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The Great Compassion
is an urgent call to reconnect.
One hundred years ago, America faced the Great Depression — an economic crisis that tested our collective strength.

What pulled us through wasn’t just financial recovery, but the resilience and solidarity of neighbors helping neighbors, families pulling together, and communities finding ways to survive.
Today, we're caught in another Great Depression, but the crisis we're facing is not economic – it's social.
While social trauma is nothing new to the human race — the pain of disconnect has grown exponentially under the weight of Social Media. And when we add to that the rapid rise of AI – we find ourselves collectively at the edge of a steep social cliff. 

40% of high school students report feeling persistently sad and hopeless.

1 in 4 men say they lack close friends, and 62% feel they cannot share their feelings with friends.

67% of Americans feel a lack of belonging within the nation, and 74% feel disconnected from their local communities.

But, it's not too late to act.
Image by SHEMA PORTRAITS
Introducing Umuganda.

On the last Saturday of every month, the people of Rwanda gather to clean, build, repair, and restore their communities — side by side — all in the spirit of Umuganda.

 

This being a day of shared purpose and human connection, Umuganda is Rwanda's life line to rebuilding social cohesion following the tragic genocide of 1994.  

 

As Rwanda practices Umuganda and heals from their deepest of wounds, they in turn serve the world by demonstrating how community service strengthens the social fabric of a nation and is the way back to peace and prosperity for all.

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This is where we begin.

Work. Play. Love.

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members."

Corretta Scott King
Charity Volunteers

Service Events in Your Community

Browse local aggregators of service events to lend your heart and hands to a cause you care about – vulnerable people, beautification, rescued farm animals, pet shelters, community gardens, so much!

  • Lean on ChatGPT for assistance in finding events. Click here to browse: 

Neighbors Supporting Neighbors

Gather in your neighborhood and practice simple acts of kindness  like bringing food to a new mother, or stew to a neighbor battling an illness. Mow the lawn for an elderly neighbor, or draw messages of joy and compassion on your block's sidewalk. These times are calling us back into intimate care and connection.

The Great Compassion is a community-led movement encouraging people to connect, serve, and share time together. All volunteer activity is self-organized and not managed by The Great Compassion. We do not endorse or oversee any specific organization or action. Please engage responsibly and safely.

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Good Work

Join in community the last Saturday of every month, or if you are single, make that the 2nd Saturday to meet good people doing good things.

Coffee and Desserts

Then Play!

After we work, we play!

Join in the sweet afterglow of compassion while deepening in connection to your community and friends.

This is the afterglow where connection takes root. 

Meet in the town near you at 4pm local time for a coffee, a cold drink, a scoop of ice cream.

Swap stories, share a smile, and let the goodness of our work strengthen our bond. 

Soon, there will be a buzzing directory of Compassionate businesses consciously opening their doors to the afterglow. We launched on June 30th, so we're only getting started!

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Neon Love

And LOVE GROWS

Love is what grows when we do what comes natural – caring for one another.

Each act of service, each laugh shared in the afterglow — it all adds up to something more. Something real, something bonded, something powerful – grassroots and alive.

join the movement

Get updated on Milestones!

Join our our online intentional community to share photos, connect with like-hearted and help grow this grassroots movement.

Check out and join LOCL, then search for The Great Compassion.

The Great Compassion was birthed out of San Diego, and soon there will be a presence on LOCL in your home town too! 
🎉

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