Essential Community Involvement

Wow, what a couple of years it has been. I didn't realize a second child, a departmental reorganization, and across the board layoffs would be this taxing on me in 2010 and almost all of 2011. I hope to focus a bit more on writing and sharing some of the great moments of enlightenment and inspiration that have occurred in that time. Hope you find it all as helpful as I have. So on to a thought that has been hammered home lately...

Community involvement is extremely, extremely simple...except when it is not. I believe it all starts with pride and humility. These are two opposite ideas that when balanced and directed appropriately, can be very powerful:

  • Pride...
    In my home:
    The first step is taking pride in my home. I say home because it encompasses a lot and isn't limited to those who own their property ("Renters are neighbors too").

    It is the concept of home - the building, the family, the children, the pets, the possessions, the place, the block, the playground, the school, the civic club, the church, the community- that fosters the greatest sense of pride and almost always results in a greater level of care.

    Often it is difficult to encourage a "sense of home" in a community where the average person moves every 5 years (according to a local planner). This mean that in one childhood the average youth would have been in 4 different homes or communities and the average adult could be in over 10 communities by the time they retire. Trying to quickly establish a "sense of home" and build pride in where you live is vitally important. Connecting residents from the time they move in and through their local traditions and culture are key to weaving the community together.

    In my community:
    When one cares about something they are willing to make sacrifices to care for it or achieve it. The same is for a community. How many business have you walked in and known right away that they had no pride in what that did? Did you stay or go somewhere else? Did you come back? This happens in communities all the time.

    If you have pride in your community it shows and others can see it as well. You also care about the others in your community and their well being because ultimately it affects your own quality of life in a neighborhood. But pride in a community is diverse, complex, and simple. It it shown in many unique ways and it can be shown in the simplest ways - Mowing the grass regularly, not parking in the middle of the yard, keeping the house up, planting flowers, sharing tools, sharing stories, or even just a simple greeting.

  • Humility...
    In my lifestyle
    A humble approach to life and the things of life can transform our communities. When we possess a  mind of personal humility it leads us to exhibit true contentment. I'm not talking about the contentment of place or soul but being content with material things and able to give to improve your community.


    In my networks
    The idea of "no greater love has any man than he lay down his life for his friends" does not mean that we have to die to show love. What it refers to is having a humble spirit of giving. In other words, i will give up my ambitions, my pride to help others achieve their dreams. In doing this collectively we can achieve far greater things than if we push to move forward and leave others behind. Capitalism teaches us the reward for hard work, Socialism reminds us of the needs of others who face far greater challenges.  Each is not exclusive of the other but we require a balanced and fair approach in a high functioning civil society. 

Who are the People in Your Neighborhood?

I recently presented at the Virginia Statewide Neighborhood Conference on the power of Community Stakeholders. The core message was that "resources exist in communities to do great things but knowing the networks and how to access them are key." We explored how to breakdown the traditional gatekeeper barriers and look for key trust agents that can serve as advocates for your community initiatives. Below is the link to the Prezi that I used. The accompanying group activity will be added later but you can see the instructions in the presentation. Feel free to share and tailor it for your own group.




I couldn't post this presentation without a quick shout out to my first civic engagement mentor: Bob from Sesame Street...