Community Engagement
Community Engagement – Making a Difference
I love my community. I believe in my community and because I am connected to my community, when my community hurts, I hurt. When my community is in trouble, I am in trouble. When my community needs me to act, I need to act.
Community engagement is about creating an opportunity to be the difference that is GOING to make a difference in someone else’s life. I realized a long time ago, I could not save the world, but I did learn I am able to brighten the corner where I am. This is one of the greatest joys of community engagement.
We all have our differences but when it comes right down to it, our communitiy is everyone’s home …. Whether we live in the suburbs or inner city, what happens in either affects us all. This is not the time to “segregate” our selves by crime stats, fear of our differences, or dislike for each other’s political persuasions. It is time for all well intentioned citizens to reach across our divides to solve our problems and to make what is not working, workable.
I encourage everyone to find a way to help someone who may be suffering (even if it is the result of their own choices). How many of us have not made poor choices in life but have survived the consequences (barely)? How many of us might have ended up in a different space had it been a different time or place? None of us are exempt from the possibility of having life turn on us in unimaginable ways?
After attending a block party to reduce violence, as a suburbanite, I starkly realized how blessed I am to be able to live in a community where my children and grandchildren are able to live and play in relative safely. That said I cannot turn my back on those who need me because I am comfortable. I understand all too clearly that none of us are as strong as all of us and if each of us would make a small effort to be the difference, we could rock our communities in such a positive way and potentially make a really big change in how our community sees itself and responds to its challenges.
I have decided not to sit on the sidelines shaking my head. I have decided to DO something when I can and where I can. What about you?
Successfully yours,
Dr. B