Nurturing Community

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the

compassionate actions of its members.

-- Coretta Scott King

Springtime is an easy time to feel a sense of community. With more interaction with the people around us, it’s easy to feel closer to those around us as well as to feel more of a connection with those around us. If we are looking to nurture your own community there are lots of small, meaningful ways that we can participate in that process.

1. As you are doing some of your late spring cleaning, this is a great time to check the things in your closet that you have not used for a while and may be ready for donation. You may find places in your community such as homeless shelters, hospitals, women and children’s shelters, church thrift shops, etc. to donate to.

2. If there is a local charity that you feel connected to, you might like to check to see if they have an Amazon wish list. This would allow you to periodically check the wish list and buy things for them if and when you happen to have extra money.

3. I personally love supporting local businesses.If you get an opportunity to shop local and support small ‘mom and pop’ shops as opposed to the big box shops you support your community. So the next time you are buying a gift card

4. Donate blood. There are some times during the year that blood donations are very low. During the past year and a half throughout the COVID-19 crisis blood donation numbers have struggled globally. As hospitals and donation centers have gotten on track, the team of amazing volunteers that work with the Red Cross have set up sites to maintain their inflow. Donating blood is a great way to give back to the community at large. You can check out these sites for assistance in planning....

• Redcrossblood.org

• Americasblood.org

• NYbloodcenter.org

• Donate.nybc.org

5. Be sure to bring recyclable bags with you when you are shopping. There are some great reusable shopping bags that fold down to smaller than the size of a wallet. They will not take up much room in your car, apartment, or house.

I would love to hear more about your connection to your neighborhood and any of your ideas for nurturing your community as well!