Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Helping the community
• Part 2 of 3: Being socially engaged
• Part 3 of 3: Securing the future of your hometown

Good citizens are involved in their community and try to lead their fellow citizens. They are proud of where they live and strive to make their place of residence better. Everyone wants to be known as a good citizen, and with a little time and effort, anyone can become one.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Helping the community

1. Get a good education. One of the best things you can do to help your community is to get a good education. If you are highly educated, you can get a better job and contribute more to the economy. You will also be better informed and make good decisions when it comes to voting and other civil duties. Pay close attention at school, get good grades and try to keep learning.
2. Work hard. It doesn't matter what work you do, soaking hard is an important part of any good citizen. When you work hard, you serve others and make money - both of which contribute to a stronger economy in your area.
   • If you are unemployed, go to the UWV to get help finding a new job. Google for "uwv [your city]" to find out what the contact details are.
3. Stay up to date with current events. Read the news to keep up to date with what's happening in the neighborhood, in the city, in the country and in the world.The word "complete" is extremely important here: listen to both sides of the story and try to be as impartial as possible. Most of the issues are incredibly complex and go beyond the black and white of the political parties.
   • Get involved with zoning. Do you really need a new shopping center in your village, does that old people's flat really need to be demolished? Find out what would benefit the locals and have your say at the open city council meeting. You can also choose to approach the aldermen personally to say what you have in mind.
4. Share your wealth. If you are so well organized that you have free time, money, or belongings, then give back to the community by sharing that wealth. There are so many great ways you can serve your community:
   • Volunteer. You can volunteer with local branches of organizations that mean a lot to you. For example, try the Salvation Army, Habitat for Humanity or Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
   • Help the homeless. You can volunteer in a local shelter or soup kitchen. This way you can help homeless people to stay safe and healthy.
   • Donate. You can donate money to local, national and / or international organizations. Just make sure you donate your money to organizations that make good use of the money. Many charities do not, and are only created to make money for the people who manage them. On the website of the Centraal Bureau Fondsenwerving you can find information about how legitimate the charity is.
5. Donate blood and plasma. Blood and plasma are vital types of bodily fluids that are used to save thousands and thousands of lives every day. Unfortunately there are often shortages, so make your contribution by donating. If you have a rare blood type, you can literally make sure that someone in your community lives and does not die.
   • Donating blood and plasma is especially important when there is a crisis. When there are many injuries and victims somewhere, there is hardly ever enough blood.
6. Take an emergency care course. Learn first aid and CPR so that you can help your fellow citizens when the need arises. Also take emergency training to help people in an emergency. It is recommended to update your knowledge every few years, in order to bring the knowledge you have already acquired back to the fore. It's all too easy to forget your skills when you're under pressure!
7. Create jobs. Create employment wherever possible. Hire people at a reasonable price to mow your lawn or paint your house. Hire a cleaning lady. Job creation contributes to the economy and can help people who really need a job get a job.
   • Contact the local homeless shelter to see if there are people there who would like to work. Often times, homeless people are just normal people who are not lucky enough - the little money they make from your job can be enough to get them back on track.
8. Stay healthy. It's important to take care of your body and stay as healthy as possible. If you get sick, you can infect other people. In addition, you take up valuable space in the hospital, which might have been better used for someone else. Get plenty of exercise, eat healthy and make sure all your vaccinations are up to date.
   • If you need help with exercise or nutrition, wikiHow can help.
   • Childhood diseases that can be prevented with vaccination are increasingly common today. It may therefore be wise to update your own vaccinations. As an adult you are not at risk, but the unvaccinated children around you are.

Part 2 of 3: Being socially engaged

1. Vote. The most important thing you can do as a citizen is vote. It is all too easy to forget or not be interested in elections and only vote in the House of Representatives elections. However, it is extremely important to do that at every election. There is more to governing a country than the House of Representatives. You will also have to vote in the provincial council election. The province often plays a very important role in what is changing in the country.
   • It is also important to vote in local and local elections. The municipal council often discusses matters such as public transport, parking, healthcare, etc. - essential things that your community will have to deal with.
2. Contact the councilor. If there are any issues that concern you, please contact the councilor or the city council to tell us what you think. Even if you are too young to vote, or have not voted for the councilor, the councilor is a representative of the people. He / she also represents you. It is important for him / her to stay in touch with what people really believe.
   • Visit the municipality (or province) website to find out who to contact.
3. Register as a volunteer during election time. When the elections are around the corner, a few extra hands is almost always welcome. You can help out at the polling station or choose your favorite political party - there are tons of chores you could do, from counting votes, to providing information, and so on.
4. Help other people get involved. Help other people become socially engaged by volunteering with your favorite political party or polling station. You can recruit people to sign petitions, get people to vote, etc. Encourage your friends and family to get involved, or go door-to-door with an organization to recruit strangers.

Part 3 of 3: Securing the future of your hometown

1. Recycle. Recycle paper and plastic according to your hometown's recycling system. Recycling is often collected in a separate container. Look at the recycling symbols to see which products you can recycle. In general, most packaging made of paper or plastic can be recycled as long as it does not contain any foodstuffs or junk.
   • Recycling helps limit the mountain of waste.
2. Compost. Compost leftovers and organic materials to create even less garbage. Vegetable, fruit and garden waste (G.F.T.) is collected in most cities, but sometimes you will have to compost it yourself in your own garden.
   • You can compost leftover pieces of ingredients (such as carrot leaves) and unbleached paper.
   • You can compost by putting all of this stuff outside in a large box. Every few weeks, stir the mix and add soil to make it all look like one mixture. This can often take months.
   • When the compost is ready, you can sell it or use it to provide your own garden with extra nutrition.
3. Clean up waste. If you see waste on the street, don't just pass it by. Try to walk around the neighborhood once a month to pick up the dirt from the ground. Just make sure you wear gloves and a toothpick for that - you don't want to injure yourself from something dangerous.
   • You can also take to the streets with other residents to clean up the most polluted areas. Contact the municipality to see if such a program already exists.
4. Pay attention to how and where you wash your car. The cleaning agents used for cars are incredibly bad for the environment (and even pollute drinking water!). So wash your car less often and wash your car yourself. If you do wash your car, use environmentally friendly products.
   • In any case, put your car on the grass when you wash. This way you prevent the chemicals from ending up in the drinking water.
   • Try to wash the car without water. For example, opt for a green glass or all-purpose cleaner.
5. Buy fresh products from the region. Try to buy from local farmers and manufacturers as much as possible. This way you leave the smallest possible ecological footprint. After all, the foods do not have to be transported far, they are safe to eat and do not contain dangerous chemicals. You also stimulate the local economy.
   • The labels of products often state where they were produced. Choose organic products that have been produced as close to you as possible.
6. Save water. The chance that we will have to deal with a significant water shortage is quite high - so try to save as much water as possible. Although two-thirds of our planet consists of water, only a small amount of it is suitable for drinking. Unfortunately, we use a lot of it for unnecessary things, such as watering the grass and extra-long showers.
   • If you want to water the lawn, choose what is known as "gray water" (the water that remains when you prepare food or take a shower).
   • Shower for a maximum of ten minutes and wash your hair every other day.
   • Do not put a swimming pool in the garden. A swimming pool consumes a lot of water that becomes undrinkable after use.
7. Save energy. Many of the ways we generate energy for our homes and appliances are very harmful to the environment. Try to use clean energy by installing solar panels and save energy.
   • Turn off the lamp when no one is in the room.
   • Use the computer less often and read more books.
8. Make use of public transport. Leave the car and choose the bus. This will save the planet a lot of pollution, but also help finance public transportation - this is essential for lower income families (as they often don't own a car).