Do You Live in a Nourishing Community?

Apply for a grant to make your community a better place to live

(ARA) - The community you reside in can affect your health and overall well being, and some cities do a better job than others at providing the extra amenities to build a strong community and nurture their residents’ minds, bodies and souls. “The best places to live are those that offer a variety of options to be physically active, enjoy the arts, buy fresh food and preserve the environment,” says Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, a renowned physician who specializes in natural and holistic approaches to human health and was previously appointed to the White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative Medicine Policy.

Dr. Low Dog recently teamed with Odwalla, a natural beverage company, to field a survey identifying the top nourishing cities in the United States based on various environmental, health/fitness and community attributes. The survey revealed the most nourishing cities include San Francisco, Seattle, Portland and Minneapolis; however, Dr. Low Dog points out that residents don’t have to live in a large metropolitan area to benefit from a nurturing community.

She shares the following guidelines for communities to follow to make them better places to live, work and play:

• Make it easy for residents to recycle. Offer a recycling program to residents at little or no cost and let residents know how to recycle hard goods such as computers, batteries, etc.
• Convert unused or abused public space to gardens or other neighborhood beautification efforts.
• Promote volunteerism by making sure residents know where and how to get involved. Many cities offer services to match residents with volunteer opportunities.
• Sponsor cultural events at little or no cost, such as music or arts festival.
• Offer free or discounted days at local museums, theaters and art galleries to give access to everyone in the community.
• Offer residents ways to buy fresh and natural foods with a food co-op or a natural food market, such as Whole Foods or Mississippi Market. Organize a regular farmers’ market in the summertime.
• Provide access to public walking and bike trails.
• Offer fitness programs at no or low cost to children and senior citizens.

“Obviously a community is only as strong as the individuals and groups that live there and do their part,” says Low Dog. She encourages residents to get involved and help make their community a more nourishing place to live.

As an incentive, Odwalla will award community grants up to $1,000 to individuals and volunteer groups nationwide who help strengthen their community. More information and an application are available at www.odwalla.com.

“Whether you attend neighborhood meetings to voice your opinion or apply for grants to start your own initiatives, you can make a difference in creating a nourishing community,” she adds.

Courtesy of ARA Content