Community Development

GCHSC has chosen 6 strategies to educate and unite the community.

Empowerment.

This social action process will allow Gadsden County residents to gain mastery over their lives and their communities. Community members will assume greater power, or expand their power from within, to create desired changes.

Community Capacity.

This principle will require Gadsden County residents to identify characteristics of their community that affect its ability to identify, mobilize around, and address problems. Community members will become more community conscious while gaining leadership and networking skills and access to power.

Participation.

Engagement of community members as equal partners in this effort will help the community to realize that the answers to the community problems lie within the community. This principle will give community members the opportunity to develop leadership skills, knowledge, and resources through their involvement.

Relevance.

This community organizing principle will require this effort to meet community members where they are. Community members will create their own agenda based on felt needs, shared power, and awareness of resources.

Issue Selection.

This principle allows for identification of immediate, specific, and realizable targets for change that unify and build community strength. Community members will identify the issues and chose targets as part of a larger strategy.

Critical consciousness.

Community members will become aware of social, political, and economic forces that contribute to social problems. Community members will participate in forums and focus groups to discuss the root causes of problems and develop action plans to address them.