Better Together!

For some, this is the most memorable lesson learned in 2020. I agree. We, as a community of neighbors, are indeed better together.

Unfortunately, we see too few examples of this undeniable truth. As I begin this journey of becoming with you, it is my greatest hope that we will each:

· Witness my community of Puyallup, Washington, become more united – Within, Between, and Across, every racial/cultural group;

· Gain a deep and genuine understanding of how unity happens;

· Be inspired to see more communities come together;

· Powerfully speak truth, share wisdom, and grow in curiosity, respect, and love for neighbors who are near and far away;

Most importantly, I hope we come to know, without a shadow of doubt, that we are the beloved community.

That means:

· Each of us is uniquely and magnificently created to occupy a particular place in our community — only we can fill it;

· We have all been given unique gifts, experiences, and talents that are critically needed to build up our community – only we have them and only we can offer them;

· To fulfill our communal destiny, we must feel welcomed, valued, respected, seen, and heard. That is the collective job of all of us – we need you.

We need each other. We can’t succeed without everyone.

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The map above represents 42,361 neighbors, divided into five communities. These are the communities we are looking to engage.

Mapping: is the first of 6 Steps to community engagement.

Read more about Diverse Community Connectors’ 6 Step Process for Community Engagement in the next blog post.