What is Community Development?
By Kelsey Holmes, Greenheart Club Program Assistant
Community • Comunidad • comunità • 社區 • Communauté • مجتمع • Gemeinschaft • сообщество
What defines community? Is it a group of people that speak the same language, live in the same neighborhood, or eat the same types of food? According to the Oxford dictionary, the word community refers to “a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals.” Common goals, interests and attitudes are core components in creating and maintaining community.
At the Greenheart Club, this sense of fellowship is a central focus of our vision, “A connected Greenheart community of global citizens taking action to create a more peaceful and sustainable future for all.” Volunteerism is a huge part of community development, and through the Greenheart Club, members are able to directly contribute to the betterment of their host communities and to foster relationships and build upon their knowledge and skill sets to continue lives of service.
A community can simply be a like-minded group of people, working towards a common goal – like the Greenheart Club! Our mission, “to empower members of our cultural exchange community to be global leaders and take action,” embodies the spirit of the global community that connects our participants around the world.
Development involves change. It is the way in which a community can be revitalized and the qualities of members within the community to be expanded upon and enhanced. This process not only increases the choices offered to community members but also leads to increased community engagement, social consciousness, environmental responsibility, and economic growth.
Community development can refer to anything that an individual does for the betterment of their community, from setting up a community garden to addressing social justice problems. The Greenheart Club works to develop relationships between our participants and their host communities along with their peer volunteers across the world. Volunteerism through the Greenheart Club enables our participants to better address the needs of their communities and find opportunities to do so. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development refers to community development as “activities that build stronger and more resilient communities through an ongoing process of identifying and addressing needs, assets, and priority investments.” Stronger and more resilient communities are exactly what the Greenheart Club’s volunteers work to create through volunteering as active and engaged members of society.
There are many organizations that are working to bring education, promote local businesses, and provide creative outlets for community members to express themselves – all integral parts of community development.
Elevarte Studio is a community based arts center in the Pilsen community of Chicago, Illinois. The center focuses on retaining the neighborhood’s identity but also providing residents with a creative way to utilize their abilities along with training for professional and personal development. Check out this video that highlights the important work they do for the betterment of their community:
As members of the Greenheart Club, there are many ways to get involved with your host community and actively participate in community development. Make sure to check out our database of volunteer opportunities across the United States and take a look at our resources for more ideas on how to get started. What are some ways that you contribute to development in your own host community?