Benefits of a Community Garden
We have all been feeling the effects of a weakening economy in the past few years. It is no great secret that times are getting tighter, and many of us do not have as much ?play money? as we used to. In times of recession, it is common for people to look inward for support and reassurance rather than outward; we turn to our families and communities for interaction rather than jetting away on vacations. Unfortunately, many communities lack social events to bring their members together.
Community gardens are becoming more popular among communities who are trying to unite their members. There is an increasing number of grants available to urban and suburban communities interested in exploring this option for community building, making it easier for people to socialize and interact with their neighbors. Aside from uniting members of communities, there are a number of other benefits that spring from the creation and maintenance of these community gardens.
Among the more obvious benefits, is that community gardens provide a great after-school and weekend activity for the community youth. These gardens offer children and teens the opportunity to connect with nature, socialize with others their age, and be active; they also have a chance to learn and apply practical math skills, learn about food production, and explore issues of environmental sustainability.
Community gardens also allow people who do not own land to produce their own food. Some urban gardens produce three times as much food per acre as traditional large-scale farming. These gardens also can provide nutritionally-rich food to low-income families who may not have access to them otherwise. Research suggests that community members who take advantage of these community gardens eat more nutritious diets and are healthier than those who do not; they also manage stress better.
Creating a community garden may seem like a lot of work, but the benefits outweigh the start-up efforts. Not only do they build offer neighbors a chance to get to know each other in a unique environment, but they aid the creation of a stronger, healthier community.
In Times of Economic Crisis, Support Local
As countless financial advisers have announced, the best way to keep the economy from collapsing is to support it. Looking back at history, it is easy to see that the panic about economic depressions often has a more disastrous effect than the factors which caused the problem in the first place. Just like rushes on banks caused banking institutions to crumble in the early 1930s, removing money from the market only contributes to its decline.
If you want to make sure that your community makes it through this time of economic uncertainty and struggle, then you need to be actively making an investment in it. Supporting local is a lot easier than you might think, and all it requires of you is a little bit of forethought and follow-through. Instead of ordering something online, for example, buy it locally. If you can purchase an item from an independent merchant rather than a big-box store, that's all the better, as more of your money will stay in the community. But even if the item you want isn't available from a local independent seller, the big-box store in your town is still a better option, as that store employs people in your community who will hopefully be spending their money locally. If everyone makes an effort to support locally- from farmers to booksellers to insurance salesmen, you'd be amazed at how much of that stays in your community and even makes its way back to you!
While a barter community feels like a thing of the past, you'd be surprised how much of that still goes on in today's society. If you have a skill that can be of use to others, you might consider bartering with them for a skill or product that you need. Both of you benefit, and neither of you have to spend money from a tight budget to gain the services or products you need or desire.
Building Your Own Sense of Community
Growing up in a community of Polish immigrants, the concept of community was just a way of life. My family and I sought the cool summer breezes on our stoop since we didn?t have air conditioning and it allowed us to socialize with our neighbors. When a new neighbor moved in on the street, we would almost bombard them with casseroles, baked goods, and other homemade offerings that were our way of saying welcome to the neighborhood, and to our family.
My parents were so distant from their family that they created their own through close ties with friends. Because of this, my concept of family was always fluid; past coworkers, friends, friends of friends, and their children are just another extension of my family. My children have grown up with the same concept of community identity, and I love it. Teaching children about tolerance and inclusion through example is what I strive for, and I know these qualities will open their world and enrich their lives as they experience a variety of cultures in the world.
To build community with a variety of people in all walks of life and cultures, consider taking your children volunteering the community. Taking children to visit patients at nursing homes and veterans hospitals and helping serve the homeless at the soup kitchens are just a few of the ways you can enhance your childrens'-and your own- awareness of the world around them. Before you know it, you?ll be talking to the people in line with you at the grocery store, making friends as you wait for hours at the DMV, and brightening the days of all the people you encounter. If you look toward everyone you meet as a future friend, you?ll build community more quickly than you can ever imagine. It?s worth reiterating that it?s important to be careful when talking with people you don?t know, being cautious and following your instincts. But don?t let the ?don?t talk to strangers? childhood mantra keep you from building potentially life-changing, valuable relationships.