DLP March

Cultivating

Community

Produce a Potluck

Tips Provide Something Everyone Needs; Food!

Create a Community Library

It’s Not Just About Books

March Events

PRODUCE A Potluck

In a time where many of us find ourselves feeling isolated from the world around us, finding ways to foster community is a worthwhile pursuit. One of the many approachable tools at our disposal is a potluck! They foster a sense of togetherness while also celebrating the diversity of people around us through their contributions. Whether it’s with your friends or with the people immediately around you, like your neighbors, it can be a great way to build trust with people you may not know well and develop new friendships. Ultimately, it generates a sum greater than it’s parts while also providing something everyone needs; food! Here are some tips for a successful potluck:

• Find a way for everyone to communicate with each other and coordinate, such as a group chat.

• Pick someone who can spearhead the potluck and make sure everything gets squared away.

• Determine if you’d like to have a theme to your potluck. Such as:

• Comfort food feast

• Breakfast for dinner

• International

• Finger foods

• BBQ

• Set a general monetary amount for everyone to stick to.

• Consider everyone’s dietary restrictions when picking dishes to create.

• Pick a great location, whether that be someone’s house that can accommodate everyone or a community gathering spot.

• Not everyone is culinarily inclined, so be sure to have a handful of ways they can still get involved; such as gathering a variety of beverages or providing essentials like plates and forks or being the designated dishwasher.

• Be sure to label all the dishes that are being served!

• Consider planning an activity to go along with the potluck such as a game or an icebreaker.

• If you have a limitation on outlets or equipment, keep the types of dishes you can reasonably create in mind.

At the end of the day, it’s just about spending time with people; maybe seeing someone you haven’t in a while or making a new friend. Pulling off a potluck isn’t exactly a small feat, so don’t stress the small stuff and have fun!

MAR

tasteofhome.com

Hawaiian Cheese Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 loaf (1 pound) Hawaiian sweet bread

• 1 block (8 ounces) Swiss cheese

• 3 slices red onion, chopped

Directions:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted

• 3 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Cut bread diagonally into 1-in. slices to within 1 in. of bottom. Repeat cuts in opposite direction. Cut Swiss cheese into 1/4-in. slices; cut slices into small pieces. Insert into bread. Combine the onion, butter, garlic and salt; spoon over bread.

2. Wrap loaf in foil. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm.

CREATE A Community Library

Are you looking for ways to enhance the community around you? There might be one smaller, more achievable option you’re overlooking. A little free library! Traditionally, these are adorable outdoor cabinets, usually shaped as houses, that have a myriad of books in them. The idea is that whenever you take a book, you leave a book behind as well. That way, there’s always a fresh catalog of books available to the community around you! And it’s a great way for your book purchase to get more life out of it.

If you’re looking for resources on how to create your own, a great place is littlefreelibrary.org. They have many templates on how to build your own, and even pre-made kits you can buy that just need to be put together!

SCAN HERE

Creating a communal space for books isn’t just about encouraging literacy, it’s also about fostering a sense of community among your neighbors. A little free library can spark curiosity and encourage a love for reading for community members of all ages! It’s a relatively small start-up cost (which can be crowd funded) that encourages people to share their favorite books, explore new genres and connect with each other. Not only that, but it looks super cute too! It’s a small, yet impactful element to add to the overall aesthetics of your neighborhood.

Overall, it’s not just a wooden box full of books; it’s a symbol of the power of community-driven initiatives that foster a vibrant and intellectual atmosphere for everyone to enjoy!

One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone.

- Shannon L. Alder