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Residents Bring An Alaskan Community Together

Gradient Ocean

Tom Sarlo

May 19, 2023

United States

Categories:

Community, Community Building, Meditation

Voice of America published this inspiring story about a city in Alaska that started a Zen meditation group. This group decided to bring their community together in the following years with more inclusive ideas.


Communities all around the world share one similar question and desire. How do we live, learn and thrive together as a community? Many town folks find their unique way of bringing people together. Forming bonds, growing, and finding the common thread are ingredients that most folks want and need. The following article is about a group of people that, over time, formed those ingredients, which led to a more prosperous community that reached out to include various needs.


An instructor started a Zen meditation group in Anchorage, Alaska, over 30 years ago. Initially, the groups held their meditation anywhere they could find and eventually opened their own hall. Even the cold short winter days did not deter them from attending, and most find indoor activities welcoming.


As this Zen meditation group became more established, they became involved in the community. Members brought their practice into women's prisons and offered Buddhist teachings. The women inmates' support significantly impacted them and was a life changer for many. The Zen group started up community meals, and they helped clean bodies of water in need. A meditation group started over three decades ago grew and cast its nets into the community.


When a person puts a simple idea in motion, bonds and common ground can be formed. When thinking of ways to get your community together, it can be a small idea that grows as the Zen group did. One key ingredient is bringing folks together with similar interests and passions.


Goosechase, an organization with interactive experience templates for communities of all sizes, identifies practical reasons for bringing your community together, including building community pride, introducing other people to your area, supporting local charities, building mental well-being, creating community, or just having fun.


Each city has something unique to them that can be the focus of community get-togethers. When people pull together, amazing things happen. Here are a few suggestions from Goosechase that may help a group grow their town into a more robust, thriving, and inclusive community.

1. Have a town food festival with activities such as live music, a local art show, or something unique to the area. Food is a shared enjoyment that brings people together.

2. Show and tell: Have events that show what your town has to offer, such as sale days at local shops and joint yard sales, with proceeds going to local charities.

3. Town trivia in or outdoors partnered with local restaurants or other businesses.

4. Block parties are similar to a town festival but on a smaller scale and usually include food (a community dinner, perhaps), music, and activities for children.

5. A community regatta is a water-based event, such as a lake or river, held on or by the water. Some activities include picnics, boating, sailing, boat parade, games, and swimming.

6.Nature outings. Build your community's appreciation and love of nature with wildflower walks, night-time stargazing, and photography.


Once the brainstorming starts with engaged town folks, the ideas can turn into fun and meaningful events. It all can start with a bit of thought that grows into a more robust and engaged community.


Photo by Erik Brolin on Unsplash.

Source:

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Catalog #:

0523.101.04.051923

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