"Describe a master plan that would make your community a better place to live."

1

Take action. Don’t just sit back and wait for your community to get better by itself. You need to get involved. Find out what you can do to make it a better place to live. Attend community meetings and put your two cents in.

2

Volunteer your time, energy, money and yourself. If there is a park clean up day, volunteer to help. Volunteer to help local businesses or homes clean graffiti off walls. Get a group of people together and pick up trash on the streets or in planters on the side of the road in your community. Pick up the trash at local parks or on local beaches. Volunteer at your local soup kitchen or homeless shelter.

3

Get to know your neighbors. Know the people who live around you. Building a strong community is a team effort. You can’t do it all on your own. So get to know your neighbors and make it a goal to make your community a better place to live.

4

Support local businesses. Try to shop at local businesses when you can, avoiding big box stores. “Mom and pop shops” create a home town feeling and welcoming atmosphere. Don’t let the big box stores take over your community. A few of them are okay, but you don’t want your community overrun with them.

5

Restore historical land sites. Don’t let them get torn down. Head up or participate in fundraisers to raise funds that will go towards the restoration of the buildings. Preserve the history of your community.

6

Support your local leaders. Get involved with volunteering at campaign time. You can also volunteer during election time. Get to know the people that are running your town. Be sure to research and become educated on prospective candidates and issues to be voted on. When it comes time to vote, turn your ballot in. You can also sign up for absentee vote if you are unable to make it to the voting site.

7

Start a neighborhood watch. Keep your community safe by starting neighborhood watches. The members of the community will get involved and look out for one another. If there are suspicious looking people or suspicious activity in one’s neighborhood, local crime enforcement is contacted. Neighbors look out for each other to keep their neighborhoods safe.

8

Be patient. Realize that making your community a better place to live will not happen overnight. It will take time, energy and money to get the job done. Remember, don’t sit back and wait for it to happen. You have to get involved!