Recession Survival: Strengthen Your Community

How do you respond during a time of crisis? For people who aren't accustomed to asking for help, it can be difficult and embarrassing to seek assistance from others. Losing a job can lead to depression and damage self-esteem, causing many to withdraw and keep to themselves. In today's wired world, turning to the Internet and other forms of home entertainment during a crisis is increasingly common: according to a recent CNN article, Netflix saw a 45 percent increase in profits in the last quarter of 2008, movie ticket sales are up 18.8 percent, and the home entertainment business is booming. Rather than viewing these forms of entertainment as unnecessary expenses, it appears that many people are doing the opposite: using TV and movies to escape from the realities of the grim situation that we see whenever we turn on the news, or that many of us are experiencing first-hand.

In today's interconnected yet often interpersonal world, many of us don't know our neighbors as well as our parents might have. Americans belong to fewer civic group and churches. We are more likely to turn to forms of escapism during times of need than to reach out to a network of family, friends, or community members. But we need our communities now more than ever. People with strong social networks tend to have better health, an improved sense of control over their lives, and a greater sense of security.

Strengthen your community

Across the country, there are signs of an increasing trend towards greater community involvement. At the urging of President Obama, volunteers across America began holding Economic Recovery House Meetings in February, giving people the opportunity to connect with neighbors and discuss how the recession is affecting their communities. Many of these meetings led to the formation of neighborhood barter networks, lending networks, and community gardens. Even if you didn't have the opportunity to attend one of these meetings, now is the perfect time to consider what sort of change you might be able to affect at a grassroots level. Simple organizing a neighborhood meeting or potluck and creating an opportunity to connect with others in your community can begin to open doors and discover ways that you can help each other. Consider forming a neighborhood exchange network where people can trade services such as cooking, babysitting, housework, or yardwork.

Focus on the needs of others

Focusing on the needs of people less fortunate than you is a guaranteed way to take your mind off your own problems and put things in perspective. No matter how bad things may seem, the odds are that someone else is worse off than you. And judging by recent figures, that’s something many people are realizing: nonprofit groups are seeing a surge in volunteers, and applications for the Peace Corps and AmeriCorps have increased in the past year. If volunteering isn't an option for you, consider giving to a local food bank — many have reported decreases in donations in the past several months, but even those whose donations remain steady have a difficult time meeting increasing demand. Visit Feeding America to learn how hunger affects your community, and how you can help. If you haven't already, join the Freecycle Network or look for bartering opportunities on Craigslist, where more and more people are posting requests for basic necessities such as food and clothing.