One of the most daunting things about volunteering to help among a large and disparate group like Emerson-Garfield neighborhood is knowing where you’ll fit in.

What opportunities are available to you? Where can you make the biggest contribution? Where will your support have the most impact?

As a resident, you can:

• Join the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council. The EGNC meets just once a month, and simply being there and offering input is all that’s asked of you. You’re able to voice your concerns, help decide how neighborhood money is spent, and get to know the folks who live a few streets away. It doesn’t matter if you own or rent your home.
• Become a stakeholder in the E-G planning process. That “stakeholder” part isn’t quite as weighty as it sounds. All it means is that you’ll participate and help represent the residents of Emerson-Garfield as we work to outline the future of the neighborhood. What we plan now will affect the neighborhood for years to come.
• Lead or support a sub-committee. Concerts in Corbin Park. Summer movie nights at Emerson Park. Annual neighborhood cleanup. Helping the local schools and businesses align themselves more closely with the residents. Maintaining this blog, our Facebook page, and e-newsletters. Working with the city to improving our parks and traffic. All these things don’t come about by themselves — they need people like you to make them happen.
• Shop at neighborhood businesses. We lost two great businesses — The Chill Spot and Sparky’s Firehouse Subs — because they didn’t see enough patronage. So instead of going to Starbucks, try Caffe Delicio or Chairs Coffee. Make a point to visit Tossed and Found’s annual Barn Sale or drop by Eye Candy Antiques. Pick up some delicious, locally made organic salsa at Petunia’s.

As a business or property owner, you can:

• Be a member of the North Monroe Business Association. The NMBA is the best forum for you to network with other business/property owners in the neighborhood. By working together, you can combat problems like graffiti and break-ins, and you can create a more vibrant business climate through street fairs, art walks, block sales, and more.
• Attend Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meetings. You might not live here, but your contribution to the neighborhood is something we recognize and value. Your participation and input is just as important as residents’.
• Become a stakeholder in the E-G planning process. No, stakeholders don’t have to be residents — participation in the planning process can come from anyone who has a vested interest in the neighborhood. And keep in mind that this planning has the potential to affect your bottom line far into the future.
• Support neighborhood events. By sponsoring or lending your business’s resources to E-G events, you can do good for the community, bring potential customers to our neighborhood, and increase your profile. For example: Step up to support concerts in Corbin Park, help cover the licensing fee for our summer movie nights, or pitch in with the annual neighborhood cleanup.

No matter what your background or where your interests lie, remember: You’re not anonymous. You can make a difference, even by volunteering for just an hour or two a month. But if you don’t become involved, you can’t help to guide and improve things.

And if you think you’re too busy to volunteer, think again. Some of our most active volunteers include parents of newborn babies and young children, “graveyard shift” policemen, owners of multiple businesses and properties, unemployed professionals who are searching for work, members of three or more volunteer organizations, and many other folks who are juggling work, family, friends, and hobbies. They make time because they know Emerson-Garfield has the potential to be the best neighborhood in Spokane.

For more info about what’s on offer and where you might be needed, get in touch with us using the short contact form on this page. Select “Volunteer Opportunities” as the subject.