Your local community consists of all the people who live in your area, and if everyone gets involved life can be so much more rewarding; and your hometown will be a much better place to live. Humans are social creatures living in a complex society that revolves around people coming together, helping each other, and creating a vibrant local culture that enhances the lives of every member. If you haven’t gotten involved in your community yet, or you’ve moved to a new area, there will be plenty of ways in which you can join in.
Why it’s important to get involved
Without people contributing their time and expertise to community activities, far less would be achieved, and the local amenities and events would cease to be. So it’s important that as many people step up as possible, to ensure that what makes your town somewhere special to live is continued into the future. Apart from the satisfaction of contributing your services for the greater good, you’ll also meet lots of wonderful people and make new friends. If you’re involved in community activities you will get lots of invites to social functions and you’ll have a rich and rewarding social life, as well as a network of friends and acquaintances who will enrich your life.
Getting to know people
Community is all about people, so to discover more about what’s going on in your area, find out who you need to contact. Your library is a good place to start, as it will have information about local organizations and committees and how to get in touch. You might find that there is a local newsletter that informs residents about community projects, which is an ideal way to find details for relevant personnel. If your town is Internet savvy, there should be some useful information on your community website or social media pages, but this will depend upon someone volunteering to set up and maintain an online presence, so don’t assume there’s nothing going on just because you can’t find anything online. If you’re a web genius, this could be something you could volunteer for!
Churches and schools
Attending your local church or other place of worship is a wonderful way to get to know your fellow citizens and make friends with like-minded people. The church is always going to be at the heart of a community, and will be involved in many projects and events which you can join in with. If you have children, then playgroups, kindergartens, and schools are also hubs of community activity, and meeting other parents, volunteering at the school and at school events and joining the parent teacher association will all help you get to know people and find ways to make a contribution.
All places thrive when people come together to be part of a movement that seeks to improve the place you live and the lives of everyone in the locality. You’ll be helping keep your community alive and active, as well as experiencing the personal benefits of becoming a part of your home town.
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