Let’s be village people

They say it takes a village. The truth is, we actually have one here. And if we’re not careful, we’re going to lose it, and so will our wallets.

The Greater Sayville area is built on something you rarely see anymore. Real volunteerism. Real civic involvement. People stepping up to make Greater Sayville a proud place to call home. Keeping our downtown alive. Responding to emergencies at all hours. Sitting through meetings and dealing with issues that protect what this community is. Planning events that bring people together. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because people choose to do it.

We have over 20,000 people in this community. Out of that, it’s often the same few hundred who show up again and again. The ones who consistently show up and carry the weight. They’re not perfect, and far from it, but they’re there. And that matters more than anything.

The problem is, instead of supporting them, too often we make it harder.

Summerfest doesn’t go exactly how someone wants due to weather, vendors, or whatever it may be, and the reaction is complaints, refund demands, and criticism directed at The Greater Sayville Chamber, the same group putting in hours of free work to keep our downtown active and alive.

A zoning issue doesn’t go someone’s way, and instead of understanding the process or the effort behind it, the Civic gets blamed like they’re the problem.

An accident shuts down Sunrise Highway so emergency services can respond safely, and the reaction is frustration about traffic instead of appreciation for the volunteers or empathy for what’s actually happening.

Wednesdays in Rotary Park by the Common Ground gets bad weather or a performer cancels, and the first reaction is complaints, not understanding the work that went into it for months by volunteers.

Really?

And then there are the things that should never happen in a place like this. The food pantry gets vandalized. The Sayville Congregational Church has signs stolen. This isn’t who we are, but it’s what we’ve allowed to happen through our silence.

We don’t call it out enough. And when we do, it turns into “us vs. them.” Like the people actually stepping up are the problem. Like trying and falling short is somehow worse than doing nothing at all.

It’s not.

Trying and failing is always better than having done nothing at all.

Because here’s the reality. Those few superstars don’t have to keep doing this. They choose to, but it is becoming harder. And if that choice goes away, so does everything that comes with it.

No events. No one stepping up. No extra effort. Just the bare minimum. Paid services doing what they’re required to do, and nothing more. You will feel that in your taxes.

That’s not a village. That’s just a place.

And it happens faster than people think.

The good news is, this isn’t complicated. Not everyone needs to lead, but everyone can do something. Come to a meeting. Donate your time, money, services, or items. Support the people who are already doing the work. Even just showing up and being respectful goes a long way.

It’s that simple.

There’s a sign from the Sayville Village Improvement Society listing 26 volunteer organizations in this community, and that’s not even all of them. That’s what we have here. That’s what people before us built.

Sayville was once called the friendliest town in America. There’s no reason it can’t be again.

So let’s be village people.