How to be WITH your community!
For the last week Monte Sahlin, Andy & Mayda Clark and I have led a fresh expressions dialogue – based at the Carnegie Community Services Centre, a church plant in Pittsburgh (USA). Since late 2004 Andy & Mayda have developed incredible & deep networks in the community. Here are Andy’s practical suggestions on how to be ‘with’ your community -
- Turn off your TV
- Leave your house
- Know your neighbors
- Look up when you are walking
- Sit out the front of your home
- Plant flowers
- Use the community library
- Play together
- Buy from local merchants
- Share what you have
- Help a lost dog
- Take your children to the local park
- Garden together
- Support neighborhood schools
- Fix it even if you didn’t break it
- Have ‘potlucks’ (community meals)
- Honor elders
- Pick up litter
- Read stories aloud
- Dance in the street
- Talk to the postman
- Listen to the birds
- Support community initiatives (keep children’s pay areas clean & neat)
- Help carry something heavy
- Barter for your goods
- Start a tradition
- Ask a question
- Hire community young people for odd jobs
- Organize a street party
- Bake extra and share
- Ask for help when you need it
- Open your shades
- Sing together
- Share your skills
- ‘Take back the night’
- Turn up the music (not annoyingly)
- Turn down the music
- Listen before you react to anger
- Mediate a conflict – rather than becoming part of the problem!
- Seek to understand
- Learn from new & uncomfortable angles!
‘Know that many are silent though many are not heard … work to change this!’
Posted: May 9th, 2010 under Planters - ideas.