If we’re going to talk about community, I need to tell you about my mom.

Growing up, she was our small-town powerhouse. The kind of woman everyone called when something needed doing. She led summer camps, taught Sunday school, organized the soup kitchen, visited the sick, volunteered at my school. People sought her advice because she lived it: quietly, consistently, and with heart. A true matriarch of her community.

She’s 91 now, full of wisdom, but not physically as strong anymore. She receives more support than she gives, which is fair, though she still somehow finds hungry families and shares food with them. She’s still connected to the soup kitchen, even if she no longer leads it. The wheel of life turns, and we all get our chance to surprise ourselves by stepping up where we see a need. Like introverted me is surprised to step in with Hopescrolling and fill this need. I'm already doing the research for myself, so I might as well share it with everyone else too.

Last night, I told her I was finally ready to write and put my vision for Hopescrolling out into the world because I see a gap that needs filling. And since she’s so beloved by her community, I asked her:

“If you could give the world one piece of advice about community, what would it be?”

Her answer was the simplest and, as I realized later, the most profound piece of wisdom in history, which is probably why every culture has a version of it:

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

At first, I pressed for more. My cynical nature wanted something deeper, some secret recipe for community magic. But she just shook her head and repeated it. Then told me to go think about it.

So I did. And the longer I sat with it, the more I understood.

We’re living in a world collapsing in on itself. One structure falling while another tries to see if they can use old bricks to build something new, but familiar. And within that ancient phrase are the most fundamental questions we can ask:

Who do we want to be?
What do we want to build?
What’s our underlying Golden Rule?

Her advice doesn’t ask whether you share someone’s values. It doesn’t mention culture, age, nationality, gender, or belief. It doesn’t even care if you agree. It simply asks:
If you were in their shoes, how would you want to be treated?
And then it invites you to live that answer — if for no other reason than so you can look at yourself in the mirror and like what you see.

A lot of information will flow through these newsletters. I've already meticulously sifted through countless pieces of information, both online and offline, to unearth what is genuinely useful, practical, tested and doable. But before we dive into blueprints, systems, and ideas for building our new earth, I want to start with the simplest and strongest foundation I know:

My mother’s advice.
Be heart-centered. Be compassionate.
And always ask yourself —
“What I’m about to do… would I want it done to me?”

Now for the practical. How can you start doing unto others today? 

Where can you go to see what might be available in your local area? 

You can head to VolunteerMatch.org  they’ve recently joined with Idealist, so you’ll find everything from soup kitchens to mentorship programs, all searchable by your zip code.

How can you get to know your local neighborhood?

And if you want to begin right where you live, Nextdoor.com helps you connect with nearby neighbors, offer help, or see who might need a hand.

Sometimes “community” starts as simply as clicking a link and saying hello.

From me to you, "Hello Neighbor".