Putting the U in Community
It was Hillary Clinton who popularized the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” bringing new understanding to child rearing. Now, 15 years later, some of those villages or communities are struggling.
A little over 3 years ago I moved from Van Nuys to Altadena. I wanted to be closer to the Xiem Clay Center – a community of ceramic artists and in turn I discovered a number of other communities to join – including that of Altadena. I hadn’t realized I was not apart of the community of Van Nuys until I discovered the diverse community of Altadena, chock full of artists, entrepreneurs, teachers and engineers.
Altadena is very eclectic and you can tell this as no two houses on the same street are the same. Residents value their privacy; however, they try to look out for each other – their lives woven together by churches, schools and other organizations in an amazing pattern. The residents of Altadena are very proud, laying claim to many of Southern California’s historic landmarks including Christmas Tree Lane and Zane Grey Mansion.
Unfortunately parts of the community are struggling and dying off. Of course there are a number of possible reasons (the economy, big box stores, other communities with better markets, food, etc.). If this is happening to your community, as it is mine, you have to step back and ask yourself if you want local businesses to survive. And, if you do, you have to take action and become the U in the community.
I am working towards becoming more involved in the community because I do want all parts of Altadena to survive. I don’t just want to drive past empty store fronts on my way down the hill to trendy Pasadena or even South Pasadena. This means I have to shop locally and be a part of the community. Would I like a higher end grocery with a fancy cheese bar? Yes, but I can live without it. Because if I don’t support my local market, it will eventually close.
So, I encourage you to take a stand in your community. Find out what you can do to support local businesses. Because if they survive, we will all continue to enjoy the communities that we share.
© 2010 Heather C. Morrow. All rights reserved
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Heather C. Morrow, owner of Pottery Daily, helps emerging artists express their true value and get paid what they are worth. Her products and services show you how to make more money, save more time while enjoying the freedom in your art. For your FREE audio go to www.marketandsellyourart.com.