## How to welcome and engage people in community spaces
Source URL:: <https://www.shareable.net/how-to-welcome-and-engage-people-in-community-spaces/>
Why do some community spaces thrive while others struggle or fail? A lot of it comes down to how people are welcomed. Last April, I joined a group of
### Highlights
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> Why do some community spaces thrive while others struggle or fail? A lot of it comes down to how people are welcomed.
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> But without organizers showing the work behind the scenes or asking people to get involved, only a few people offer to help and fewer end up actually helping. Sooner or later, the space closes.
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> Struggling—A group manages to keep its space open. Organizers spread the word about activities and projects and open decision-making meetings to the public. Once in awhile, someone “gets it” and takes initiative. They might do neighborhood outreach or balance the books. But without defined roles and responsibilities, even for the core group of organizers, participation is unpredictable and limited. Managing the space involves all kinds of unexpected, unsteady work.
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> Thriving—The healthy, sustainable participation most groups hope for. A critical mass of volunteers show up to help at the community space one day, thanks to word-of-mouth, an article with a call to action, or good timing. After a positive experience, many volunteers come back. Some become active organizers, taking on defined roles and responsibilities. The space grows organically.
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> Offer affirmation. Encourage and support people, especially as they try new things and take initiative. For example, organizers can encourage everyone to help—even if they fail at first—by sharing positive stories and recognizing effort.
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> Visiting and getting curious
>Trying and seeing connections
>Joining and making a commitment
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> Visiting
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>Goal: To help people experience the vision of the space.
>Action: Help people get curious and explore instead of simply explaining how things work.
>Example: Because PLACE is dedicated to spreading its model, it invests heavily in making visits a positive experience by hosting a monthly Action Day, when people can see everything for themselves.
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> Trying
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>Goal: To help people imagine being part of the community and understand its priorities.
>Action: Create ways for people to connect with opportunities instead of just matching skills and tasks.
>Example: PLACE has a vision of resilience that combines self-sufficiency and mutual aid. People become stronger by supporting one another. Getting a real taste of that experience is key for new people to believe another way of life is possible. It also adds capacity to get work done.
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> Joining
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>Goal: To grow participation in a healthy way and minimizing growing pains.
>Action: Make it easy for new people to commit and come back.
>Example: Stewardship is essential to the way PLACE runs. Its organizers are actually called “stewards” and they take responsibility for everything from facilities and administration to education and events. More broadly, PLACE is organized as a set of groups called “pods” where stewards and others collaborate. Joining the space happens through these pods, where people can propose a project they bring with them (like a pedal-powered pasta maker) or simply work until inspiration strikes.
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> In community spaces, welcoming people often leads to collaborations on projects that keep everything growing and thriving. However, some people may never feel welcomed in a space. Progress means returning to these issues time and again—for example, by continually developing community agreements, a statement of solidarity, or a set of policies. This is where the principles of alignment and affirmation matter most, because they emphasize the role of practice in bringing intentions to life.