Looking Outside Your Home and Into Your Community

You did it, it’s finally official. You’ve finished up the closing process and picked up the keys to your brand-new home! It’s a monumental achievement. You deserve some time to rest, relax, and enjoy the place you’ll now call home. Go ahead, take the family out to celebrate with all your new friends. Oh, wait...

Buying a home was a daunting task, but it seems like another lies right in front of you. You’re in an unfamiliar area with a whole group of people you’ve never seen before. We all like the idea of getting involved in our communities, but figuring out how or where to start can be overwhelming. However, don’t worry. We’ve compiled a list of potential ways to get you and your family involved in your new neighborhood in no time!

Join a local organization.

Joining a local organization or club is a great way to meet people who are interested in the same activities as you are. For example, you will meet fellow parents if you join the local PTA. Your child will likely be spending the next few years at their school, so it’s not a bad idea to get closer to other parents as you support your child’s education. Other possible organizations you could wet your feet in might be a church group or local theater production. No matter where you are, you are more likely to bond with people who are just as enthusiastic about a subject as you are.

Take an exciting class.

You could learn or develop a fun skill while planting yourself in your new community. Much like joining a local organization, taking a class will place you next to others who are working toward a similar goal. Whether it’s a pottery workshop at the community center or a spin class at the YMCA, you’ll develop relationships with individuals as part of a team that wants everyone to succeed. And hey, if you’re, let’s just say...not so athletically inclined, mastering a different skill might be the way to relate to the new folks around you.

Volunteer yourself.

Volunteering will help you meet people and feel more comfortable with the world outside your new home while aiming for something greater. By taking part in some community volunteer work, you will not only help yourself by making friends, you’ll be helping those who need it most at the exact same time. Heading down to the local food bank to volunteer your time for others goes beyond familiarizing yourself with new faces. The relationships you build will be a byproduct of the good work you accomplish. And hopefully, it will be enjoyable enough you’ll make a habit out of it.

Attend local events and social hotspots.

This suggestion may require a little research, but it’ll be well worth the effort. Keep an eye out for upcoming social events, like a local band performance or family game night, promoted around town or on social media. Activities like these are excellent ways to interact with the most diverse cross-section of your new community. The hippest coffee shop or most happening restaurant on the block are also great places to meet and greet your neighbors and make valuable connections.

Well, there you have it. Hopefully this list will spark some ideas of how you can get more involved in your new locale. Whether it’s through meeting people or genuinely assisting those less fortunate, you’ll be taking healthy steps toward ingraining you and your family into the community in which you’ll be a part of for hopefully a long, happy time.