The Light’s Civic Life calendar looks to build community engagement

“Democracy transformed from thin paper to thick action is the greatest form of government on earth.”

Martin Luther King Jr.

Civics. Sounds like a 1950s high school class sandwiched between shop and home ec, right? 

But at its simplest, civics is how we work together to create the world we wish to inhabit. It’s how individuals form a community, whether the size of a neighborhood, a city or a nation. 

Voting. Volunteering. Staying informed. Giving input. Helping out. Making your voice heard. Chipping in. It’s all part of a civically responsible life.

Civic engagement can have a profound impact on community health, well-being and safety. But according to a 2018 National Survey of Health Attitudes, only 19% of adults reported a strong emotional connection to their community, and only 11% felt a strong sense of membership in their community. 

“Research shows that if people improve their feelings of belonging, trust and security, they are likely to be healthier. When people feel a greater connection to their community, they are more inclined to take action to improve their own health and the health of others,” writes the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 

Your civic involvement is also the precursor to your children’s civic activities. By getting involved, you can serve as a role model of engagement; transmitting values and linking future generations to vital community organizations. 

But living a civically engaged life can be daunting. Where do you start? Where can you make a difference? How do you find the causes and issues that matter most to you? When do you have the time?

That’s why New Bedford Light is launching its Civic Life calendar. We aim to build a curated clearinghouse for public meetings, information sessions, government events, non-profits, community groups and more, all here in the Whaling City. 

Maybe there’s a cleanup day in your neighborhood coming up. Or an informational meeting about an infrastructure project down the street. Maybe you want to check the agenda for the next City Council meeting, or find when the next school board sub-committee is meeting so you can address an issue that matters to your children. 

As anthropologist Margaret Mead once noted, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

Thank you to our sponsors

Founding benefactors: Joan and Irwin Jacobs fund of the Jewish Community Foundation, Mary and Jim Ottaway

Learn more about our community of individual donors

For questions about donations, contact Chrystal Walsh, director of advancement, at cwalsh@newbedfordlight.org.

For questions about sponsoring The Light, contact Peter Andrews, director of business development and community engagement, at pandrews@newbedfordlight.org.