Miami is a more engaging place for all of us when people volunteer | Opinion
April is National Volunteer Month and The Underline gives thanks to our hardworking volunteers contributing their time and talent to drive our bold mission supporting community, nature and transportation.
Since inception, The Underline has benefited from thousands of volunteers providing pro bono talent and skills, helping at our hundreds of free community events and working in our gardens, generating millions of dollars of in-kind services to our non-profit organization.
Donations are what fuel The Underline, but volunteerism is our currency.
However, a recent Miami Herald article titled “Miami Nice? Not even close. It is the least neighborly city in America” paints an entirely different picture of volunteerism and civic engagement in our hometown.
The survey conducted by AmeriCorps and the U.S. Census Bureau revealed that Miami is one of the least civically engaged metropolitan areas, ranking last for “Doing Favors For Your Neighbors” and second from last in “Donating to a Charity or Group.”
Why are these markers important for a community?
As a social investor in 26 cities, Knight Foundation believes an engaged community is one where people are attached to the place where they live and are invested in the community’s future. We look at the organic trends within our diverse set of communities and focus our funding to achieve positive long-term outcomes. Engagement includes many things, such as choosing to stay in a place, participating in community and civic affairs, voting, volunteering or simply taking part in the social life of the community.
Knight Foundation commissioned Urban Institute to explore a key question: What attaches people to the places where they live? To understand this question, we surveyed more than 11,000 Americans for the Community Ties Report: 1,206 U.S. adults living in urbanized areas and 10,261 living in 26 metro areas throughout the United States. Overwhelmingly, access to recreational areas and safe places — like The Underline — to work and play was linked to higher feelings of attachment. When people are attached, they are satisfied with their metro area, identify with local culture and invest more time and resources in their community.
The Underline performs in-person surveys deploying a methodology from Reimagining the Civic Commons, asking questions of our visitors such as, “Do you make new friends?” (60% say yes) and “Is The Underline important to our city?” (92% say yes) and “Did you attend a community meeting?” (12% say yes) tell a deeper story about connection to place, a sense of belonging and how strategic investments in civic assets can connect people of all backgrounds, cultivate trust and create resilient communities.
Pro bono attorney, Daniel Balmori, says, “Volunteering for The Underline has connected me to a broad coalition of inspiring and like-minded movers and shakers eager to make a positive impact on our community.”
Gloria Decker volunteers every month at our “Day in the Dirt” gardening activities. She says “Volunteering gives me an opportunity to improve and beautify our neighborhood with greenery and flowers and immediately see my impact.”
Alex Larmier, a busy real estate agent who leads The Underline’s monthly bike rides says, “Leading bike tours, I get to meet new people and learn about the neighborhoods we visit like Overtown, Shenandoah and Little Bahamas.”
Local corporations also strengthen their teams by volunteering at The Underline. Recently, two dozen Swire Properties employees learned about the coontie plant, the endangered host of Atala butterfly larvae, and planted hundreds of them in The Underline’s River Room. These corporate culture building activities not only keep our gardens growing and butterflies flying, but also build connections and trust among staff and support ESG-brand goals.
While we receive great value, in turn the volunteers must leave with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction to keep them coming back again and again.
To do that, the management of a dynamic volunteer program requires administrative staff who cultivate, train, document and communicate with a variety of volunteers from high school students to retired professionals. The return on investment on volunteer coordination is exponential both for those who volunteer and the broader community.
We all have work to do to create a “Miami Nice.” Look no further than our volunteer corps to see how investing your time and talent can be a win for you and the community. Get out there and give generously to what you are passionate about. There are so many worthy organizations that need your help.
Meg Daly is the Underline founder and a volunteer since 2013. Lilly Weinberg is senior director of the Knight Foundation’s Community and National Initiatives. She also is a board member of Friends of The Underline.
