How to Connect With Your Community
According to one March 2025 survey, only 26% Americans know all or most of their neighbors. That’s 26% out of *checks notes* 340 million! That doesn’t have to be you. If can learn anything from the loneliness epidemic, it’s that we need community and connection now more than ever. Read on for five ways to connect with the people around you.
1. Say Hi to Your Neighbors
Uh… duh! Making connections begins with paying attention. Who actually lives in those apartments or houses you pass every day? What faces do you see often? Start with smiles and waves. Start with some small talk, then maybe something a little more than small talk. You’ll notice pretty quickly how much more familiar your neighborhood or your apartment building feels when you actually know the people in it.
2. Attend Community Events
Small town or big city, it’s likely that there’s something going on. A church social. A fire department carnival. A fundraiser for community schools. A holiday party or a toy drive. A library event. Intramural sports A concert. Trivia. Karaoke. The list goes on and on. It’s possible you’ve passed signs for these events or seen posters on bulletin boards and said, “Who even goes to those?” Well, now the answer is YOU! These events are fantastic ways to support your community and to meet community-minded people who are also doing the work of getting to know one another on a deeper level. It’s a good reminder that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
3. Host a Community Event
Alright, maybe carnivals and socials aren’t quite your jam, and that’s okay. But remember, the goal of this is to get to connect with people. If you’re looking to achieve that through a shared interest or activity, then it might be time for you to put yourself out there and start that group yourself. Print out some posters and hunt down bulletin boards. Your goal doesn’t have to be a secret, either. “Public knitting group at [insert coffee shop]. Come knit and know your neighbors!” Maybe you hold an open-to-the-public potluck. It’s like Field of Dreams, if you create space for community, it is often the case that the community will come to you.
4. Engage with Local News
So how are you going to find all these wonderful opportunities for connection? It helps to know what’s actually going on in your community. Subscribe to a local newspaper and read about events and classifieds. Watch local news or public access television. Pay attention not only to things to do, but to news about your neighbors. Public interest stories about schools or local businesses. It helps to know what’s going on and it’ll give you things to talk about with your neighbors, especially neighbors on the older side who might be more tuned in to local happenings than members of slightly younger generations. When it comes to community, you can learn a lot from them.
5. Seek Out Volunteer Opportunities
Connecting with your community goes hand in hand with supporting the other people in your community. Ever hear that old adage about borrowing a cup of sugar? Chances are there are resources in your community already doing this work: Food pantries or fundraisers or picking-up-litter-in-the-park groups, maybe held by churches or community centers. Getting involved isn’t just about making a difference in your community through the volunteer work itself, it’s also about forming reciprocal relationships with your neighbors and meeting like-minded people who want to support one another through connection and support. Be on the lookout for volunteer opportunities year-round, and with enough time, consider creating some of your own.