There's a Place for All of Us: Simple Ways to Show Up for Your Community and the World

This is a guest blog post by Jess Eastman Stewart of Joyfully Managed Life.

Showing up for others doesn't have to mean burning yourself out or taking on more than you can handle.

Sometimes it means finding a creative way to contribute that actually fits who you are.

Sometimes it means acting on a small impulse of kindness in a single moment. And sometimes it means setting up a little structure so connection can just... happen.

Here are six ways to do exactly that.

1. Advocate in Your Own Way

Want to help an advocacy cause but don't feel like an advocate? Is there an issue you care about but you're not entirely sure how to help? Consider your skills and think creatively about what they could look like in action.

My friend Sheryl is a finance professional. In a recent conversation, we discussed the possibility of her joining the board of directors for a nonprofit organization that does excellent advocacy work, which could utilize her skills in a treasurer role.

An introverted friend of mine, Lynne, knocked on doors with us during a political campaign and found it really hard for her personality. For the rest of the campaign, Lynne provided childcare for volunteers who wanted to knock on doors or phone bank and needed a safe spot for their kids to hang out.

My friend Connie used to make delicious comfort-food dinners for phone bankers.

There's a place for all of us.

2. Act on Your Urge to Be Generous

Sometimes we hold ourselves back from being generous because we're feeling shy, don't want to be taken advantage of, or worry it'll seem awkward. Maybe we're afraid of creating some expectation that the act of kindness will happen all the time. But not doing the nice thing in the moment can leave us with regret.

I encourage you to act on the urge to be generous when you feel it.

Tell the barista their earrings are fantastic

Leave a note on your coworker's desk letting her know you value her presence on the team

Compliment the older gentleman's suit at the grocery store

We rarely regret doing the nice thing for someone.

3. Make Lasagna (Seriously)

My friend Lindsey introduced me to Lasagna Love — a simple but powerful program that connects people who could use a homemade lasagna with a volunteer who can make one. I dropped off my first lasagna to a neighbor who needed it this week, and it felt so good.

I encourage you to consider signing up at lasagnalove.org and/or share about the program in your neighborhood social media spaces so that those in need and those who can help can find each other.

4. Write the Condolence Note

One of the hardest things to do when someone is grieving is figure out what to say — and that difficulty can cause us to say nothing at all. But silence can sting just as much.

I've bookmarked this article on how to write a condolence note, and I return to it every time I need to write a sympathy card for someone who has lost a loved one or pet. It helps you say something meaningful when it matters most.

Bookmark it: How to Write a Condolence Note (Cup of Jo)

5. Lend a Little (and Get It Back)

Are you familiar with Kiva.org? It's a platform I've been using for over a decade to lend small amounts of money to entrepreneurs around the world. They also do loans here in the US now, and I'm currently working on funding one for my own business.

What I love most: the money is a loan, so the recipient pays it back, and you can re-lend it to another entrepreneur. It's a way to let your savings do some good in the world — and then come back to you.

You can search for entrepreneurs by country, topic, gender, and more. For example, you could lend to entrepreneurs in Palestine, single parents, or artisan entrepreneurs.

Check it out at kiva.org.

6. Set Up a Recurring Gathering

Try making time with your friends an open, recurring invitation with no pressure, no obligations, just a standing spot on the calendar for community to happen.

One summer, I put together a simple spreadsheet of parks in our community that are fun for families and assigned a weekend morning to each one. I shared the list in a calendar invite with lots of our friends and kids' friends.

It was an open invite, join us if you want, or don't. Because it was open to a big crew, there was no pressure for any one person to show up, but it created some built-in community for us each weekend.

This isn't just for families with kids. The same idea could look like:

A group of friends meeting at a bar once a week
Participate in a community garden or food forest
A Taco Tuesday or Thursday Night Long Island Iced Tea crew at a local restaurant
A weekly or monthly brunch date with former colleagues you miss
A monthly recurring dinner with friends, just set the calendar invite and let it happen

The recurring structure takes the planning out of it and lets connection just... show up.

There's a place for all of us.

Whether it's a lasagna, a kind word, a recurring park meetup, or a seat on a nonprofit board, the size of the gesture doesn't determine its impact. What matters is that you show up in the way that fits you.

I'd love to hear which one resonates most with you, so reach out.

Want more like this?

If you'd like to get five tips each Friday for making life more joyful and easy, sign up for my newsletter here. I'd love to have you. 🌿

— Jess Eastman Stewart

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