Get Involved
Community change is first an individual process, then a collective one. You have the power to transform your community and the Delta region. Become involved to build greater capacity and a vibrant, healthier community. Here are some suggestions on how you can be more engaged in what is happening where you live.
Sign up for news and updates at Lifting up the Delta.org.
Stay informed about the transformation of the Delta region from new technologies and business startups to agricultural innovation and youth enterprise. Sign up for a free subscription to both printed news that is mailed to your address, as well as E-news on your computer. It is a simple, cost-effective way to know about the great things happening in the Delta.
Help to write a new story for the Delta region.
Become an avid reporter of the transformation happening in your community. When you see neighborhoods working to create a community garden, youth organizing technology networks, or collaboration among educators to create extra curriculums to help boost student achievement, or any activity meant to uplift the region and create a better future, tell us about it. You can submit an item in the 1,000 Signs of Possibility section of this site, or send us your story at info@liftingupthedelta.org.
Clean up your neighborhood
Take a little extra time when doing yard work to spruce up your neighborhood. Go an extra step and organize a Community Clean Up day. Recruit volunteers to grab a trash bag and gloves to for a community sweep to make the neighborhood look better and neighbors feel better about their neighborhoods.
Exercise regularly.
Take a walk around the athletic track at a local school. If the track is not available, try walking in the parking lot of the school or a church. Invite friends and family out to walk as well, and then create a walking club.
Vote.
Pay attention to issues and when the day arrives, go to your local polling place and cast your ballot. Voting is your voice in the world and guarantees that your voice will be heard.
Help Others Register to Vote.
Set up a booth at a community fair, church, or outside a local retailer and hand out voter registration forms. You can contact your state election office for more information or visit any number of voter registration websites such as the US Election Assistance Commission, www.eac.gov/index_html1.
Donate time, talent, or money.
Organizations often need people willing to volunteer to answer telephones, assist with events, or head a committee. They also rely on volunteers with special skills such as creative writing, artistry, and music. Volunteers also may be needed to lead fundraising drives, recruit other volunteers, or drive campaigns. Personal monetary donations are generally acceptable as well.
Support local Delta businesses.
Patronizing Delta business for your goods and services feeds the economic base of communities by boosting the local tax base and providing jobs to residents. Local businesses invest in the community because it’s their home, the place where they attend church, raise their children, and grandchildren. Locally-owned businesses donate goods, services, and time to local schools and community charities. Just check your telephone directory for listings of businesses in your neighborhood. Also take time to visit Arkansas DeltaMade at www.arkansasdeltamade.com/ to see Delta products.
Attend public meetings
City, county or parish, and other government board meetings are free and open to the public. Visit a local city meeting to learn more about what is happening in your community and many allow time on the agenda for public comment. Request time on the agenda to address a specific issue of interest, and then follow up with the board to learn about future action that may take place on that issue.