Building Community In Tough Times

Put these ideas into action and help grow the world around you!

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and scared right now. In this same moment, though, I’m reminded that the community I’m part of provides so much hope. Today, I’m here to help encourage some action and come up with ideas if you’re not sure where to start building your community too.

Communities show us that there’s so much good in those around us. Once you notice that and can lean in on your friends and neighbors for support, your mindset shifts. Building community is like many things: it takes consistency and stubbornness. Once you commit to the practices of community, though, you build inertia too.

Today, I thought I’d talk about how to simply start. The same way you became a runner the first time you laced up your shoes and went for a run, you start building community the first time you take an intentional step towards it.

Pretty soon, you’ll notice the connections and momentum build.

You don’t have to start a run club

It would be easy to simply write about run club for this whole thing but I know that’s not everyone’s idea of a good time. Start in a way that feels good to you, that helps you feel less isolated and more connected. Like any practice, it gets easier as you go.

Here are some ways to start building community:

Share: with neighbors, coworkers, and friends

Probably the easiest on this list and something we’ve been told to do since before preschool: share!

Make a consistent practice of giving. Share widely and often, in small ways. Don’t worry too much about cost—try to keep money out of this equation if you can.

Having chickens or a garden creates a scenario that makes sharing easy. Add to that our farmshare subscription and we share a ton. It’s fun to text with neighbors and tell them that there will be sweet potatoes on their porch or that you just baked cookies. I know for a fact that we live in a more neighborly ‘hood than most but a large part of what makes my neighborhood great is our tendency to share in the first place.

Start with a walk

Walking is a community activity, whether you’re by yourself or not. Heading out your door instantly immerses you in your community, good or bad. With others, you add richness to the experience through conversation and togetherness.

I wanted to include walking here because it’s great, no matter what company you have. Even if you live away from others or aren’t social by nature, a walk is wonderful.

I think the most important part of run club has been the walking element. Not only is it an easy barrier-to-entry, it’s the more social activity too. Folks that often run will decide to walk sometimes—maybe you’re not feeling like it or you couldn’t get changed in time after work. That gives you a chance to talk casually and make connections in ways that is a little tougher when your heart is pumping hard on a run.

Work (or read!) together

Workplace community is huge but you don’t have to stop there. If your job allows some flexibility, go to a coffee shop or coworking space and work around others. It’s a great way to share ideas or change your landscape for a little bit. These places can also be “third places”, that I talk about below.

If your work isn’t flexible—as most aren’t—don’t feel like you’re stuck. Joining a book club might sound cliche but they’re a wonderful way to meet new people and share ideas. Communities built around ideas are very powerful.

Our local bookstore, Blacksburg Books, hosts a book club with meetups at Moon Hollow Brewing. Check it out! If your town doesn’t have a bookstore yet, reach out to your local library or join one online!

Look for your “Third Place”

Although not exactly a new term, Third Places feel very trendy right now—with good reason. They’re crucial to a lot of a community’s success while also being what many places lack.

A third place is “where you relax in public, where you encounter familiar faces and make new acquaintances.” It’s after your “first” place, home. And second place, “work”.

Third places can be many things—including other groups of people and not a physical space.

Whether you find your third place in a coffee shop, church pew, or with a group of people, you’ll know when you find it. You probably know this feeling but maybe not since college or even childhood. It’s a feeling of easy acceptance without many expectations.

Don’t be scared to make your own community

I’ll get around to writing specifically about starting a run club but I want to make sure I get this point across now: YOU can start your own community around whatever you want. Don’t wait for others or feel defeated in your town just because what you want to exist hasn’t been created yet.

One of the most surprising parts of community building is how fast it happens each time. You’ll be surprised how many people around you will be looking for exactly what you want to do.

Some ways to get started: reach out online and see if anybody wants to meet at the dog park. See if your local brewery would be willing to host and advertise a game night. Start your own book club online. The list goes on!

Find some joy with others

No matter how you choose to build your community, always bring it back to finding joy. Be silly, playful, and full of wonder with those around you. We shroud ourselves too often in professionalism and forget that we can have fun. Don’t be scared to ask someone to play frisbee or just go shopping with you on a Saturday.

Building community through all this chaos will help get us through. It shields those most vulnerable a little too, by offering them a refuge from a world that’s not so welcoming. If you’re looking for ways to put any of these ideas into action, reach out!