One of the causes lurking behind Kentucky’s mental health crisis is a lack of a sense of belonging with others. Loneliness can be debilitating. How can you bring change? What are some ways to engage family and community instead of cruising past Churchill Downs without ever leaving your car?
Different regions have various amenities and access to public spaces. However, there’s always some way to get involved and engage communities, beginning with your loved ones.
Let a happier, less lonely world begin with you. Here are eight ideas to bolster family and community engagement in your hometown.
1. Join a Recreational Sports League
The obesity epidemic in Kentucky shows no signs of slowing down. What if you could increase community and family engagement while burning calories and combatting one of the causes of gaining excess weight? You can — join a recreational sports league.
Louisville Parks and Recreation runs various sports throughout the metro area. Learn how it can help you establish a group or connect with an existing one.
2. Get Involved in a Community Garden
Engaging your family can be tough in a world dominated by gadgets. How can you get your kids to unplug? Take them to the community garden, where they can play in the mud while learning about the life cycle and the joy of growing things.
Such facilities are fabulous ways to engage your community. See if you can get one started if none exists, perhaps coordinating with an established local group like the Rotary Club. You’ll have to go through several steps, but the results are worth it:
- Locate a suitable lot and get zoning permission.
- Raise interest and funds.
- Create a core group of volunteers.
- Decide your organizational style — will community members pay for a specific plot? Will you collectively grow some crops, dividing them equally among members?
3. Frequent Your Local Farmers Market
Visiting your local farmers market is a fabulous way to support growers in your community. Collectively, the nation’s small businesses employ about half of the private workforce, meaning that your dollars stay in the area and do not pad the pockets of corporate executives.
You can speak with individual vendors, getting to know them and how they grow the foods you consume. There are benefits for you beyond engaging with your community — you also ensure you feed your family fresh, organic ingredients.
Such events can grow considerably, engaging the community as miniature gathering places. Kentucky has over 170 farmers markets — there’s sure to be one near you.
4. Adopt a Community Cause
Kentuckiana loves to give, and there are plenty of charitable organizations in the area. What’s something you feel passionate about? Chances are, there’s a group devoted to the cause — reach out to them and connect with others who share your passion.
Google is an excellent starting point for your search. You can also check with your house of worship or peruse the directory at Great Nonprofits to find a worthy cause.
5. Attend Local Meetings and Share Your Experience
When did you last attend a school board or city council meeting? If you’re like many people, your answer is “never.” However, going to them is a great way to engage with your community and make your voice heard.
Doing so can also engage your family. For example, does your little one have an issue with the school uniform requirement? If so, why not attend a board meeting to introduce them to the political process and how elected officials reach the decisions that affect their lives?
6. Advocate for More Open Spaces
Another reason to attend city council meetings is to advocate for more open spaces. Once upon a time, working people shared the commons, but that all changed as the world became increasingly privatized. It also became increasingly lonely.
Think about it: Most people live in single-family dwellings. They commute to work alone and go home afterward because there are few other places left to go without parting with their hard-earned money, and not everyone can afford it. You spend your evenings by yourself.
Advocating for more common areas is one of the best ways to beat loneliness and engage families and the community. These spaces might be developed parks and gardens or simple wild, green spaces — what matters is that they are open and available to all. It helps if you also push for amenities like chess tables that invite people to sit a spell and play a game while they get to know a stranger.
7. Work with Your Planning and Zoning Commission
If you’re a hardcore advocate, go a step further. Even though the mayor appoints most principal members, you can still get involved. Apply to get in the running when a vacancy arises. While you’re there, check out the other boards and commissions you could join.
8. Participate in Nearby Goodwill Events
Louisville has regular community cleanups you can participate in, as do many surrounding communities. Additionally, you could volunteer with The Olmsted Parks Conservancy or Waterfront Park.
Ways to Engage Families and Bolster Communities
Loneliness is epidemic in America, including Kentucky. This can harm your mental health, and one of the biggest contributing factors is a lack of family and community engagement.
Try these eight tips for engaging your family and community more often. You’ll feel more connected to others around you, boosting your happiness and improving your mental health.
