5 Things You Can Do in August to Strengthen Your Community

Engaged communities rock. They feel alive. They become magnets for innovation and playfulness. Want to do something to elevate your city this summer? Here are a few of our favorite summer tips.

  1. Grab some friends and do a coast-cleanup. It’s gross/shocking to see how many straws, plastic bottles, and bags end up on our shores. Check out volunteercleanup.org to see how they prepare for a cleanup (or sign up for one of theirs if you’re in SoFla).
Our friends at VolunteerCleanup.org have pulled 116,000 pounds of trash out of the coastline since inception. For real.

2. Support local. Swap your big-brand shopping trips for the little guys. From where you take your coffee break to where you print your business cards, there’s someone in your community who does it locally — probably with more heart than the big-box alternative.

We love Prism Creative’s new campaign, “Support Local”. Such badasses.

3. Clean out your pantry. Local food pantries are feeling the pinch right now. Donations and government support are thin, but need is higher than ever. Kill two birds with one stone. Clean out your pantry, and donate goods that are just sitting around collecting dust. One man’s clutter is another man’s saving grace.

Our beautiful friends at Bridge To Hope

4. Talk to strangers. Not sure why we ignore people we’re standing one foot away from in an elevator. Connection is contagious. Spread a little community joy. It will likely pay itself forward.

Oh so many strangers connected through “10 Days of Connection” this spring. Check out Connect Miami to learn more.

5. Engage your local leadership. Things calm down in the summer — perfect timing for you to build a relationship with your commissioner…school board member….PTA president….community representative. Find out what they’re prioritizing. Where they could use support. That relationship will pay off in the fall when you start advocating for your issue of choice.

Have other ideas for how to engage this summer? Drops us a line at info@radicalpartners.net. We’ll surely post another set of ideas again soon.

Rebecca Fishman Lipsey

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We’re in this boat together. Row.

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