Animal Shelters | Arts (e.g. produce a mural for community organization) |
Babysitting (as a volunteer for worthy cause) | Beach Cleanup |
Blood Drives | Camping Programs |
Charity Auctions | Charity Events |
Coaching | Community Farming |
Community Green Spaces (e.g. tree planting) | Community Issue Awareness (e.g. elimination of racial discrimination) |
Community Media (e.g. video channel that features local craftspeople) | Community Projects |
Community Publishing (e.g. editorial in local newspaper) | Conservation |
Counselling (may require qualifications) | Crafts |
Culture Preservation (e.g. endangered languages) | Debate (an essential element of civic engagement) |
Delivery (e.g. meals) | Demonstrations |
Donations | Environmental Awareness |
Environmental Monitoring (e.g. monitor air quality to raise awareness) | Event Planning |
Exchange Programs | Festivals |
Field Trips (e.g. organize or volunteer to make field trips possible) | Finding Sponsors |
Food Banks | Fundraising |
Health & Safety Awareness | Heritage Restoration |
Host Community Events | Housing |
International Exchange (e.g. hosting exchange students) | Lessons (e.g. free swimming lessons that promote water safety) |
Local Economy (e.g. help to promote a local event) | Local Political Campaigns (e.g. campaign for bicycle infrastructure) |
Local Politics | Local Sports |
Meals (e.g. soup kitchens) | Mentorship |
Natural Disaster Recovery (e.g. help families repair uninsured damages) | Natural Disaster Resilience (e.g. earthquake kits) |
Nature Experience Programs | Neighborly Help (e.g. shovel snow for seniors) |
Nutrition (e.g. local farming, cooking and social meal programs) | Parades |
Performances (e.g. at a Children's Hospital) | Performing Arts |
Personal Assistance (e.g. drive senior to appointment) | Political Debate |
Pollution Awareness | Problem Solving (e.g. campaign for pedestrian infrastructure at dangerous intersection) |
Public Speaking | Recreational Facilities |
Reuse & Recycling | School Activities |
Senior Activities | Sister Cities |
Social Meals | Sponsorship |
Street Cleanup | Student Government |
Summer Youth Programs | Teaching (e.g. adult literacy programs) |
Tutoring | Urban Restoration (e.g. restore damaged playground) |
Urban Safety (e.g. volunteer crossing guard) | Voter Registration Drives |
Youth Activities | Youth Sports |
Volunteering
Community involvement isn't necessarily altruistic. However, schools and other organizations do commonly equate community involvement with volunteering. For example, a school may not accept dancing in a cultural festival as involvement but helping to organize such an event may qualify.
Cultural Engagement
Participating in cultural organizations, activities and events in your community.
Civic Engagement
Interest and participation in the common direction and purpose of your society and community. Civic engagement mostly centers around political involvement and grassroots efforts to make things better for everyone.
Community Events
Involvement in local events. This has different levels including attendance, participation and organizing events.
Organizations & Clubs
Perhaps the easiest and most durable way to become involved with your community is to join local institutions, organizations and clubs such as schools, social clubs or sports teams.
Lifelong Learning
Learning is a common way to engage with others. In youth, it is common for community involvement to center around school and related events and activities. This can be continued at every life stage whereby the pursuit of learning is likely to connect you to others in your community.
Local Business
Community involvement need not be non-profit and altruistic. For example, if you start a small local business you may become quite involved with others where you live as employees, customers, partners and so forth. It is also common for businesses themselves to engage with the community with outreach such as sponsoring local events or sports teams.
Summary
Community involvement is any activity that engages others in the community in which you live. This includes active participation such as volunteering, civic engagement and contributing to local events and initiatives. Community involvement also includes engagement whereby you know people in your community and socialize with them in some way.
