– Rich Feldman, Council Member, {R}evolution: James and Grace Lee Boggs Center

Community engagement is essential for building equitable, healthy, and sustainable communities. It recognizes the value of local knowledge and expertise, fosters community led solutions and collective action, and addresses systemic inequities, leading to improved well-being for all community members.

Authentic community engagement is a process of co-creation and shared power and decision making. Engaging communities in assessments and improvement initiatives can lead to more effective public health strategies, tailored to the unique needs and cultural practices of local populations. This can result in better health outcomes, reduced health disparities, and improved access to healthcare and other services.

Bringing together diverse groups within a community can also strengthen a sense of belonging and civic muscle (add link), as meaningful engagement efforts promote deep listening, seek areas of common interest, and grow a shared understanding and respect across cultural, ethnic and socio-economic groups.