How To Build A Better Community
When you hear the word community, do you think of a group of people living in a particular area??? Well, that is part of what a community is. You might think this because there are different types. There are communities that are just groups of people living together and then there are communities like a town. A town is a type of really big community. But when I think of the word “community” I think of a group of people who live in an area where they help each other and care for one another. An example of this type of place is the Fellowship Community in Spring Valley.
“The Fellowship Community, founded in 1966, is a community of all ages, centered around the care of the elderly. About 150 elderly, children and coworkers live in a rural setting of farm, woods and orchards about 30 miles north-west of New York City. Working and learning together in service to others and in caring for the earth is the central motif of the community life. Those who are interested in a path of self-development in the process of building and maintaining community might find this a place of interest.”
This is what they say on the front page of their website. I visited this community once and as soon as I entered, it felt like I was entering a world of peace and tranquility. Literally as soon as I entered and saw just one building, I knew that this was a really nice place. When I saw the people there, I knew that they were close together because when they saw each other they greeted each other warmly. And since I was just visiting, they welcomed us like we had always been there.
Well this is what this post is about. This is about how to build a better community. Here are a few step to help you get started to help bring your neighbors and friends closer together.
- Share – if you share, you gain trust from one another
- Spend Time Together – have a get-together once a month to catch up with each other and learn new things
- Be Kind – if you want to gain trust from your neighbors, you must not hurt them. The occasional argument is ok but do not ever try to hurt them deliberately
An Example Of A Community That Is Like This
Skyview Community
This community that inspired me to write this post. My mother was going to visit and the first time she went without me and told me that there was a library there, and that it was not actually a library as we understand it. It was more like a shack with books in it. This peaked my interest. I was curious just how the books were not stolen and how the system worked in the community. My mom had to go back and she took me with her and I saw what the community was like. In this area, everyone is one with the earth. They are not hippies, they just have a feel for nature and care for their surroundings. So on the way back from the house, my mom stopped in front of the library. I got out and took pictures. Those pictures were the ones that were in my last post named “A DIFFERENT Type Of Library.” It is small and I wondered at how the books were kept safe. I wondered until my mom said one word. Trust. There is trust in this community. I am sure that there have been some books that have gone missing here and there, but there is trust in this community. In this library, all of the books are donated by the people in the community, they buy the books and put them there. I personally thought this was a great idea and it helps to bring your community together.
I know that this is a little hard to read but I did the best I could editing it. There are no words missing. This little “poster” was inside the library. There was also another little thing in there. It was like guide lines. This is it.
Hopefully this will all bring your community, neighborhood, or town closer together.
