Sample Email to the Candidate

Vote for Health!
2014 Local Government Elections

Below is a sample letter – feel free to use it ‘as is’ or to customize with your own message.

Dear Candidate,

With the local government elections coming up, I’m writing to flag some issues that I think are important and should be part of the public discussion. I would like you to consider the ways we can build health into our daily lives and create a more livable community.

By building sidewalks, streets and trails where people feel comfortable to walk or bike we can get the physical activity we need by in our daily travels.

• Protecting local agricultural land and supporting local food producers with space for farmers markets and farm-gate sales improves our access to local foods as well as our diets and food security.
• Affordable housing is the most basic requirement for health and other municipalities have used policy and zoning levers to facilitate it and attract funding from the private sector and other levels of government.
• Vibrant parks and recreation facilities and services require ongoing maintenance and revitalization if they are to keep our community engaged in healthy, active lifestyles.

All of these influence our ability to be healthy, avoid disease as well as improve our life expectancy. I look forward to hearing from you and the other candidates about how you plan to make our community a healthier place to live.

Sincerely,