Lead:

Establish that wellness is a priority for your organization and provide leadership through consistent messaging. Community leaders are trusted messengers who can communicate the importance of wellness of the heart, mind, and body. Wellness encompasses overall health, which includes nutritious eating and regular physical activity. To get started, use the simple messages and guidance in the MyPlate Community Toolkit to improve the well-being of people in your organization and community.

Organize:

Identify a Wellness Ambassador and direct them to create and lead a Wellness Council or Ministry. Faith-based and community organizations can implement health and wellness programs when they have in-house leadership committed to working in this area. There are many forms that wellness leadership takes within communities. From volunteers called Community Health Promoters to professionally qualified Community Nurses, community wellness leadership is most effectively led by a designated person, trained and equipped to support their community in its intention to become a place of wellness.

Take Action:

Empower your community’s Wellness Ambassador to organize a Wellness Council, which is a group of people working together to initiate community activities that encourage good health and nutrition. This organized leadership can be formed as a council, ministry, or task force. Assess the nutritional and physical activity needs of your community and determine priorities for the Wellness Council to address. Develop an action plan, and commit to activities that are appropriate for your community or congregation to improve wellness. The leadership of the group prioritizes wellness inside the organization as well as in the organization’s community outreach.

Download our wellness leadership bulletin insert that you can share with your congregation and community.

Download the Let’s Move Faith and Communities toolkit and get started.