Get Involved!

"How Do We Get Involved And Involve Others In Our Neighborhood?"

Well, there are as many ways as there are people and communities.

We can get involved or involve others by engaging personal interests, one person at a time, by planting flowers in a neighborhood garden or baking for a neighborhood barbeque.

We can join or involve people through community organizations, finding active roles that benefit a neighborhood organization.

We can act on our ideas for neighborhood projects, welcome others to help, and help them with their ideas for a new park, a children's play area, or a community garden.

And we can create one-time community events or long-term community initiatives that honor and welcome the strengths and talents of the many different people who live in our neighborhoods.

All of our stories in Involving All Neighbors have in common a Community Connector. In each case, the community connector is someone who knows a lot about the neighborhood and, as a result, knows a lot of people. A connector may introduce someone who is marginalized to another neighbor, accompany someone to a neighborhood event, or do whatever it takes to connect someone to a neighborhood organization that interests him or her.

Some people are natural community connectors. They are the people who look after their neighborhoods, know the people around them, and don't mind asking other people to help out. They make things happen. These skills are learned in the process of getting involved in a neighborhood and building relationships. Some people are professional connectors: neighborhood organizers, for instance, and staff members of social service and community organizations.

A Community Connector has these qualities:

• Strongly believes that every person belongs, and has contributions to make and gifts to give, to the community.
• Works to build community in his or her own life.
• Is always on the lookout for what's happening in the neighborhood and knows its places, events, groups, and people.
• Looks for opportunities for people to connect with others and contribute their skills.
• Enjoys meeting people and bringing together people with common interests.
• Gets involved and asks others to get involved.
• Enjoys challenges and doesn't give up.
• Stays flexible, adjusts expectations, and knows that things take time.
• Focuses on one person at a time and considers how that person's interests and skills can be assets for the community.
• Finds ways for others in the community to sustain new connections.
• Finds ways to take care of and renew him- or herself.
• Believes that anything is possible.

Here in Seattle, we've used many different strategies to build diverse neighborhood involvement.