Cristina and her husband arrived in my city during winter. They had traveled for a couple of days by bus to reunite with their family, but they were met with the unwelcome surprise that their suitcases containing their few belongings, including their legal documents, had disappeared. A bus company worker offered no clear solution or explanation of what had happened or how they could recover their belongings. Frustrated and defeated, they had no choice but to wait. I met them under these circumstances. They reached out to the community closet we created in our neighborhood to assist families in need of clothing, shoes, and accessories.

Our Community Closet, One heart was born from the passion and effort of a church and a community of Latina women. Both organizations’ efforts were rooted in a common purpose: love for our neighbors. We knew the increasing number of families arriving in East Tennessee during the cold season without adequate clothing. During our first year, we’ve served over 80 families, most arriving with only the clothes on their backs. Adults, youth, and children seeking a better life. 

Being aware of our neighbors’ real needs allows us to undertake intentional and appropriate ministries, programs, and assistance to support them effectively, making better use of our time, volunteers, and physical spaces. It would be in vain to exhaust resources and mobilize efforts if our dreams could not be sustained over time. This would only lead to frustration among our team and potentially hinder our desire to continue. 

Creating our Community Closet took a lot of conversations, prayers, resource gathering, space setup, and committing to open our doors one day a month to serve our neighborhood. It may sound challenging, but if you feel the desire to serve your community, then that’s the first step in getting a program like this off the ground. 

That’s why I want to share with you the concrete steps we took to create this resource for our community, so you can take what resonates with you to ignite your own passions and initiatives. 

1. Share your vision:

Often we may feel alone in our desire to do something positive for our community, but you would be pleasantly surprised to learn that there are others like you who want to nurture and strengthen your community as well. Your task, then, is to find them (or let yourself be found), build connections with people and organizations who share a common vision, and then collaborate together in pursuit of this shared goal.  

2. Channel thoughts and words constructively:

Avoid dwelling on discouraging words or thoughts. Not everyone may immediately see or accept the value in your ideas, but staying true to your calling and surrounding yourself with supportive people is crucial. 

3. Take inventory of your resources:

Once your idea is defined, assess what you already have and what you still need. For us, we had volunteers, a church space for the closet, clothing and shoe donations, refreshments for visitors, and more. We needed a logo, a name, signs, and a system to organize clothing according to the seasons. We delegated tasks and decided on the opening day, ensuring that we were realistically prepared and equipped to operate sustainably over time.  

4. Invite your entire community to participate:

Humans need other humans to develop healthily, so the more diverse, open, and motivating your team is, the more your ideas, resources, and events will continue to grow and develop over time. At some point, you may no longer be involved, but your idea will endure, benefiting your community in the long run. 

5. Embrace your creativity:

You are a creative being, so repeat after me: “I am a creative being.” We often think that creativity applies only to art, music, or manual tasks. However, you use your creativity even without realizing it—when cooking, exercising, cleaning your house, styling your hair, budgeting, and even walking. New ideas sprout which may seem wild, and your brain initially says, “No.”. But what if you start telling your brain, “Let’s try it”? You’ll discover that you and your team can generate the most creative and spectacular events. You can find beautiful ways to advance what inspires you and strengthens your community. Foster a culture where brainstorming and trying new ideas are encouraged. This creativity will help sustain and enrich your community efforts. 

This is just one example of how you can serve your community from within. You can find more by reading other articles on this blog. I invite you to share your thoughts and ideas to help us collectively create a more loving world from our small corners. 

Our guest blog author is Raquel Leal-Alvarez. Raquel is an amazing Latina women who has used her gifts and skills to serve others in a variety of ways. Read more from Raquel here.