With the new year comes the traditional focus on personal well-being – what habits and lifestyle changes we may want to make in the eternal quest to be healthy, happy and comfortable. We make resolutions and start new rituals and routines in support of these goals. What are we truly working towards? Well-being is often defined as a combination of functioning well and feeling good, a worthwhile pursuit for us all. As we head into 2024, I’d like to propose another important goal: community well-being. As much as we as individuals want to feel good and function well, we go further and do better when the things that make up our environment are also functioning smoothly and feel comfortable to members of our community.

A healthy community has strong participation, where there are numerous active members who collaborate and partner with the many agencies and organizations that serve local citizens. Living in a small community, we can see this happen in real time by the many residents who get involved and make the magic happen. We are very fortunate to have so many groups dedicated to improving the lives of those who live here! All of our different youth sports groups, 4-H, the Stevenson Carson Education Foundation, the Christmas Basket Program, the Chamber of Commerce, the Wind River Business Association, the PTA, the Booster clubs, Senior Parents, the Community Art Studio of Skamania, One Prevention Alliance, the Farmers Market, Friends of the Library, and so many more are driven by volunteers who have a passion for helping our community.

These groups show us regularly what it means to be a part of an engaged community, and their efforts help us tackle complex issues and ensure that our common values, concerns and aspirations are taken into account by a variety of stakeholders. One thing that is missing, however, is volunteer power. Often it is the same individuals showing up to meetings, events and initiatives to ensure all these needs are being met. While it can be hard to find time to prioritize volunteering, we limit our voice and overall impact when we’re working with limited community involvement and engagement.

In 2024, I hope you’ll consider adding volunteering and community engagement to your list of resolutions.

As famed anthropologist Margaret Mead once shared, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

There are so many groups that would benefit from your gift of time, and sharing your experiences, ideas efforts, and voice. I hope you’ll consider engaging with our community and volunteering with one of the organizations working to keep our community moving forward. We are all stakeholders, and the more we shift our focus to our collective needs, the better we will all do!

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Written by: Somer Meade, OPA Chair.  Somer is also the Youth & Family Program Coordinator for WSU Extension in Skamania County.