Building Our Community

The community we live in helps define how we live our lives and where we ultimately find fulfillment. A sense of safety should be one of the hallmarks members of a community share. Only when we feel safe can we fully participate in making our communities healthy and sustainable.?

The challenges of the pandemic continue to haunt us, with many of us preferring to socialize in smaller groups. Being forced to isolate ourselves from our friends and family took a toll on many of us. Interacting with each other is essential, and we don't like it when our routines are interrupted, especially for prolonged periods. As a result, we spent an inordinate amount of time bashing the system, our leaders, elected officials, and others on social media. We had been thrust into the great abyss of fear, and our defense systems were overloaded.?

However, we are resilient, and when the chips are down, we soon discover who is in our corner to help us and, alternatively, who needs all the help we can muster. The amount of support within our communities may come as quite a surprise. After all, as the proverb states, necessity is the mother of invention. Despite being overwhelmed with fear, confusion, and frustration, leaders within communities emerge and create ingenious ways to help promote healing and whatever recalculations are required to reestablish balance and a sense of safety.?

One such organization that is hitting stride is Neighborhood Works, which occupies a former church in St. Stephen, NB. As stated on social media, “Neighbourhood Works has a vision for our community. We are turning the former church at 59 Union Street in St. Stephen, NB, into an engine room for change for youth and adults. Under that roof, we are gathering partners and programs that will collaborate to meet many needs. Here, people will find access to the basics of food, clothing, and personal care. In this hub, people will find support for challenges with addiction, mental health, and homelessness from people and agencies who are working together to benefit the entire community. The hub will provide information, guidance, and opportunities for people to work on education and employment goals. Youth without family support will find sanctuary and direction as they transition to a stable and more promising future. Together, we're offering help and healing. Together, we're creating opportunity and hope. Together, we are building our capacity as a community to include and care for everyone. Here at our new centre, all of Charlotte County can collaborate on creating better lives for everyone. Because we are better together than we can ever be alone.”

This remarkable transformation is home to several not-for-profit community organizations offering specific services. An example of one such service is the Sophia Recovery Center. “At Sophia, we empower all women seeking recovery from addiction to take their lives back via a range of daytime programs, including on-site and virtual?peer support services, 12-step coaching, group therapy, and individual counseling.” This group has had great success filling a niche that has been marginalized for far too long. Sophia has recently opened a new office facility in Rothesay and is looking to expand its services further into the community, with a capital campaign underway.?

These examples of community organizations bring hope to the lives of many people who experience overwhelming challenges. They also provide exciting opportunities for all of us to engage in our communities in meaningful ways that may not have occurred to us. Thanks to our ability to share information on social media, information abounds about where and what needs are most urgent in our immediate locale. Because each remote village and town has its unique personality and social makeup, different needs arise, creating a myriad of ways to be helpful.

Building a community succeeds best when as many people become involved as possible. Assisting others is a way to show gratitude for our many blessings while simultaneously demonstrating our responsibilities as community members to help those who need us.

Encouraging others to participate is a winning strategy to engage involvement from others. One way of showing appreciation and highlighting the significance of community volunteerism is public acknowledgment. I attended the Queen’s Jubilee Award ceremony yesterday at the Garcelon Center in St. Stephen. Over twenty individuals were recognized for decades of unwavering support for their communities through various service and not-for-profit organizations. This recognition by both the provincial and federal branches of government demonstrates how intimately involvement and community vibrancy interact.?

We all share the responsibility of building and sustaining our communities. With the growing number of organizations that help others live more fulfilling lives, we have plenty of opportunities to join in. Nothing can replace the feelings we enjoy through the camaraderie of doing things together – especially when they make others happier.