Weekly Refocus: Community Outreach

By Alicia Brickey

You may have heard the story of an old man, a young man, and some starfish. An old man walked up a shore littered with thousands of starfish, beached and dying after a storm. A young man was picking them up and flinging them back into the ocean. “Why do you bother?” The old man scoffed. “You’re not saving enough to make a difference.” The young man picked up another starfish and sent it spinning back to the water. “It made a difference to that one”, he said.

If one person can make a difference, what can we accomplish together? Well, making a difference lies perfectly with our core values of Collective Ventures. Just look at the founders. They created a safe space open to the public, at no cost, and use their time to implement their own knowledge & experience for others. That is truly, actively making a difference in supporting those looking to grow within our community. With that being said, how can we contribute to make a change? Let’s try to follow in their footsteps. Community outreach & service is so important not only our neighborhood, but to the individual participating. It provides an opportunity to become active members of the community in a positive way, as well as provide a service to those in need. It’s a great way to build social awareness, self confidence, and responsibility. Not only do you get to be involved in new experiences, you never know what bond you will create. Giving back to the community is a great contribution, but when you’re able to build personal strengths when doing so, what more can you gain? Try to reach out within your community today. The outcome may surprise you beyond your imagination.