Your Community Needs You
by Marilyn A. Pellini
I
have a theory that if we all gave a few hours per week to our immediate neighborhood and community, we would be living in a much happier, safer, and more perfect world. Pulling together and getting to know each other better would make us kinder and more responsive to those around us, their needs, and to our precious environment.
and even trimming small shrubs as they went along. All my group had to provide were big green garbage bags, and some people were thoughtful enough to bring their own. We chose a Saturday, with Sunday as a rain date. Within a three-hour time slot, there was a truly visible difference in that area and lots of pride to go around.
I used to head our Village Improvement Society, whose main focus was beautification. Every spring, we put a blurb in the local newspaper announcing Clean-up Day, one of our permanent projects. We would have at least 50 people attend, dressed in their blue jeans and wearing gardening gloves. The immediate downtown area had parents and children picking up papers and twigs, raking out last fall’s dried leaves, doing a bit of weeding,
We have well over 60 different organizations one can join and volunteer their time with in my town. Every year, the town supervisor sponsors a Community Day, and as many of these groups who want to participate can. Just bring your own table, information about your group, and people to sit and talk to those who might want to join. The town provides cold drinks and hot dogs. It’s a “fun” day full of town spirit and camaraderie.
26 | The Brick Magazine
