Why Community Matters (And How CommuniBee Can Strengthen Yours)
Establish deeper connections with the people around you using our convenient and engaging mobile app
Every one of us belongs to a community of some sort. Whether it’s the geographical neighbourhood we live in, the political party we support, or the recreational sports teams we join, being part of a group is a normal and healthy part of human existence.
But remaining actively engaged with the communities we belong to can be a challenge. For many of us, the constant juggle of our jobs, families, responsibilities and commitments can be tricky on the best of days, and downright overwhelming on the worst. These obligations often use up the majority of our time and energy, leaving little left over to dedicate to building stronger ties within our communities.
In fact, 28 percent of Americans admit to not knowing their neighbors by name, and only 36 percent participate in community groups or activities.
Yet there is a wealth of information out there about the importance of community, and the benefits that come from feeling a strong sense of kinship with the people around us.
In this article, we’ll be sharing some of the top benefits of belonging to a community, while also touching on a number of ways to engage community members.
Here is Why Community Matters (And How our CommuniBee App Can Strengthen Your)
1. Information
As human beings, we all want to be informed about what is happening in the countries, cities, and communities we live in. Whether it’s checking our local crime reports, reading the daily newspaper, or going over the minutes from our last town council meeting, we seek out information that pertains to us.
When communities are close-knit and engaged, this transfer of information becomes even easier, keeping all members of a specific group up-to-date and aware.
This is highly beneficial, since the more community members are informed, the more bonded they become. When all members of a specific community have access to the same information, and are able to fully understand the issues and circumstances that are affecting them, the more equipped they are to make decisions that will benefit the entire group, rather than just a select few.
In fact, it has been proven that informed and involved citizens become “citizen experts”, who are able to better understand difficult situations and more capable of identifying holistic community-wide solutions that benefit their members.
How CommuniBee Can Help:
CommuniBee is a community-based app that makes keeping people informed far easier than it’s ever been before. Community leaders can use our mobile app to send real-time news to their members, having their messages appear as push notifications on their mobile devices.
Additionally, members can also post their own incident reports, keeping each other informed of any causes for concern. Some common incident report uses include: lost pets, car break-ins and vandalism.
By making communication easier and more accessible with a mobile app, you ensure that your members always have the latest information, which is the first step to building a strong, united community everyone can be proud of.
2. Safety
A sense of safety is one of the greatest benefits of belonging to a community. After all, human beings need to feel safe in order to live healthy, productive, and happy lives.
This is why people who live in high-crime, low-income neighborhoods are at increased risk for many negative outcomes, including: drug abuse, relationship problems, violence, unwanted pregnancy, and depression.
In order for a community to thrive, all of its members must feel safe.
So, how can you increase the sense of safety in your community?
Perhaps the most compelling way is to get your members involved. By coming together and actively working to uphold a safe environment, all those who participate benefit.
Whether it’s forming a neighborhood watch program, conducting a study on the number of crimes in your area, or hosting a fundraiser in order to invest more capital in safety initiatives, there really is safety in numbers, and goals become much more attainable when they are approached collaboratively.
How CommuniBee Can Help:
In addition to CommuniBee’s real time news and incident report features, which can be used to keep residents informed about any safety hazards or concerns, CommuniBee also includes a full directory.
This directory can be updated with all the contact information for your local fire department, police station, and other emergency responders. And since the directory is available through our community-based app at any time, users never have to worry about finding the information they need in the event of an emergency.
Whether a resident is looking to contact a local politician, their child’s elementary school, or an ambulance, CommuniBee keeps this information at their fingertips, reducing response times and ensuring your community members get the help they need, when they need it.
3. Inclusion
Did you know that that social exclusion affects the same part of the brain (the anterior cingulate) that’s affected when a person feels physical pain?
It’s true. Human beings are psychologically impacted when they feel excluded by others.
In order to create a strong sense of community, we must look for ways to engage community members and make them feel welcome.
Thankfully, there are many ways to build community and make your residents feel like they are an integral part of a greater network.
Some ways to increase inclusion amongst community members include:
Ask for the opinions of all participants during discussion groups, and ensure every person has a chance to speak without interruption
Encourage residents to celebrate their cultures and share their traditions with other members of their communities
Conduct surveys to constantly monitor how included your community members feel
Welcome ideas that are different than your own
Ask a diverse range of people to speak on behalf of your community, or take leadership roles within organizations
The more you focus on building bridges and strengthening the ties between various sub-groups in your community, the more adaptable and resilient your community will be as a whole.
In fact, a study conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that ideas generated by diverse teams are of better quality in terms of feasibility and overall effectiveness.
So, the only remaining question is: why not capitalize on the power of diversity and inclusion in your community?
How CommuniBee Can Help:
Not only does CommuniBee make it easier to communicate with the members of your community, but it also makes it easier for them to participate in the activities, groups, and events that are available.
With our dynamic and easy-to-use event system, users can view their community calendar right on their mobile device. From there, they can click on any events, groups, or activities that appeal to them, and register with just a few taps of their screen.
Anyone who is a member and uses the CommuniBee app can participate, providing your events with more exposure, while also making your community members feel included.
Additionally, we also have an amenities feature, where community leaders can highlight the various attractions and conveniences that are available to their members.
Again, this information is available to all members. But community leaders can choose to focus on specific amenities that may appeal to specific sub-groups.
For example: if a local community centre offers a discounted swimming pool fee for low-income families, community leaders can highlight this, making them aware of the resources that are available to them.
A great way to promote inclusion for all.
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