Community provides for us in a number of ways.  Here are just a few of the main solutions:

1. encourage action and participation
2. provide leadership, direction, change and focus
3. educate and inform
4. discover effective solutions – improve and change
5. ensure positive outcomes, resolve conflict
6. resource – money, tools, labour, infrastructure

Have I mentioned there are many different types of community at different levels?

community is comprised of 3 primary groups

1. location
2. culture
3. interest

There may be some crossover but every community is formed on one of those basis. While I don’t generally like breaking things into homogeneous groups, sometimes it is useful to separate the whole to see the benefit or impact that different areas have on our regular lives.

Each of us is supported by a community in some way.

Those that think they are an island.

Think again.

Some form of community has provided you with things you use on a daily basis. Here’s some examples:

• Health care,  medical facilities, elder support, disability programs, family & adoption networks
• Municipal roads, water and other services
• Countries & Regions (for instance they provides political structure, money, sin, etc.)
• Farming, Cooperatives and various food organizations
• Housing groups, neighbourhoods and even your condo unit might have a community (you just happen to call it a board)
• Cultural and ethnic centers exist in every country so people of different backgrounds can meet to feel “at home” again and get support, perhaps with language training, cultural adjustment,  work or housing
• Various forms of fraternal organizations exist (police, rotary club, firefighters) and associations of both enterprise and interest are available to provide solace, support and motivation

we are not alone

We all have community to thank for many of the provisions in the world around us.  While some communities are much more focused on helping a specific group others are more general like community centers and public associations.

Next time you think that nobody helped you get where you are or nobody is there to help you now – think again. There are groups and systems in place developed for the sole purpose of looking at the greater good.

Community is here for one thing – to help you and everyone else.

if you liked this post, take a gander at these ones!

• what is community
• good company, the power of the cultural creative
• Toronto: A Thriving Green Community
• 39 steps to online community
• Go Local Toronto – help your community!