Interestingly, in an age where social networking and abundant “virtual” connectivity is at our fingertips, it seems that people, especially the elderly, are lonelier than ever before. Truly, the negative effects of loneliness have many consequences- including poor health:
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“In every community there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart there is the power to do it.” - Marianne Williamson
Tamarack’s Deepening Community Practice Area is a learning community for people interested in neighbourhood-based change and those eager to deepen their understanding of the unique role citizens can play in leading positive community change. It is an online space to meet, share resources and learn together.
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“Disturbers are never popular – nobody ever really loved the alarm clock in action – no matter how grateful they may have been afterwards for its kind service.” - Nellie McClung
Those of us working in communities recognize the need for greater innovation and experimentation if we want to accelerate our ability to advance positive change in neighbourhoods, municipalities and regions. Whether the focus of our work is: citizen engagement, belonging, community safety, poverty-reduction, housing, or community economic development, there is a growing recognition that wiser and bolder approaches are needed to effectively meet the complex challenges before us. So, where do we begin? The robust field of social innovation offers important insights, lessons, patterns and practices to consider.
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Remember the old adage that cautions, "Just because you have a shiny new hammer, doesn't mean that everything you see is a nail?"
Renowned community builder John McKnight uses the analogy of hammers and saws to highlight an important distinction between the "tool" of community and the "tool" of service delivery organizations in the building of strong communities. He emphasizes that, "both tools are important but they each have specific uses. You don't use a hammer to cut wood or a saw to hammer nails. The trick is discernment."
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Scaling Out, Scaling Up, Scaling Deep is a new paper by Darcy Riddell and Michele-Lee Moore that dives deeply into an a key question that is top-of-mind for many community change agents and funders: How do we scale up the impact of a promising social innovation? The impetus for this report, jointly commissioned by the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and the Tamarack Institute, grew from the realization that highly successful local projects too often fail to demonstrate meaningful impact on the broader social and/or environmental systems they are operating within.
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Fresh, home-made chocolate chip cookies are the culinary equivalent to a warm hug from someone you love at the end of a tough day. They are best savoured and shared - warm from the oven - along with some good conversation, a laugh and a glass of cold milk.
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