there aren’t policies in place that provide guidelines.
“For example, if you’re a health insurance company and your mission, in part, is to keep healthcare costs down, serving fried chicken at a meeting makes it hard to say you’re staying true to your mission,” says Stanley. “The same is true for any business, small or large. If you care about employee health and wellness, you should have a policy in place and enforce that policy.”
Since its inception in 2007, ESMMSC has maintained and implemented a Healthy Meetings and Wellness Policy: Given our mission to make the healthy choice the easy choice for every South Carolinian, ESMMSC aims to create a workplace that promotes and supports healthy lifestyles for both employees and partners. As such, ESMMSC has adopted the following wellness policies: Healthy Meetings and Catering, Movement Meetings, Physical Activity Opportunities, Sharing Food, and Staff Wellness.
Each of these policies provides opportunities to those who attend ESMMSC meetings and events, as well as staff, to eat healthy foods and to engage in healthy activities. Download the ESMMSC policy.
“I’ll be honest, when I started working at ESMMSC eight years ago, I wasn’t thrilled about the policies, but I’ve come to appreciate them. They make me accountable for my health and wellness,” says Brandie Freeman, communications and marketing manager at ESMMSC. “With these policies in place, I drink more water, snack on fruits instead of chips and candy, and have managed to eat more vegetables with my meals. I mean, I’m not perfect. I still indulge, but I don’t do it quite so often.”
If your organization or business would like to adopt a Healthy Meetings and Wellness Policy, there are a couple of reputable resources available online. You can also contact ESMMSC.
Adopting a Healthy Meetings and Wellness Policy is a great way to highlight the culture of health within your organization or business and be part of the growing movement around health and wellness. For more information, contact Executive Director Meg Stanley at meg@eatsmartmovemoresc.org or Manager of Policy and Advocacy Phil Ford at phil@eatsmartmovemoresc.org.
Whether you realize it or not, you’ve probably been advocating for things throughout your life. Did you ask your parents for a pet and give them reasons why you deserve one? Have you ever asked your boss for a raise and explained why you deserve it? What about raising concerns about your loved one’s healthcare with their provider? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you are an advocate.
Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group that aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions. Advocacy is presenting a problem or a need to elected officials, and it’s almost always accompanied by a solution.
“One thing my mom used to tell me growing up: don’t just come to me with a problem. Come to me with a solution as well,” says Phil Ford, manager of policy and advocacy. “It’s important for legislators to be made aware of the problem but it’s even more important to let them know that you want to work with them to find an appropriate solution.”
Advocacy is, perhaps, the most effective way to make change happen on any level of government because the issues directly impact the day to day lives of every citizen in a town or county – not to mention the state.
Communicating with your elected officials is important. They often only hear from constituents when they need something. It’s just as important to thank them for a vote on a bill or resolution, or for standing with you on the issues.
“Don’t be afraid to contact your decision-makers. They often hear from constituents only when something is needed, but they’re not recognized when they do the “right” thing. So, when you notice a decision-maker who’s done the “right” thing, thank them and let them know,” says Ford.
Everyone can advocate. Whether it’s asking your own legislator for support or only distributing facts to elected officials, every individual has the right to advocate. Use our Steps to Effective Advocacy handout to guide you through your next advocacy campaign. For a further explanation of advocacy, download our What is Advocacy handout.
