5 Ways to Get Connected to Your Local Community
In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it.
– Marianne Williamson
USE THE POWER OF SOCIAL MEDIA
We are on social media 24/7, instead of it controlling you and wasting your time, turn the tables around and use it to your advantage. Instagram can be a great way to watch memes and reels, but it’s also a great tool to find out what is happening around you. Numerous organizations have their own social profile pages and post about upcoming events, resources, and just all around useful information.
Start by looking up hashtags related to your city. For example, let’s use my hometown, San Bernardino, which many people use hashtags like: #sanbernardino #SBartwalk #DTSB #DowntownSanBernardino.
Now look at the profiles behind those hashtags. Does anything interest you? Maybe you see an organization that hosts art shows, farmer’s markets, or networking opportunities? Follow pages that interest you and look out for when they announce events.
REALLY LOOK AT YOUR SURROUNDINGS
As humans, we get used to the every day monotony of life and parts of our surroundings get forgotten in the background. For example, I take the same route every day to go to work and I suddenly realized these nice looking apartments and in my head I thought “OMG, they added some apartments in this area how nice”. Well, they didn’t… turns out the owner just put a fresh coat of paint. The point is – I pass these apartments every day and didn’t even realize they were there until I looked closer.
That’s just how the communities we live in can be. You do not know how many times people have commented on my stories while I’m at local events, saying “WHERE IS THIS” or “HOW DID YOU FIND THIS”.
Open up your eyes. Do a double take. Especially in San Bernardino. We are so used to empty abandoned buildings that we think that’s how it is.
No, that’s not an abandoned building, that’s actually:
A building that hosts rooftop concerts.
A building that has multiple non-profit organizations, all with the goal to help students through tutoring and art.
A building that’s actually a 100-year-old theater that you can host your events at.
Another reason to open up your eyes is to catch the actual advertising of those events. Sometimes it’s not a bill board, but it’s a flyer hastily stapled to a wooden post at an intersection. So stay on the lookout!
BE OPEN MINDED
Everyone has assumptions and knows about certain stigmas that places have. I would challenge you to put those aside and give that area a chance. As someone from San Bernardino, I had those assumptions in my head about my own city. I sometimes understand those assumptions are there to protect us, but sometimes these assumptions also inhibit us from experiencing great things with great people. I too, am a very suspicious and introverted person, so I get it. Just be aware of your surroundings and make good decisions to avoid dangerous situations.
A great example can be The Garcia Center for the Arts. It’s sort of located by the corner of Baseline and E street, so it’s definitely not in a place where people consider ideal for a community center. But man… that place has my heart – with all the great events they host, the great artists that reside there, and the community organizers that go there every day to make a difference. My sister has gone to ceramics classes there, my parents have seen live Flamenco performances there, and I’ve seen countless memories made there.
So open up your mind!
GO TO LOCAL EVENTS (BIG OR SMALL)
Sometimes before events, I try to gage if the event is going to have a lot of people or not. Dude… Just go! I almost frustrate myself sometimes! There have been events I drive up to that I see is only a few tents and a few people walking on by, and I’m thinking to myself “it’s not too late to just drive away…”. I literally just make myself get out of the car, because you never know what you’re going to miss out on! Once I went to an art fest, (I honestly forgot which organizations hosted it), but it was looking a little lonely, maybe it was the time I came or the weather, but it was not looking like the past event they hosted. But I ended up going with my cousin and sister, and it was a night to remember. We got a free comedy stand-up show, we bought some bomb carne asada fries and lemonade from some local vendors, and even enjoyed an intimate performance at an art gallery. Through the night, I was talking to community organizers and friends that also happened to be there too! So don’t judge the fun based on the size, because many times great things come in small packages!
ASK QUESTIONS
Growing up, I used to be deathly afraid of asking questions. I had to hype myself just to ask for extra ketchup or make my brother go ask for me. My mom saw this tendency that I had, and she would always tell me “Que te haces preguntona!”. This roughly translates to “Make yourself a question asker!”. To this day, I still have an aversion to asking, but living by this phrase has led me to discover new opportunities, events, and even form new friendships. So ask questions and don’t be afraid to be curious about the world around you.
