Where We Feel at home Community resources are things that help meet the wants and needs of the community members They can include the people of the community goods and services and natural resources The most important part of a community is the people who are in it Community members might live near each other be close in age or speak the same language No matter what they have in common people in a community find trust and others who care about them In a community people find others who are like themselves in one or more ways 4
A mechanic uses his training knowledge and skills to provide a valuable service to the community Goods are items you can touch like food clothing and furniture They are either grown or made from raw materials Services are actions that people do for someone else Services include delivering mail repairing cars and teaching classes Natural resources are things found in nature that people can use Natural resources can be used to make other things or they can be enjoyed on their own 5 Vocabulary Raw materials are basic substances that can be made into something new and useful
Caring For the Community Goods and services are often bought in the same community where they are created Sometimes they are sold or exchanged with people in other communities Either way wealth is created Wealth is all things that have value when they are exchanged The greater a community’s wealth the more it can offer its members When wealth is created people have more money Then they can buy food or other goods and services they need 6
The people in a community are also a kind of resource A community might not have its own police or fire department hospital or airport Community members know their work is valuable Helping one another makes the bond between them stronger Compare and Contrast Imagine that you and your family live fifty miles eighty kilometers from anyone else How would your life still be the same as it is now How would it be different But it could still have caring people who help each other For example neighborhood communities will always be important for people like single parents and older adults They often rely on help from others who live nearby 7
