Community leagues reach out to young
Sending the message they’re ‘your way to get things done’
Before Jarrett Campbell joined his community league’s board two years ago, he had only a vague idea of what the organization did. Once he learned he could bring his voice to local decision making, Campbell, 25, ramped up his involvement.
Campbell is now president of the Oliver Community League, in the far west of downtown from 109th Street to 124th Street. He spent Saturday morning manning a table at the Oliver Community Festival, answering questions about the league and selling memberships. He believes many younger people remain “in the dark” about what community leagues do.
The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues is trying to change that. The umbrella group, which supports the city’s 155 community leagues, hosted two events last month to attract new, younger members, a demographic that is under-represented, especially people under 40.
About 150 people attended the events that linked seasoned community leaders with younger residents.
On one side, participants offered suggestions on what they felt was is missing in their neighbourhoods: outdoor fitness opportunities, parks or community gardens.
On the other side, organizers corrected common misconceptions, such as the belief you need to be a homeowner or have children to join a community league.
“We’re trying to get the message out to everyone that your community league is your vehicle and your way to get things done,” says Michael Janz, marketing director of the community league federation and an event organizer.
Many people equate community leagues with hockey and soccer programs for kids, but Janz points to opportunities for members to be involved in local planning and decision making.
He wants community leagues to reflect the lives of everyone living in the neighbourhood, but with people weighed down with other demands on their time, many feel they are too busy to participate, says Janz.
Leagues are trying to engage residents through updated Facebook pages, twitter feeds, websites and online newsletters. In the fast-growing southwest neighbourhoods that make up The Ridge Community League, 37-year-old president David Faber says a New Year’s Eve fireworks festival got people’s attention.
“People are surprised at all the things the community league does,” Faber says, adding that membership has other benefits, including discounts at City of Edmonton recreation facilities.
Projects, such as the federation’s recently launched solar and energy savings program, will see solar panels installed on seven community league halls and that will help attract a younger audience, says David Dodge, president of the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues.
“We latch onto parents when they start to have kids, but recently I’ve noticed a trend toward some people stepping forward and playing a role as young, single people, which is new and great,” Dodge says. “We’re not panicking and we’re not worried (about membership), we’re just trying to do a better job.”
The Strathcona Centre Community League has had a greeninitiative director on the board for a few years, says president Jeff Samsonow, 30. “It seems to click with a lot of our league members,” Samsonow says.
For Jamie Post, being civics director at the Glenwood Community League in West Edmonton for the past three years has been a wonderful experience, even if he is the youngest member of the board by far.
“I wanted to be a part of helping my neighbourhood, and a community league is as grassroots as it gets,” Post, 30, says.
Longtime league members like 49-year-old David Gibbens welcome new energy and fresh ideas to compliment the experience of older member. Gibbens, a board member and past president of the Edmonton leagues’ federation, is encouraged at the response from young people.
“This is an avenue they didn’t know they could get involved in and could actually make a difference on the ground, right where they live.”