Community blog: towards a meaningful future together
Hi, dear reader. I'm happy to see you've discovered my blog on building a sense of community! Now that we've stepped into the new year, it’s a great opportunity to look back at the past year and reveal what’s in store at Joo Kodit for 2025. And yes, you can get involved too!
Discussions about well-being regularly highlight the importance of community. Countless studies* show how community enhances social connection and happiness, extends life expectancy, and reduces health risks. When people support each other and share resources, knowledge, and experiences, everyone benefits.
At Joo Kodit, we’re committed to finding out if our communities are already strong enough to build our future on. That’s why we regularly ask both ourselves and each other how we can promote a sense of community in our daily lives and among our residents.
The role of a modern community manager
Opening image and the above image: Linnea Photography
I’ve been leading the team at our community-focused Joo Hetki café and event space for a couple of years, and at the start of 2024, my role was expanded. Now, as a Community Manager at Joo Kodit, I’m developing a community-building strategy for the company, which also forms the basis of my current thesis work.
So, what does a community manager do? As a Community Manager, I create a positive, community-driven environment both in our day-to-day work at Joo Kodit and among our residents. I act as a link between the residents and other stakeholders, finding out about their needs, wishes, and concerns. Based on this, I plan and organise different kinds of residents' events together with the rest of the Joo team. It’s wonderful to brainstorm ideas to make our residents happy!
In 2024, we held several residents' events around Finland. The year ended on a high with Christmas parties where we played festive bingo, guessed Christmas tunes in team music quizzes, and, of course, enjoyed plenty of delicious treats. We also met up virtually in December at the Joo Cooking Club, where we whipped up Christmas-themed tapas together.
Working on community development has been truly fulfilling. I love breaking challenges into smaller parts and solving them piece by piece. Exploring these topics in depth fits perfectly with my curious nature! I'm sure everyone at Joo Kodit has been touched by the positive feedback we’ve received from residents about the sense of community and neighbourly support in our apartment buildings.
We're developing communities locally and virtually – here's what's in store for 2025
Image: Linnea Photography
At the start of January, we held a community-focused workshop to imagine what Joo Kodit communities could look like in 2025. We discussed new innovations, safety, and resilience. In the end, we pledged to create stronger, happier, and more sustainable communities where everyone feels valued and supported. Besides organising events, we aim to foster a lasting culture of community within our apartment buildings, which comes to life every single day.
Follow this blog to see how we’re working with our residents this spring to strengthen our sense of community! My next post will be published in February, so let’s continue the conversation then.
Psst... any readers from Oulu out there? We'll be hosting a residents' second hand market at Joo Hetki on 15 February 2025. The event is being planned and organised together with one of our lovely residents. I hope to see you there! You can learn more about the market here.
Until the next time!
Take care,
Hanna-Maria
To wrap things up, here's some pictorial greetings from the 2024 Christmas party and the Joo Cooking Club:
* Sources:
Robert D. Putnam - "Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community"
Michael Woolcock and Deepa Narayan - "Social Capital: Implications for Development Theory, Research, and Policy"
James S. Coleman - "Social Capital in the Creation of Human Capital"
Eric Klinenberg - "Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life"
WHO - "Social Determinants of Health"
