I’m really impressed with this post, I think you did an excellent job describing both the need and possible benefits of this approach.
A few thoughts
Working side-by-side on a common goal is important for bonding—As you state, “We trust and love those who work and sacrifice alongside us. Using our hands and feet together is the most primal way we feel connected to others.”
Make it fun, and have it culminate into something—When I was in high school I participated in an event where we did various odd-jobs and yard work for people for donations, and then used those donations to buy and deliver thanksgiving groceries for families in need. At the end of the day we had a community dinner. This was an incredibly memorable and bonding day, and the fact that it culminated in a dinner made a huge difference.
Consider choosing something where there is an observable impact on other people—While picking up litter is great, I might consider choosing something where there is a tangible impact on other people that you can see. That will be more motivating.
Involve local social impact organizations—As you state “Service projects are also an excellent way to build bridges to existing non-EA organizations, and to possibly pull those organizations in more impactful directions.” I would contact some local organizations that are doing work that you really respect and find out what their needs are. If you can organize events around helping existing organizations, you can start to really build a movement/ecosystem that others will be attracted to.
Try to incrementally progress towards a quantitative goal—Whatever activities you choose, if you can create some quantitative goal that everyone is working towards over time, that will be very motivating.
I’m in the early stages of building a community hub along the lines that you’re thinking about, so I’ve been researching ideas like this for a long time. This stuff is really tricky to get right, but you seem like you’ve got a great head start on thinking this through.
I’m really impressed with this post, I think you did an excellent job describing both the need and possible benefits of this approach.
A few thoughts
Working side-by-side on a common goal is important for bonding—As you state, “We trust and love those who work and sacrifice alongside us. Using our hands and feet together is the most primal way we feel connected to others.”
Make it fun, and have it culminate into something—When I was in high school I participated in an event where we did various odd-jobs and yard work for people for donations, and then used those donations to buy and deliver thanksgiving groceries for families in need. At the end of the day we had a community dinner. This was an incredibly memorable and bonding day, and the fact that it culminated in a dinner made a huge difference.
Consider choosing something where there is an observable impact on other people—While picking up litter is great, I might consider choosing something where there is a tangible impact on other people that you can see. That will be more motivating.
Involve local social impact organizations—As you state “Service projects are also an excellent way to build bridges to existing non-EA organizations, and to possibly pull those organizations in more impactful directions.” I would contact some local organizations that are doing work that you really respect and find out what their needs are. If you can organize events around helping existing organizations, you can start to really build a movement/ecosystem that others will be attracted to.
Try to incrementally progress towards a quantitative goal—Whatever activities you choose, if you can create some quantitative goal that everyone is working towards over time, that will be very motivating.
I’m in the early stages of building a community hub along the lines that you’re thinking about, so I’ve been researching ideas like this for a long time. This stuff is really tricky to get right, but you seem like you’ve got a great head start on thinking this through.