Giving back is an essential part of improving the community. If you want to learn how to give back in your own way, consider trying three simple ways to make positive changes in your community. It only takes one significant idea to shape one part of your town.
Volunteer To Build Something New in the Park
Giving time to the community can make a lasting impact and inspire others to give what they can. Consider starting up a park enhancement project where you and a group build something new in the park. It can be anything from a new play area to a community garden.
If you’re still stuck on ideas, try doing something to improve the community’s health. The best way to encourage physical health is to build an outdoor fitness center for the community. Ensure it’s tailored to all ages and is accessible. For instance, kids and teenagers would love an area to play their favorite sports, while older adults would like equipment to enhance their flexibility and strength.
Review Local Restaurants and Businesses
Stop what you’re doing, turn to the person across from you and tell them what your new favorite restaurant of the week is. What was your favorite dish? What do you recommend eating? Someone else in the community is probably looking for recommendations and answers to these questions.
Start speaking your mind about your town’s restaurants and businesses. If there are good local coffee shops that many people overlook, write about them. Leave a short review detailing your trip and what you ordered, then give a recommendation. Businesses will appreciate your positive review and love the buzz it attracts.
Promote Going Green in Your Town
Going green in your town doesn’t just mean riding the bus more often or carpooling to work. It opens the door to more opportunities to improve your city.
Consider starting a community garden and dividing sections up for different plants. Say you want to plant apple trees. Depending on the acreage size, you can designate one area to plant the trees and the rest for other plants like fruits, veggies, herbs, and flowers. Because of the small garden you grow, you give community members convenient access to vegetables and fruits and live a greener life.
Allow your community to grow more by following these ways to leave a positive impression on the neighborhood. Get creative with your community involvement; you’ll love to see your neighborhood change as a result of your giving back.
Emilie St. John is a freelance journalist who appears weekly in the Los Angeles Wave newspaper and can be reached at emiliesaintjohn@gmail.com.
