There are many benefits to living in a good community. You be happier, your life will be more productive, and you and your loved ones will be safer.
Four ways to building better communities are paying it forward, taking environmental initiatives, establishing safety and protection programs, and engaging in purposeful socializing.
Paying It Forward
One of the best ways to build and maintain communities is teaching future generations essential skills. For instance, if you have been working as a lawyer for a long time, you could offer shorts weekend seminars on law basics to those interested in your neighborhood or local area.
Another example is a soon-to-retire Spanish language instructor or a physician looking to sell his private audiology practice. Instead of walking into the sunset, you could take advantage of the extra free time you have to teach members in your community about different cultures, first aid, or basic healthcare.
In essence, paying it forward entails passing on the knowledge you have to those who need it. Sure, man does not live by bread alone, and you need to make a living. Still, a few hours of your time once in a while will make a huge difference in your community.
Environmental Initiatives
Currently, several serious environmental issues are affecting our planet. The most common ones are air and water pollution, deforestation, global warming, the greenhouse effect, and the depletion of natural resources.
No matter where you live or what you do, this affects everyone. Whether you are American, French, or Chinese, we all live on one earth. As a result, we are all responsible for protecting it.
At a local community level, there are several ways to do this. One of them would be to organize a weekend tree-planting event. Along with your neighbors, friends, relatives, and anybody else you can gather, you could take a Saturday or Sunday morning to buy a few seeds, go to a park, and plant a few trees.
Another great option is to establish a community recycling program. You could work together with local governments to put an action plan that is both effective and easy to follow.
Safety and Protection Programs
Imagine you are a lady and you are walking home from work one night. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a shady-looking character blocks your way and asks for your money. Lucky for you, one of your neighbors sees what is happening and decides to turn on the light on his porch. Another one follows, and then another. Surprised, the would-be mugger flees.
In this simple scenario, your well-being and possibly even your life were saved because of a conscious, friendly neighbor. Wouldn’t it be great if all members within our community would help protect and safeguard each other? Wouldn’t you feel better if you had somebody else’s back and, in turn, he had yours?
Of course, it is not about promoting vigilantism. Nobody should take the law into their own hands. But there are certain things we can do to make our neighborhoods safer. By working together, our communities can be better places for us all to live. Not only that, but we can inspire others to do the same.
Socializing with a Purpose
Who says building a better community has to be all about work? Can it not be fun and exciting as well? Truth be told, it can be, and it should.
The basic concept of a community is people who like each other and enjoy working together towards a unified goal. And to like one another, first, we have to get to know those living around us. And there is no better way to do this than by socializing.
A great idea would be to organize a neighborhood treasure hunt or a competition. As for the former, it has the dual benefit of you spending quality time with your neighbors while at the same time getting to know the ins and outs of your neighborhood. Friendly competition makes people excited, gets their juices flowing, and provides necessary relief from the stresses of the daily grind.
The more you get to know your neighbors, the better relationships you will have with them. A such, they will more than likely lend a helping hand when you need one, as will you when it is one of them who requires your assistance. Over time, this will build a circle of camaraderie and trust.
We all want to live in a great place. We want a pretty house, a nice car, and friendly neighbors. But this is not a given. It is something we should work for and put effort into. Building a better community is about getting people involved and you participating as well.
So get on with it and make your community the very best it can be.
