Building a Community Can Start With One

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.”   George Bernard Shaw


Do you want to help make the Crescenta Valley a better place? I found these eight steps on ehow.com, which can help you take the first steps in making this a better community:


1) Take action. Don’t just sit back and wait for your community to get better by itself. You need to get involved. 2) Volunteer your time, energy, money and yourself. If there is a park clean-up day, volunteer to help. Volunteer to help local businesses or homes clean graffiti off walls. Get a group of people together and pick up trash on the streets or in planters on the side of the road in your community. 3) Get to know your neighbors. Know the people who live around you. Building a strong community is a team effort. You can’t do it all on your own. 4) Start a neighborhood watch. Keep your community safe by starting neighborhood watches.  5) Support local businesses. Try to shop at local businesses when you can, avoiding big box stores. “Mom and Pop shops” create a hometown feeling and welcoming atmosphere. 6) Restore historical landsites. Don’t let them get torn down. Head up or participate in fundraisers to raise funds that will go toward restoration of the buildings. Preserve the history of your community. 6) Support your local leaders. Get involved with volunteering at campaign time. You can also volunteer during election time. Get to know the people who are running your town. 7) Keep your community safe by starting neighborhood watches. 8) Be patient. Realize that making your community a better place to live will not happen overnight. It will take time, energy and money to get the job done. Remember, don’t sit back and wait for it to happen. You have to get involved!

The board and members of our chamber are always working to improve the community. The Chamber organized an e-recycle event this past weekend that collected over six pallets of items that will not end up in our landfill. On the second Saturday of each month, Steve Pierce and his crew clean up the off-ramp of La Crescenta Avenue (and volunteers are welcomed).

On the second Wednesday of each month one of our member businesses donates their space and food to host a community mixer so that members can gather to learn how they can do business with one another.

On March 18, many of our members will gather for a Day at the Races at the Santa Anita Race Track to raise funds for the Sheriff’s Support Group.

On March 28, many of the community will gather for our annual Smart-a-Thon that raises funds for grants for the educational institutions in the Crescenta Valley.

This is just a smidgen of what our chamber does. Want to join us? We would love the privilege to get to know you, show you what we do and have you join us!

Important dates: Feb. 8 – Business mixer at Leon Bakery & Café; March 7 – Business mixer at Bob Smith Toyota; March 18 – Day at the Races; March 28 – Smart-a-thon.

Please contact our office for more details on any event. How to reach us: (818) 248-4957/ crescentachamber@aol.com / www.LaCrescenta.org / 3131 Foothill Blvd., Ste. D.

  julia rabago