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!
At Wholespire, we’re in the business of inspiring you and your neighbors to engage with each other to make South Carolina a healthier place to live. And whether we’re discussing how to do that with our family, friends, or even strangers in the grocery line, the most important time and place to make that a reality is when you vote. There are so many different ways to be engaged with your community and in the end the surest way to affect change is to show up on election day and tell ‘em what you think. Using your vote as your voice is your most important way to engage in this weird but cool thing called Democracy.
But before you show up at the voting booth, there’s a whole lot of hard work that goes on before you get there. We must have the tools to get educated on the issues, educate others if they’re willing to listen, and then make our voices heard. And that’s where Wholespire comes in!
Engagement…and Not the Wedding Kind!
There are so many ways to get involved these days but two of the most effective tools in your healthcare toolbox are civic and community engagement. Let’s talk about what those are and why you should be doing both.
Being “engaged” is a choice. It’s an active choice actually and it’s how folks from all different walks of life who care about access to healthy choices and outcomes here in South Carolina come together to make change. Civic engagement is a singular and personal approach to influencing how your local and state governments affect that change. Speaking at or attending a city council or school board meeting, advocating for issues you care about by serving on the school board or the PTA: these are ways we traditionally think about civic engagement. Then there’s that “group stuff” or community engagement where you collaborate with other community members and then collectively, you act on and propose what you want to see in your community. Common examples of this kind of engagement can include taking part in community or public meetings, focus groups, community assessments, even online surveys.
Both civic and community engagement are equally important to creating thriving, healthy communities here in South Carolina. When you exercise your right to vote and get involved with community health coalitions and other organizations like Wholespire, you are a vital, even essential, player when it comes to influencing government decisions.
Why Engagement and Voting Depend on Each Other
Being actively involved in your community by voting is often seen as your civic duty. Sadly voting is a fundamental right way too many South Carolinians take for granted. But there are actual health benefits to exercising your right to vote. Studies continue to show us individuals who vote and actively participate in community engagement tend to report better health outcomes than those who do not vote or engage with their neighbors. So how and why do voting and engagement depend on each other?
If you’re engaging with your neighbors or community leaders, you’re more apt to learn about existing community resources that can lead to opportunities for physical activity and access to nutritious food. So many folks here in South Carolina have resources nearby they don’t even know about. Older folks and/or folks with disabilities may not know there is public transportation to get them to that farmers market. How do you find out? It’s easy! Just pick up the phone and call your local elected officials (you know, the ones you voted for or against) and ask them! You’d be surprised at the resources out there. All you have to do is ask.
Or you can just hop on the web and do a search: “where can i buy fresh fruits and vegetables in my neighborhood?” And boom, you’ll have the resources. If you live in a food or medical desert and don’t have access to these resources, that’s when your engagement kicks in. Reach out to your local leaders and ask them why you don’t have the resources you need to live a healthier and more active life. You can even contact us here at Wholespire! We have huge resources to guide you into a healthier lifestyle.
So while the relationship between voting and engagement can lead to endless personal and community benefits, the key here is your level of involvement.
Your Health and Well Being are Already Being Debated…You Just Don’t Know it
Often there are healthy initiatives already on the ballot and/or being debated by elected officials at the local, county or state level. Healthier outcome proposals like multimodal transportation that provides everyone access to pedestrian walkways and bikeways or new parks or other recreation spaces like greenways and trails: these are debated everyday by city and county councils. You already have access to local officials, which means you have opportunities to develop relationships and influence local policies and development projects. You can attend council or board meetings to voice your concerns about issues that affect you and your community. The question is: are you doing that?
Civic and community engagement are based on the belief that everyone has a stake in the health of their community and that active participation can bring about significant change. Voting alone won’t do it and just being engaged but skipping election day won’t give you the quality of life you deserve. So the ball is in your court. Engage, educate, get educated, be fearless and relentless, and go vote for a healthier South Carolina!
It’s safe to say that most of us would like to see some sort of change in our communities and the world at large, but maybe most of us don’t know how to make that change happen.
While community betterment work may seem daunting, who will do it if you and your neighbors don’t? Plus, making a change where you live is one of the most fulfilling things any person can do.
There is a famous quote about change. Margaret Mead reminds us to “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
If you’re looking to make a difference and create change in your community, read on for some inspiring ideas.
The Best Ways to Give Back
There are many ways for you to give back to your community and help to improve it, and all of them involve one or more of the following three things: Time, effort, and generosity.
Whichever you feel you have or can give the most of, start there. For example, if you’re able to, donate money or resources to a local charitable cause. If you have extra time on your hands, get involved in grassroots advocacy or volunteer your time to help influence policy and create systemic change. Below are some more ideas for getting active in your community.
Youth Engagement Programs
Perhaps the best way to create positive change in your community is by reaching out to its youngest members and offering your knowledge, skills, and experience. If you can influence the youth of your community, you can influence the future of your community.
Community Health Initiatives
Nutrition and physical health have a direct impact on mental and emotional health. The consequences affect all the individuals in your community as well as your community as a whole. Seek better community funding for health initiatives, engage in food insecurity advocacy, or advocate for better community training. These are just three examples of how you can address systemic issues in your community and help make a difference.
Community Celebrations
Few things bring people closer together than tradition and celebration. If you can help organize a celebratory event for your community, you may open the door for more serious work to get done.
No one way of giving back to your community is necessarily greater or more effective than another. What’s important is that whatever you choose to do speaks to you.
The Ripple Effect of Trying to Make a Difference
When you take the time to engage with your community and make a difference, you inspire other people to do the same. Those people will then aim to “pay it forward” and make a difference themselves, and so on and so forth.
You may only be one person with limited time and resources, but the ripple effect of the good you do will reach far beyond yourself. Start that ripple effect today and get involved in community initiatives.
If you’re ready to get involved, contact us today and we can connect you with a community leader!
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.
