How are YOU helping your community? I was on air for twenty years and one of the lessons that was engrained in my head over and over by PD after PD was “Stay Local.” I hear it in my sleep! I’ve even regurgitated it in my articles here. Yes, it’s pounded into our systems. However, there’s a reason for that.
The difference between you keeping your meat in the seat vs AI Ashley taking over is the fact you can stay local! You can immediately talk about a heavy snowstorm bashing your listening area. You can stop the music and crack the mic when a devastating event occurs. You are the one the listeners feel close to and trust. You are the one that makes them laugh on their way home from a hard day at work. You’re the one keeping them awake after working third shift and taking on the drive to the bed that’s calling their name. That being said, what are YOU doing to help your community?
I’m not talking about toy drives and charity events. While those are phenomenal events and you should keep those going, what else are you doing, personally? How are you helping where there’s help needed? This doesn’t always have to include raising money. Especially these days, holidays broke some, inflation is hurting most, times are tough. However, lending a hand when you can will make an impact far larger than you think.
One year, before we had kids, my husband and I went to the homeless shelter and served Thanksgiving dinner. We didn’t announce I would be doing that on air. We didn’t make a big stink about it. People did recognize my voice, but it wasn’t about that. Sure, it’s nice for the public to know their local on air talent is out in the community. Having this platform means you can do good with it.
Call public shelters, women’s shelters, foster groups, anywhere you may think you can help and help! You can even go to your local animal shelter and volunteer to walk dogs! My mother used to do this in Michigan and she loved it!
Yes, getting recognized and word spreading you are doing these incredibly wonderful things out of the goodness of your heart helps listenership. However, the feeling you have after and during volunteering is inexplainable. You are getting immersed in the people who listen to you. You are really finding out what’s happening in your area on such a personal level. You are becoming a real part of the community. What could be more impactful than that?