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The Great Compassion
is an urgent call to reconnect.
One hundred years ago, America faced the Great Depression — an economic crisis that tested our collective strength.
What pulled us through wasn’t just financial recovery, but the resilience and solidarity of neighbors helping neighbors, families pulling together, and communities finding ways to survive.
Today, we're caught in another Great Depression, but the crisis we're facing is not economic – it's social.
While social trauma is nothing new to the human race — the pain of disconnect has grown exponentially under the weight of Social Media. And when we add to that the rapid rise of AI – we find ourselves collectively at the edge of a steep social cliff.
But, it's not too late to act.
Introducing Umuganda.
On the last Saturday of every month, the people of Rwanda gather to clean, build, repair, and restore their communities — side by side — all in the spirit of Umuganda.
This being a day of shared purpose and human connection, Umuganda is Rwanda's life line to rebuilding social cohesion following the tragic genocide of 1994.
As Rwanda practices Umuganda and heals from their deepest of wounds, they in turn serve the world by demonstrating how community service strengthens the social fabric of a nation and is the way back to peace and prosperity for all.
This is where we begin.
Work. Play. Love.
“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members." — Corretta Scott King
Community Events!
Browse local aggregators of service events for your target Saturday and lend your heart and hands to your broader community.
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Lean on ChatGPT for assistance finding events. Click here to browse:
Neighbors, Connect!
Gather in your neighborhood and practice simple acts of kindness — like bringing food to a new mother, or stew to a neighbor battling illness. Mow the lawn for an elderly neighbor, or draw messages of joy and compassion on your block's sidewalk.
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Coordinate in person or by message via the LOCL app when you create your own free LOCL community. Learn more here:
Good Work
Join in community the last Saturday of every month, or if you are single, make that the 2nd Saturday to connect with the people you vibe with.
Then Play
After we work, we play!
Join in the sweet afterglow of kindness and deepen connection with your community — and even make new friends.
Where connection takes root.
We meet in town for a coffee, a cold drink, a scoop of ice cream.
We swap stories. We share a laugh. We let the goodness of what we’ve done together sink in.
This is the Afterglow.
A space to slow down, connect, and remember: we’re not meant to do life alone.
Coming soon.
We're building a directory where you can find local businesses opening their doors to the afterglow. And if you're an owner and would like to turn your space into a modern-day town square, drop into the directory here:
LOVE GROWS
Love is what grows in the soil we tend together.
Each act of service, each laugh shared in the Afterglow — it all adds up to something more.
We begin to care.
We begin to feel seen.
We belong.