Community Resources

The government, on each of its three levels, has a multitude of services that create pathways for its citizens to achieve overall health. You will find that a lot of the services overlap and that certain facets of health are more easily and more widely catered to in our society. I feel that physical health is addressed on all three levels of government. Locally, there are many gyms and fitness centers—like the YMCA, Pennbriar, Nautilus, and other private clubs. On both the national and state levels, there are laws that require schools to enforce certain health rules like the lunches provided and the time we spend in a gym-like setting. Of course, there are local hospitals and the convenience of helicopters to fly you to other more capable hospitals in this state as well for physical health needs.

I feel that in many situations, spiritual, mental, and emotional health can be addressed in similar ways. Local churches often have support groups available along with worship services, and this spiritual experience is beneficial to both of these health categories. For more serious issues, the state and nation provide well-trained therapists for the problems that friends, families, and school guidance counselors cannot offer. The three of these categories can easily be addressed through simple communication with another being. If you’re not comfortable with this, libraries are, in fact, a great resource for books on certain issues. You could books that address every one of the six components of health.

Environmental health is also addressed on each of the levels of government. In the area in which one lives, there are many environmental groups that can be participated in such as recycling clubs and other activities that better your environment. I think it is often neglected that your environment includes the well-being and status of area and that groups that help people specifically in an environment go ignored, like food pantries and soup kitchens. Both of these examples can be found on a state level and are reflected in the laws created on a national level. As each of the six components of health work and rely on each other, so do our levels of government in providing the population with what we need to maintain healthy lifestyles.