November 2022 - Parks & Recreation - 23

sick,
isolated and lost
became caretakers, were
their jobs. We
struggled to develop programs that
created or maintained a sense of
belonging and accomplishment -
for our patrons and, sometimes, for
ourselves.
In the past, for the most part,
recreation sat firmly within the
psychological needs that Maslow
describes as the belongingness and
love needs and esteem needs. This is
what we do, and we do it well -
we build leagues where championships
are won, develop programs
where
lifelong
friendships
are
made, and create events that are inclusive
of the community. However,
with such fluctuations in recent
years, it would be advantageous to
use these categories to more consciously
create programming for
our communities.
The key to this is to evaluate
your community and/or reference
available
studies
for your locale.
Where is the community, as a
whole, on the hierarchy? Does
your community have access and
are their basic needs being met? Is
the community thriving, or is there
a lack of available housing? Are
there jobs or homelessness? Is there
access to healthy foods or is it a food
desert? These types of questions
identify gaps in basic needs being
met. Where are residents
going
to find that sense of belonging -
other recreation programs, religious
institutes, schools, bars, etc.? Is it the
same around the facility or parks
you serve? And finally, are there
opportunities for self-actualization,
even if recreation is not providing it?
Once you've identified gaps in
basic needs, belonging and esteem,
and opportunities for selfactualization,
identify where your
Selfactualization:
achieving
one's
full potential,
including creative
activities
Esteem needs:
prestige and feeling of accomplishment
Belongingness and love needs:
intimate relationships, friends
Safety needs:
security, safety
Physiological needs:
food, water, warmth, rest
recreational programming fits in.
Where does your mission and vision
fit in the hierarchy? Are you
meeting the needs that have been
identified from your community
assessment, and that of your mission
and vision? Start there; you'll
find programming ideas come easier
when there is a purpose behind
it. Some examples include:
* A program shifts from being
a weekend soccer league to a
weekend soccer league that holds
a farmer's market at the same
place (that accepts
Electronic
Benefits Transfer and Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program
at all their stalls).
* Create a program specifically
for new residents to learn more
about the resources in your
community. Hold it in different
languages, if needed.
These kinds of thoughtful shifts
bridge gaps between the levels
in the hierarchy and put specific
Creating innovative programs
that flow to serve the needs of
the community not only will
build trust with the community,
but also will serve to create a
sense of belonging for your
patrons.
meaning and intent into your programming.
You know your community;
you know what will work.
Creating innovative programs that
flow to serve the needs of the community
not only will build trust
with the community, but also will
serve to create a sense of belonging
for your patrons wherever they
happen to be on the hierarchy,
building
lifelong
patrons and a
stronger community.
Christy Famolare is a Freelance Writer with 20 years of
experience in community engagement and 15 years' experience in
parks and recreation.
PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G | NOVEMBER 2 0 22 | Parks & Recreation
23
Basic
needs
Psychological
needs
Self-fulfillment
needs
November 2022 - Parks & Recreation

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