March 15, 2004
Alma Kanrilak
Create a Community Wellness Team in Your Village
By Alma Kanrilak, CHR-Tununak, YKHC Health Education Program
Thinking back about 10-20 years, how did a community address their concerns or issues? Guided by wisdom and experience, our elders would work together to address issues and concerns. Sharing their knowledge and skills, a group of people working together is better than one. The elders knew that. They began to mobilize the community to take action to strengthen schools, churches, community organizations, families, and neighbors.
I took a course (Community Wellness Advocacy Training) with the University of Alaska-Sitka and we were required to do a project. We were asked to make a community profile. I interviewed organizations, groups, businesses, and individuals. I discovered that our community is wealthy with knowledge and skills. I asked community members to join me in forming a Community Wellness Team. We asked elders for feedback on our plans. Our group is still young, but we are slowly making progress and implementing some of our plans. It will take us one step at a time to implement our plans and to reach our goals.
What is community mobilization? It's an organized core planning group or team from the community that meets to develop ownership of issues and solutions. They gain information about the needs and resources in a community. They identify opportunities and barriers. The group can be a start for health promotion and community action.
Promoting health and wellness requires organizing, planning, decision-making and problem-solving. It requires people within the community to participate in improving their community life and health. To participate in a community mobilization group you need to ask yourself:
- Is the community important to me?
- Are the issues of the community important to me?
If you answered yes to these questions then you have a vision of a better community and the values to support that vision. You have something to contribute. You can expect that something positive will come from your effort.
It takes one person to form a Community Wellness Team. Go to people in organizations within the community that already exist (committees, activity groups, associations, etc.). Ask them to attend a community mobilization meeting on a date that you have set. Explain why you want them to get involved and the purpose of the meeting. In the meeting the group can discuss issues and problems, history, strengths and resources, barriers and challenges and give advice at the end.
Gaining the support of your community and being involved may take your time and effort, but it works! Members working together can be successful in restoring balance in a community.