1- Stop to help when and where you're needed. It's a simple way to make your community better and help to create the kind of vibe that makes people feel safe and happy. If you see someone in need of assistance, come to their aid instead of averting your eyes. Do for others what you'd want them to do for you if you were in their situation.

• If you see a mother struggling to get her stroller down a set of stairs, offer to help her carry it.
• If you notice someone looking lost, help them get where they're trying to go.
• Figure out how you can help the people who ask for money in the street, instead of passing them without looking them in the eyes.
• Be the person who helps out in an emergency, instead of the one who assumes someone else will do it.
• Offer to shovel your neighbours' backyard or rake leaves for someone across the street. Babysit community kids, or watch their pets.                                        

2- Support your local economy. Healthy communities have healthy local economies. People work together to help each other make a living and thrive. You can help improve the health of your local economy in many different ways, from changing your shopping habits to starting a business of your own. Consider these different ways to help:

• Buy your food from local vendors. Try to get most of your produce from the farmer's market, where members of your community go to sell food they've worked hard to grow.
• Shop at local businesses whenever you can. For example, if you have the choice to buy a new pair of jeans at a chain discount store or a small business owned by a member of your community, choose the latter. Change your mindset from buying the cheapest available product to leveraging your purchases to provide the most community good. Knowing that your money will go toward boosting your local economy and building a strong, vibrant community is worth the extra effort and expense. Help others to see the light and help them come aboard to help you boost the local community's financial health.
• Consider starting your own business. You can serve your community by offering a great product and possibly even hiring employees.
  3- Recycle and compost. Many communities are experiencing problems with landfills that are getting too full. Producing too much trash pollutes the environment, and that's not good for your community's long-term health. You can do your part to help improve the situation by recycling and composting as much of your waste as possible.

• If you want to go above and beyond, you could also spread awareness about how to recycle, or start a recycling program at your school or place of work.
• Composting is useful in more ways than one. It allows you to dispose of your food waste without putting it in the trash, and as a result you end up with rich soil you can use in your garden. Once you learn how to do it, show others how easy it can be.

4- Save energy and water. Using excessive electricity and water strains community resources. Saving energy and water is good for the planet as well as your local environment. Do your best to conserve energy and water and it will become an investment in your community's long-term health.

• Turning off your lights when you're not using them, using energy-saving appliances, decreasing your reliance on air conditioning, turning down the temperature on your water heater, and unplugging your computer when you power it down are all ways you can help save energy.
• Taking shorter showers, making sure your pipes aren't leaking, limiting your lawn watering, and using a low-water method of washing dishes are all ways you can help save water.
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  5- Be less reliant on your car. Communities that rely heavily on car transportation often experience elevated air pollution levels. Air pollution is not only detrimental to plants and animals, it causes major health problems for humans, too. Using your car less often decreases your carbon footprint, which helps your community. Here are alternatives to try:

• Walk or bike where you need to go. It takes a little longer, but you see more along the way.
• Use public transportation. Even if your area doesn't have a great subway or elevated rail system, you probably have bus lines nearby.
• Carpool to work or school, instead of driving places by yourself.