How to Cultivate a Community of Care in Your Neighborhood Through Mutual Aid and Acts of Service

The concept of community is very important to us here at Pinto Carpentry is community. We travel all over the state of New Jersey, working on buildings in different neighborhoods and at different price points. One of the things that we've noticed is each and every place has its own culture, its own unique blend of ethnicities and backgrounds that create a stunning tapestry of friendship and families.

Today, we thought we'd celebrate this incredible state and its vibrant people by focusing a blog on how you can help your local community! Through a collaborative model such as mutual aid, you can foster a network of generosity, service, and kindness to uplift others. Through small acts of kindness and caring such as donations or public we can make a big impact!

While the most obvious and upfront version of philanthropy is financial support and monetary donations, there are so many other great ways to help. Check it out on today’s blog and learn more!

• Sign up for a local CSA weekly or biweekly farm share. Local farm shares allow community members to directly invest in local agriculture, boost the local economy, find food at affordable prices, and make connections in the local area. Fruits and veggies aren't the only share box you can subscribe to! Search online and you'll find a plethora of CSA options such as cut flowers, desserts and pastries, jams and fresh canned items, meat, dairy, and yes, even the coveted commodity: eggs.

• Make a donation to a local food bank or host a food drive in your neighborhood.  Encourage your friends, neighbors and loved ones to donate non-perishables to your efforts or add to your donation bin. Remember to include shelf-stable specialty goods like allergen friendly ingredients, gluten free food, and even seasonings!  Organize a drop spot at your business or your school or office, and then bring the collective donations to a larger facility. You can also host your own pick-up event for those who need it, or leave a shelf outside your business for those who require it to take what they need.

• Create a Little Free Pantry for your home or local park. Stock the free pantry with shelf stable goods, toiletries, hygiene products, and refill it often. This small act of community giving provides easy access to healthy foods and necessities without having to fill out lengthy applications for funding, stand in long lines, or other prohibitive measures. It can also be helpful to stock these pantries with pet-friendly items, too.

• Reach out to a local nonprofit and ask what they need, specifically. Frequently, charitable organizations are overrun with donations of what the public thinks the community wants, rather than what it actually needs. However, if you take a few moments to reach out and contact your local non-profits, many of them will supply you with a direct list of what is most desired. Remember, many people depend on charitable donations at places such as soup kitchens to survive so please do not clear out your pantry and send in expired items; consider donating items such as seasonings, cooking oils, quality canned or shelf stable pantry goods, baby formula, pet food, allergen-friendly and speciality diet items (gluten free, vegan, dairy free, kosher, etc.)

• Build an empathetic community by sharing a moment with a “stranger” through a little dose of kindness. This can look like helping someone load groceries into their car, paying for someone’s meal behind you at the drive through, paying in advance for the coffee of the person in line after you, leave an extra large tip at the next restaurant or bar you visit, call the local utility company or medical facility and pay off someone’s bill at random.

• Volunteer your time and energy at local spaces. Donating your time  within your local community soup kitchen and/or shelter can do a world of good.  Volunteer your cooking prowess at your local soup kitchen to help shop, prepare, organize, and serve meals to those who need it most.  Call your local senior center or nursing home and ask if they need volunteer visitors for game nights, bingo events, musical performances, etc.  Lend your skills on contracting, carpentry or woodworking skills to building community housing for nonprofit housing organizations.

• Stay educated on the local level and vote to lend your support in regional politics events. Exercising your right to vote is a vital part of the process to improve local legislature to ensure public assistance programming, special grants, and local non-profits receive essential funding. Electing lawmakers and legislature which support community-based care programs, free and low-cost school lunches, public housing, and affordable medical/psychiatric care programs makes a big difference. Attend your local town meetings and learn about important issues in your home town.

• Hand out seasonal survival packages with necessities and personal care items in your local city or town. Create bags with shelf-stable allergen-friendly foods, personal items and toiletries, etc. and hand them around to folks who need it. Likewise, you can drop them off at the local domestic shelter or homeless shelter or you can give them out to people in need as you meet them. During cold weather months, give out hats, mittens, scarves, thermal underwear, and thick socks to the packages. During warmer months, we recommend including emergency instant activate ice packs, electrolyte drinks, and water bottles. Consider also adding gift cards to local food stores or ride share services to help the folks sustain their safety and access resources.

• Include non-profits and charities as part of your inheritance in your will. If there is a particular cause that really aligns with your goals and values, in many cases it is possible to leave a legacy gift by listing the organization as beneficiary. You’ll need the charity’s full legal name and tax ID Number and have an attorney draft up the gift amount. You can designate the funds for a specific cause within the organization such as a “capital campaign” “children’s group project” “arts school classes” etc.

• Support local creators directly by becoming Patreon subscribers, back a Kickstarter, or donate to their PayPal or Ko-Fi funding. Enrolling as part of someone’s Patreon account can provide lasting and ongoing support for independent creators and artists. By becoming a patron of this person, you are allowing them to continue to support their creative endeavors, lifelong project goals, special releases, limited runs of artwork or music, and more. It allows the person a guaranteed source of income to pursue their business goals and dreams. Some tiers may offer gifts or rewards, but you can also back the projects at a no-reward level or amount of your choosing above their ascribed tiers. It’s a great way to support local artists and ensure a thriving community of vibrant creative people and beautify the areas!

What are some things that you and your family do to give back to your communities and help fight hunger and homelessness, and provide stability to those in need? Feel free to contribute to the conversation by pitching in your own community-centric, neighborly suggestions in the comments on our social media.