Let’s Create Healthy and Safe Communities

When we think of health, usually we relate the word to the strength of our mind or body, but no one usually considers the community they live in and how it effects their well-being. Without a healthy and well taken care of community, how would our golf courses stay green, our parks kept clean and our family and friends kept safe? Just like you take care of your health by eating well, drinking plenty of water, exercising, getting enough hours of sleep, and more, it’s important to take a step back and ask how you can help your community stay safe and clean. Little actions can go a long way if you start to create healthy habits. One way you can start helping your community is by reducing neighborhood waste. Litter is dangerous for kids, wildlife and everyone else in the environment. By picking up trash you see left on the ground and throwing it away can be an easy and helpful step in creating a healthier community. Another step to make your neighborhood healthy and safe is by ditching your car for a trip and riding your bike or walking to your destination. Not only does that help your health by giving you more exercise but it also limits the amount of air pollution and greenhouse gases that cars emit. Another idea is to volunteer! You can join a group that’s working to make your community healthier just like you. Whether it’s as small as writing letters to community leaders or gathering your friends and family to clean up your local park, these sorts of actions can motivate others to do just the same. Before you know it you’re one step closer to making your community healthier and safer! As one of The First Tee Nine Healthy Habits, community is exploring the health of one’s community and discovering how one can give back and care for its environment and safety. Not only do we want our participants to have the respect for their community like they do the golf course, but we want to teach them to have the knowledge of what a healthy community can do for them and their future.