Our Year of Happiness continues with 31 things to read, watch and do to build community.
July is all about community. Join us as we continue our year of happiness with July and 31 days about community. Do, read, listen and think about the ideas on our list, and then share your favorites, below, in the Comments section. For more ideas, see our web article on 10 Ways to Build Community.
1. “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.”― Mother Teresa
2. Help beautify your neighborhood.
3. Volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.
4. Read Lake Wobegon Days by Garrison Keillor.
5. Watch TEDtalk: A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter, by Mark Bezos.
6. Listen to “I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing,” by the The New Seekers
7. “What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities in which the terrible disease of loneliness can be cured.” ― Kurt Vonnegut
8. Throw a block party.
9. Volunteer for Big Brothers Big Sisters.
10. Read On the Town: A Community Adventure by Judith Caseley.
11. Listen to “One” by U2.
12. “Thank you, yard sales, for being the perfect way to say to your neighbors: 'We think we're important enough to charge money for our garbage.'" – Jimmy Fallon
13. Thank a veteran for his or her service.
14. Volunteer for Meals on Wheels.
15. Read Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy Town.
16. Watch TEDtalk: How to build with clay… and community, by Diébédo Francis Kéré.
17. Listen to “Community Song,” by Have Fun Teaching.
18. “I came from a real tough neighborhood. I put my hand in some cement and felt another hand.” —Rodney Dangerfield
19. Donate food, gently worn clothes and old toys to a local shelter.
20. Volunteer at the America Red Cross.
21. Read The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods by John McKnight.
22. Watch Lean on Me.
23. Listen to “Waiting on the World to Change,” by John Mayer
24. “It’s not too late to rebuild the balance of life in our neighborhoods and cities, and in so doing, to build a more resilient future.” – Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design by Charles Montgomery
25. Donate pet supplies to a local animal shelter.
26. Read Cities on a Hill: A Brilliant Exploration of Visionary Communities Remaking the American Dream, by Frances Fitzgerald
27. Watch Dr. Seuss' The Lorax.
28. Listen to “This Land is Your Land,” by Woody Guthrie
29. "Community helps makes you feel balanced. It makes you feel a connection with everyone." — Mariel Hemingway
30. Take time out of your day to welcome a new neighbor to your street.
31. Watch the TV series Community.
