By working with friends and neighbors, community leaders and organizations across the country are keeping their residents safe and healthy every day and during disasters, building community health resilience in the process.

Communities can be as varied as the disasters they face. This means each community can create activities that work best for them and their unique needs.

Each community can make health resilience their own! To get you started, here are a few examples of activities that neighbors and community organizations can work on together to improve their community's health resilience, and in turn, our nation's health security.

Are you a community leader or neighborhood resident?

• Get certified to be an active bystander during an emergency: First aid, family care, CPR, AED, emergency care, and bystander preparedness are examples of the many health arenas where you can get training and certifications. Red Cross offers classes throughout the country – so find a class and register today!


• Volunteer in your community: There are many ways you can help your community every day! By volunteering in your city or town, you can help build your community's health resilience, especially by focusing on efforts that help your neighborhood's senior citizens, homeless, disabled, or children. Visit www.USA.gov/volunteer to find public service and volunteer opportunities.


• Plan a block party: Just getting to know your neighbors is a step on the path towards community health resilience because it builds social support networks people can rely on during emergencies. Throw a block party where all the residents of your community can get out, meet one another, and socialize. Check out this example of a block party guide from the City of San Francisco's Neighborhood Empowerment Network!


• Protect against the flu: Get your flu shot and encourage others to do the same! You could even work with a local clinic to see if you could offer flu shots at your community center and volunteer to help set up the event. There are probably many locations near you where you can get a flu shot. Check out the Flu Vaccine Finder to find a provider near you.

Are you a leader or member of a community organization?

• Establish a health resilience council: Ask for volunteers who can find the best ways to help the community at large. These council members can serve as official liaisons to local health and emergency organizations, sharing information with and assisting police and fire departments, hospitals, and clinics.


• Beautify a park or build a garden: The physical surroundings of a neighborhood are one of the many things that have an effect on the health of residents. Invite neighbors to clean up an existing park or build a community garden. You'll build new relationships in the process. Contact your local Parks & Recreation office to coordinate your project.


• Plan an open house: Create an open house event for your organization where neighbors and residents can visit and get to know your organization, and each other, better. These connections and relationships are important, and can lead to new partnerships that strengthen your community's health resilience!

Whatever activities you think are best for your community, keep in mind that they should build new relationships and connections with those around you. The most likely person to provide immediate help in an emergency or disaster is a friend, neighbor, or bystander. Building stronger social connections among neighbors is a key way members of the community like you can help!