The Benefits of Volunteering in Your Homeowners Association May Include Health And Well-Being

“One of the great ironies of life is this: He or she who serves almost always benefits more than he or she who is served.”  Gordon Hinckle

There are many benefits to volunteering in a Homeowners Association.  The benefits of volunteering in an HOA can be helpful to you, your family, and your community. The right match can help you to reduce stress, find friends, reach out to the community and learn new skills. Giving to others can also help protect your mental and physical health. Learn more about the many benefits of helping others and find tips on getting started.

It’s no secret that volunteering in your homeowners association can be a time and energy consuming endeavor. The role of the HOA board member is often a thankless one, but that’s not to say it can’t also be rewarding. It is also a necessary role.

There are great health benefits to volunteering in general. Volunteering and helping others can help you reduce stress, combat depression, keep you mentally stimulated, and provide a sense of purpose. While it’s true that the more you volunteer, the more benefits you’ll experience, volunteering doesn’t have to involve a long-term commitment or take a huge amount of time out of your busy day. Giving in even simple ways can help others those in need and improve your health and happiness.

Another benefit of serving in an HOA is the ability to protect your investment. One of the top priorities of every homeowner is to protect the value of his or her home.  Being involved with an HOA will put you in a better position to make and implement rules in your community. Some of these regulations will directly affect property value, especially if they require decisions about the association’s budget or routine maintenance.

Everyone needs to have a sense of belonging, and volunteering can meet that need.  An HOA meeting is the best place to meet your neighbors and to know more about them. It gives you a chance to socialize and make friends with others living in your neighborhood. If you’re new to the neighborhood, getting more involved can be an effective way of meeting new people. Not only are you getting acquainted with how the HOA is run, you’re able to put together names and faces when you see people around. Depending on what committee you volunteer for, you have the opportunity to interact with a wide range of HOA members and community organizations.

Perhaps the biggest benefit people get from volunteering is the satisfaction of incorporating service into people's lives and making a difference in their community.

5 Ways Residents Can Help Their Community And Their HOA

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You have a tremendous opportunity to have an impact on your HOA and a positive influence on other residents by getting involved.  When residents are engaged and involved the community association tends to run more smoothly. Ask yourself not what your homeowners association can do for you, but what you can do for your HOA. If you are not the type of person to volunteer for a board position or be out in the limelight you can help behind the scenes. 

Here are 5 Ways Residents Can Help Their Community And Their HOA

1. Adhering To Municipal Recycling Requirements – Some communities have guidelines and regulations on recycling their glass, plastic and other recyclable debris.  You can help by making sure newspapers, plastic bottles, glass and other items are put in the designated containers, location or wrapped in bundles to avoid any possible notices or fees for non-compliance. Eliminating fees lowers operating costs of the HOA and helps the homeowner have a more positive outlook about their HOA.

2. Follow the Community Standards Polices In Your Covenant And Restrictions. – Every community has community standards covenants and restrictions.  Following the rules is always easier than resisting. Your property values depend on everyone doing their best to follow the rules set forth by the HOA. Insurance rates and property values are assessed by what is observed in a neighborhood. Following the rules helps to maintain better values and lower costs for all residents.

3. Protect Your Property And Common Area Property – Be appreciative for the amenities your community offers and be mindful of the community’s property at all times. Be sure to pick up trash if you see it laying around, safely extinguish cigarettes, avoid damage to exterior or interior buildings, soiling carpets and use charcoal or gas grills safely.

4. Landscaping Expenses – Residents want your community to look well maintained. If residents are being active in protecting the landscaping, your association will not have a lot of expense. Help maintain common grass, plants and landscaping.

5.  Respect The Community Association Management - Setting a good example for your neighbors can go a long way. You have the opportunity to be a leader and an influencer. If you maintain your community’s high standard of living, rules, regulations and other policies, it will benefit everyone.  Read your community’s rules & regulations, which you can obtain by visiting your community’s website or requesting a copy from your property management company. By adhering to the rules, you demonstrate your respect for your neighbors, HOA board, and yourself.

Share these tips with your neighbors and get everyone on board for the future betterment of the entire community.

Association Management Group Offers Community Safety Tips For Halloween

  

     Fall celebrations like Halloween and Harvest Day are fun times for children, who can dress up in costumes, enjoy parties, and eat yummy treats. These celebrations also provide a chance to give out healthy snacks, get physical activity, and focus on safety.

    Halloween is a popular time of year for kids and families. But Halloween comes with its own set of safety risks. Make sure you check with your homeowner's association for any specific rules pertaining to Halloween activities.

At AMG we would like to offer these 10 tips to make sure your community takes measures to help little ghosts and goblins stay safe while trick-or-treating.

1. Make sure your community has proper outdoor lighting so drivers can see costumes in the dark. It’s a startling fact that children are twice as likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than any other day of the year.

2. If there is no lighting provide children a glow-in-the-dark costume or a reflective trick-or-treat bag. Children should use a flashlight or glow stick when walking at night.

 3. Get together with neighbors and Trick-or-treat in a group. Kids younger than 13 should go with an adult. Older kids always should go in a group on a planned route that the parents have scheduled.

4. Before Halloween teach kids to cross streets at crosswalks and intersections, stop at street corners, look left, right and left again before crossing to make sure a vehicle is not coming.

5. Instruct children to only visit homes of people they know and only accept treats at the door. Enforce to children to never enter a home or car.

6. Make sure facial paints, cosmetics, masks and costumes are safe for walking. If a mask is used, make certain the eye and nose openings do not restrict vision or breathing.

7. When walking with children enter and exit driveways and alleys carefully

8. Tell your children not to eat any treats until they return home.

9. Have your neighborhood watch volunteers ready to be the eyes and ears of the neighborhood on Halloween night. Have someone on patrol.

10. Schedule an after Halloween volunteer clean up crew to go through community streets to clean up candy, paper and items from the big Trick-or-treat night.

 
Practice safe Halloween tips for the health and safety of families. AMG wishes your family a safe and happy Halloween

Tips For Bringing Your Neighbors Together On NATIONAL GOOD NEIGHBOR DAY September 28th

At AMG we like to foster neighborhood togetherness. National Good Neighbor Day is observed annually on September 28. This day was created to acknowledge and celebrate the importance of a good neighbor. It is great to have a good neighbor but it is even a greater thing to BE a good neighbor.

What can you do to bring your neighbors together on NATIONAL GOOD NEIGHBOR DAY? 

AMG would like to provide you with some ideas for your neighborhood to have fun, easy, and inspiring activities for your National Neighborhood Day gathering.

Here are a few activities that you can plan.

• Block pot luck dinner or cookout
• Dessert party/ice cream social
• Spaghetti supper
• Pancake breakfast
• Picnic
• Welcome Tea for new neighbors
• Book exchange
• Art show
• Youth performance or Battle of the Bands
• Karaoke party
• Outdoor movie in a community park
• Arts and crafts festival
• Neighborhood site seeing or nature tour/walk
• Bake sale for charity
• Plant a community garden
• Neighborhood beautification clean up

Every community is different. Call a committee meeting and discuss what works best for your neighbors. 

The most important thing is that whatever activity you choose, those activities should focus on building relationships and connections among neighbors throughout the year. Your neighborhood leader may want to reach out and get the involvement and support of  community service agencies. Invite neighborhood firefighters and/or police officers to your gathering. Kids love it when the fire truck and police car show up on the scene.

From the staff at AMG we wish you a safe and happy NATIONAL GOOD NEIGHBOR DAY!