WHO WE ARE

BACKGROUND

A healthy community is a place where people are thriving, living long happy and productive lives.  The foundation of a healthy community starts in our homes, in our schools, places of work, worship, and our neighborhoods.  How robust a community is can be linked to its resources.  But not all communities have equal access to resources. Substandard, or lack of, resources can leave individuals and communities in despair. Our individual health is determined in large part by where we are born and access to social and economic opportunities; the resources and supports available in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities; the quality of our schooling; the safety of our workplaces; the cleanliness of our water, food, and air; and the nature of our social interactions and relationships (Healthy People, 2020; World Health Organization). Without addressing these underlying causes of ill health, the risk of perpetuating a cycle of inequity, disparity, and inequality will remain for generations to come   The forces and systems that shape the conditions of daily life include economic policies, development agendas, cultural and social norms, social policies, and political systems. (IOM, 2016, 2002).