Ultimately, this process of organization all starts off with us as individuals. Our neighborhoods need organizing, but ultimately this responsibility needs to fall on the shoulders of someone within them. If you are reading this, you are probably much more aware of the problems we face than those around you. Chances are if you do not take the initiative to do something, then no one in your neighborhood will. This is not the time to join a movement to feel like contributing to a greater cause, yet getting nothing accomplished. This happens a lot today. This takes good old fashioned work. Therefore I strongly urge you to take it upon yourself to be that spark that lights the fires of preparedness in your neck of the woods. You might be the only person in your state that has heard of Arm in Arm. That does not prevent you from organizing your neighborhood which will most likely start the process of spreading the movement to elsewhere in your region. Word of mouth is a beautiful thing when the underlying concept addresses an imminent need.

We have been taught from grade school onwards to function in a very hierarchical society. Most look to get a job and be told what to do rather than taking the initiative themselves to start their own business because entrepreneurship is not something that is adequately addressed in our educational system. However, if we want to transform this country into a society with a healthy, sustainable economy once this crisis passes, this needs to be changed. As a result, we at Arm in Arm really want to avoid the hierarchical structure. We want to empower local groups and individuals to come up with their own solutions to the problems of our day. If we want to truly succeed, each of us is going to have to take more responsibility than we are used to.

That being said, we do realize that this puts most people outside of their comfort zone. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Someone once told me that you are really not living if you are comfortable--you only start to truly experience life if you push the boundaries of your comfort zone. Yet, we are all guilty of seeking out comfort. We want to aid this process of people getting out organizing their neighborhoods as much as possible. As a result, we have included several step by step procedural outlines for those who do not know where to start. Please note, these are only suggestions, not the gospel on how to organize your neighborhoods. What works in one part of the country might not work in another. We want to encourage innovation as much as possible. In fact, we are not going to know what works best until many different things are tried, so we encourage people to take the initiative to deviate from the outlines. The Arm in Arm Network was largely set up to share these experiences so we can improve the methods we are using.

With that disclaimer out of the way, I will get to a suggested outline. There really are two key parts here. (1) Preparing yourself and (2) Preparing your neighborhood. Both are integral to what we are doing. Additionally, there is a third part that can help all of us--(3) spread the word to others outside your neighborhood. Click on the links below to learn more about each of these activities.

1. Preparing Yourself

2. Neighborhood Preparedness

3. Spread the word about Arm in Arm