The word ‘community’ can be defined as a group of people with a common characteristic or interest living together within a larger society. Whether or not we realize it, we all belong to a number of different communities throughout society. The community I will describe in this paper does not seem to fit into a category. It is a new and unique family of people working together and individually for the bettering of themselves and the world around them and keeping themselves and their families healthy. They accomplish this by choosing a lifestyle that allows them to maintain a healthy body, mind, spirit and environment they live in. I am proud to say that I am part of this “movement” that is happening everywhere we look.

            My community is working to improve the value of life for ourselves and future generations. This is being done in many different ways. Urban gardening is one of them, and it is growing and spreading every day. It has become a key step in expansion and development of the “healthy” community. Groups all over the city have begun farming and growing produce for their families and for sale.

Other local businesses have sprung up quite rapidly all around. Whether its food, books, or handmade crafts, the spread of ‘buying local’ is helping our community come together. I feel very lucky to be living in Midtown Detroit because my community fits in quite well within this historic area.  The Detroit community is very hospitable toward the “healthy” community, and we want to bring in as much positivity to the city as we can.

The love of the city brings us all together in order to make it strive and blossom. The people who are part of this movement all seem to have similar ideas and goals. These goals are not only for themselves, but for what they would like to see happen in the wonderful place we live. Some common qualities between these people are that they are all free spirited. Along with the free spirit comes an open mind. In order to grow in this community we need to have an open mind to a multitude of new ideas.

Along with local businesses that are joining in the “healthy” community come local organizations and groups. These groups are formed over similar interests such as health, nutrition, hobbies, and just the spread of ideas. Health has always been an important issue all over the world. Living in Detroit, we see a lot of less fortunate and unhealthy people. As members of the “healthy” community, we view this as an inspiration and motivation to stay healthy and maintain a fit lifestyle. Also, it is very important and encouraging to us to spread the message of health and make it an easier and more realistic lifestyle option for those who are unfamiliar with the ideas and practices of “healthy” living. One of the ways the members of the “healthy” community reach out to the rest of the world is by trying to make fresh and healthy produce available to those who are less fortunate. This effort is a very important matter, and it is one of the greatest things about this movement.

Another very important step these organizations are taking is working to rebuild the city of Detroit. Of course, all of the actions mentioned above are vital in spreading the message of “health”, but there is also the dirty work that needs to be done. The members of the “healthy” community are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and work with others in order to improve and clean the environment. Volunteers, residents, and students are starting to ‘clean up’ the areas that seemed to have been forgotten in Detroit. Playgrounds are being cleaned up and rebuilt, old buildings are being restored and renovated, and even the streets seem to be looking better day by day. Everyone involved has a great passion for helping others, and it pays off because of the great energy put forth. We are not only seeing progress, but feeling it as well. It is a very rewarding experience for the “healthy” community members because bettering the world is the community’s ultimate goal. The spread of the ideas of health and fitness, positivism, working together, helping each other, and sharing the knowledge is becoming a big network system. Families, friends, and other associates are joining to help as much as they can.

Aside from the groups and organizations there are events and activities going on that are planned by the people of the community. These events are related to a number of different topics based on everyone’s interests. The people of this “healthy” community have one very important quality in common, and it is knowing how to enjoy and appreciate life. In my opinion, there is something special about each and every person who is part of this community. Although we all share similar qualities, interests, and goals that bring us together, we are all individuals with enormous amount of positive energy. When we put all of these energies together, we begin to create this stream of new ideas and turn them into reality.

Some may define my community as a “counterculture” because not everyone in our society would take an initiative to work on something (such as cleaning the city) that may not directly affect their lives. In my eyes, living here in Detroit directly affects me. Sometimes the affect is gradual, and may not be seen right away. When people have a common goal of improving a quality of life in the community and offer a hand to help achieve this goal, the affect will always be noticeable in the end. This is exactly the message we are trying to get across to the society. This concept applies to all areas of our lives. Changing your lifestyle may seem like a challenge to most people, but it can have a tremendous affect not only on your future, but your family’s future generations. The members of the “healthy” community strive to deliver this message to the outside world.

In summary, the purpose of my community is to up bring a new positive energy of renewal and health, and its message is to unite the world around us based on these ideas of revival and balance. Most importantly, the healthy community is attempting to involve and integrate the larger community that we live in because in the end we all make a difference.