There was a time that community was defined by the similarities of those who lived together; be it religion, gender or ethnicity.  Rural towns, cities, states, and countries were limited in their scope and perspective of the world at large.  Individuals spent their entire lives in the same community without experiencing the joy of learning something new or knowing someone who was different from themselves.

The last century has seen a dramatic change in the scope of community and the individuals who live there.  The limitations of travel have been removed and we have become a global society with the ability to travel the world through the internet.   We can explore countries that were once only dreamed about and buy items unique to their culture.  For the individuals, families, and in some instances, entire groups of people who desire something new or better for themselves, they can now leave the familiarity of their home to become a part of a new community.  Filled with a mixture of hope and trepidation they embark on a life-changing adventure by relocating across town or to a foreign country.

The beauty of the current segment of time in which we live is that we are no longer limited in the choice of community in which we can be a part of.  The opportunity to become a part of a community that differs from our own allows us to experience and learn from the cultural differences that we have.  Each culture is unique in community and even the most subtle variances offer the possibility of change.  Understanding a culture that is different from our own builds a bridge of understanding which leads to acceptance.

The inclusion of individuals who are new to a community brings a fullness to the lives of its members.  It affords those of us who live within the community the liberty to change our perspective of how life can be lived outside of our own experiences and to become stronger and more diverse in what we have to offer society as a whole.  This increases the value of what we as a community add to those we have relationships with.

The greatest value in life does not lie in what we can gain for ourselves but in what we can learn that will change the lives of those we actively engage with.  At this juncture, each of us can make a difference in our own community and in the world as a whole.  As AMOR expands our programs to add a local project in rural west Fresno County, we look forward to learning from the community so we can best meet their needs and at the same time develop tools that will benefit other communities as well.