community vitality

The Ripple Effect of Personal Finances on a Community

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Do you have a family member, friend or neighbor who recently lost his/her job; had to reduce their number of hours at work due to health issues; pay more than 30% of their income on housing; or lost 50% or more of their income due to the death of a spouse, divorce or unemployment? If so, most of them will probably be evicted, face foreclosure, miss housing and utility payments, receive public assistance, etc. Obviously, it’s important for residents to know that these results not only affect the households of their families, but the community at large.

These problems contribute to an inordinate high number of evictions; food insecurity; infant mortality rates; inability to get prescriptions and medical attention; mental, emotional, social and physical ills; and community development. Revenue from property taxes will decrease if families fail to make their mortgage payments. Neighborhoods will suffer with blight, disinvestment, and crime when properties are left vacant and abandoned, and public assistance budgets will surge.

It’s important that we address these community-wide problems with community-wide solutions. Towards this end, leaders from communities, corporations, colleges/universities, civic organizations, and churches need to unite and help families avoid these issues by developing innovative programs and unique partnerships to strengthen the lives of families and, subsequently, communities.

OSU Extension understands the correlation between personal finances and community development. Towards this end, we work diligently to strengthen the lives of families and build strong communities by educating and empowering residents with the knowledge, resources, and skills essential in helping them take control of their finances and future! To see what OSU Extension is doing to make a difference in the lives of children, youth and families in Columbus, visit franklin.osu.edu.

Susan Colbert is the Franklin County Extension Program Director for Expansion and Engagement.

2017 New Year’s Resolutions – How wide is your impact?

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resolutions-2017-01-05With the beginning of 2017, many of us are creating our New Year’s Resolutions. These resolutions are often focused on our individual welfare, benefiting our physical and mental well-being. So we may resolve to join the local gym to get more exercise, go to bed earlier to get 7-8 hours of sleep and commit to eat more fruit and vegetables. With these lifestyle changes, we hope to live a long and healthy life.

While personal resolutions are good, might we also add New Year’s resolutions that challenge our leadership abilities to benefit the health and long-term vitality of our community?

Engaging in Your Community in 2017

There are many different ways to engage in community and many different levels of involvement. For example, one can volunteer within a local organization, using their skills to help advance organizational goals. One may also resolve to involve the business, institution or organization they work for in bringing resources to assist local communities. Another possibility involves donating one’s work place technical skills to assist local governments, non-profits or faith-based communities to complete tasks they cannot fund. For example, if you have the skills needed to create or manage a website, you could contribute that skill to keep web-based information current and relevant. Another example is volunteering one’s facilitation skills to aid in goal setting, strategy building or other planning processes.

Call to Action!

Now is the time to get creative with your New Year’s resolutions that cause you to become more engaged in your community. Work with others if needed, to identify ways that you can benefit the health, well-being and long-term vitality of your community and its residents. And don’t forget to also keep those personal resolutions regarding your own health and well-being. Chances are, by accomplishing both, you will feel more empowered, realize you have made a difference during 2017 and your physical/mental health benefits will be multiplied.

Myra Moss is an Associate Professor and Extension Educator (Heart of Ohio EERA).