Community is one of those chameleon words whose meaning shifts depending on the context in which it is used. People might refer to their community as those people they are closest to. Community might also be used to describe a group of people who share a common interest or goal, as in the pickleball community or the environmentalist community. People also refer to the town or city in which they live as their community. Those who live and work here often refer to Newberg as their community.
When we think about making our community better, we often think in terms of structure such as better roads, safer neighborhoods, or more efficient city services, but maybe there is another way to think about creating a better community.
There is a well-known story about Steve Jobs when he was CEO of Apple. He had hired a design team to create a circuit board compact enough and efficient enough to make the personal computer a reality. When they presented their prototype to Jobs, they were anxious to watch him plug in and test this amazing feat of technology they had developed.
Jobs didn’t plug it in or test it. He examined the board, turned it over in his hands, and examined it some more. Finally, he handed the board back to the team lead and said, “This is ugly. You need to make it beautiful.”
In frustration, the team went back to work. Why spend so much time and effort making something beautiful that would be hidden inside the computer where no one would see it?
The team rearranged and organized the components into patterns that were more pleasing to the eye. After a couple of weeks, they were ready to present their prototype to Jobs again. He responded with a big smile. He then had everyone on the team print their names on a tablet. Each of those names was engraved on every circuit board Apple produced because, as Jobs said, “True artists always sign their work.”
To Steve Jobs, the difference between making something that works and creating a work of art is what you do with the parts nobody sees.
Homelessness is a reality that every city in the U.S. has to deal with. Some communities ignore the problem and pretend it doesn’t exist. Other cities force the homeless to move on to other communities, thereby making their problem somebody else’s problem. Some communities hide the homeless in centers and shelters outside most people’s field of vision (essentially hiding the circuit board deep inside the computer where no one will see it).
You could argue that each one of these solutions works, but can a community move beyond solutions that merely work to solutions that turn their community into a work of art?
At the Community Wellness Collective and the Community Drop-in Center, we are trying to explore ways for greater Newberg to engage with the homeless among them and recognize them as members of the community. At the same time, we are trying to encourage the homeless in Newberg to see themselves as members of the community and to contribute to that community in productive and constructive ways.
Every month we’ll be submitting articles that tell stories, ask questions, and explore ideas around the idea of community engagement. We’ll turn that concept over and over in our hands and examine it. Perhaps we’ll discover ways to make our community a work of art.
If you would like more information on the Community Wellness Collective or the Community Drop-in Center, or if you’d like to volunteer, make a donation, or schedule a presentation for your church or service organization, visit our website communitywellnesscollective.org.
Bruce Steffensen is a community engagement representative with the Community Wellness Collective, which manages Newberg’s Community Drop-in Center. His work focuses on connecting people experiencing homelessness with resources and helping foster a stronger sense of community and belonging throughout Newberg.
