Do you deserve the community you live in? Individuals like June Callwood, Cathy Crowe and countless local volunteers prove that anthropologist Margaret Mead was right -- an individual can make a difference. The question is, "What difference are you making?"

What do you do each day, each week, each year to give back to the neighbourhood that is your home base, your sanctuary? How do you ensure that neighbourhood crime levels are on the decline, property rights are protected, sufficient safe affordable housing exists, and your neighbours are not living at risk? Donating to charities and switching to energy-saving light bulbs are a start, but it takes more than money to make a community, and much more than adopting a "green" approach to garbage to sustain quality of life in this continually down-grading world. Why say "somebody ought to" when you're right there to take action and to support the action of others?

If you don't think you have the time or skills to make a contribution, ask friends, neighbours and passing acquaintances for ideas on where even a small effort would be useful, how you could "pay it forward," or which random acts of kindness to perform. Social activists June Callwood, who died on April 14, and Cathy Crowe, who is launching a new book this week, are two excellent examples to turn to for inspiration wherever you live and whatever talents you feel you have to offer. Each of these generous contributors shared talents and inspirations on many levels, in many ways. Learn more about what they discovered outside their front doors and you're bound to see a niche, even a tiny one, you can fill:

• June Callwood, known for her "just fix it" attitude, shared her talents as a communicator to "work tirelessly and unselfishly on behalf of women, the sick, the disadvantaged and children," even while she battle personal tragedy, depression, cancer and controversy in her own life.

  Beginning her activist work after her children were grown, Callwood's legacy as "Canada's Conscience" includes the more than 50 social organizations she founded or helped found, including Nellie's Hostel for Abused Women, Casey House (Canada's first AIDS hospice), Jessie's Centre for Teenage Mothers, PEN Canada, the Canadian Civil Liberties Foundation and a breast-cancer support centre. Social activist and author of 30 books and countless issue-based letters, Callwood hosted an innovative television series on care giving that created new hope for those volunteering within their own families. Last year, she provided inspiration for June Callwood Park, a green oasis in one of Toronto's newly emerging, densely-developed neighbourhoods.

• Cathy Crowe, RN, is a Street Nurse in downtown Toronto and has worked as an advocate for the homeless, and as an activist for housing, public health and social justice for over eighteen years. Crowe co-founded the Toronto Disaster Relief Committee, which in 1998 declared homelessness a national disaster.

  Crowe's recently-released book, Dying for a Home: Homeless Activists Speak Out (ISBN 978-1-897071-22-9, published by Between the Lines), is "a first-hand account of Canadian homelessness, and the practical steps needed to address the problem. Drawing from years of experience, Crowe's book brings together the voices of ten homeless activists advocating for change. In so doing, they clear 'homelessness' of its negative stereotypes and endow the word with alternate qualities, such as bravery, courage, charisma, and intelligence. Dying for a Home advocates the 1 percent solution: each level of government should commit an additional 1% of their budget towards affordable, social housing."

The formula for sustaining a community is simple: multiply small differences made by individuals by the many that share a community and this equals significant, ongoing improvement. Where to start?

• Search for a purpose: The Internet, public libraries and community information services (listed in the front of your phone book) are all great resources. Local newspapers and chat rooms can also reveal ongoing causes to join and neglected issues to address.

• Just show up: Not sure how you can help? Only have an hour a day or a few hours a week or a month to share? Drop into a local non-profit office and ask them how your contribution could be of use to them. Shop around until you find a fit between what you have to offer and what you feel is a terrific return on your investment. Most volunteers believe their contribution is small in comparison to the reward of seeing how others benefit.

• Help a helper: Pitch in and give a busy volunteer a hand. They will know many small ways you can make a difference for those they help.

• Transfer TV or You Tube time into action: From Habitat for Humanity to Raising the Roof, there are countless events and activities you can attend to show support for community volunteers. Leave your house, condo or apartment and see what's really going on in your neighbourhood.

Published: April 17, 2007

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Strategist and Futurist is The Catalyst -- intent on "Helping The Best Get Better." An internationally-recognized "new retirement" authority, PJ's research, writing and speaking programs focus on decisions Baby Boomers face to achieve a successful future. Author of 6 books, PJ knows that, since home is headquarters for the "new retirement," professionals and consumers need relevant knowledge and insights, along with solid decision-making skills, to protect and enhance this private oasis. As The Catalyst, PJ provides strategic communication, client appreciation and advanced education services to the financial, tourism, lifestyle and service sectors -- and the clients they serve. A frequently quoted financial and business commentator, PJ is a thought-provoking strategic speaker who offers practical, real-life suggestions on leaving "the box" behind and embracing Forward Thinking -- a talent she regularly demonstrates in this column. For more, visit TheCatalyst.com.