Volume 3 | Issue 10
May 22, 2026
A publication of the National Grange
Meeting Community Needs This Summer by Philip J Vonada
National Grange Communications Director
Memorial Day is the unofficial kickoff to summer, and summer changes the rhythm of our communities. Schools let out. Families spend more time at home. Community events fill calendars. Gardens begin producing. Neighbors gather outdoors more often. But alongside all the fun and activity, summer can also bring real challenges for many rural and smalltown communities. For some families, summer means stretching grocery budgets a little further while children are home from school. For seniors and vulnerable residents, extreme heat can become dangerous, especially in areas without easy access to cooling spaces. Parents may struggle to find affordable activities for kids, while many communities simply need more places for people to connect and spend time together. This is where the Grange can make an incredible impact. The Grange is at its best when responding to the needs of its community. Sometimes that looks like large projects and major events. Other times, it is the simple things that matter most: offering a welcoming place to gather, organizing a small community program, or helping neighbors feel a little less isolated. One of the greatest strengths of the
Grange is flexibility. Every community is different, and the needs of one town may not look anything like the needs of another. That is why the most successful Granges are often the ones willing to listen, adapt, and think creatively about how they can serve. If your Grange has a hall with air conditioning, could you use it a cooling space during periods of extreme heat? Even opening the doors for a few afternoons with cold drinks, board games, Wi-Fi, or a comfortable place to sit could make a real difference for someone in your community. Could your Grange organize a weekly family night during the summer months? A movie night, craft afternoon, potluck picnic, reading hour, or game night may sound simple, but these activities create connection and give families affordable opportunities to spend time together. Some Granges may choose to focus on food-related projects. A refreshment station during local events, a free lunch partnership, produce-sharing table, or gardening workshop all fit naturally into the Grange’s long history of supporting agriculture, food security, and community resilience. Others may focus on supporting seniors, creating youth volunteer opportunities, or partnering with schools, churches, libraries, food
In This Issue Meeting Community Needs This Summer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Volunteer at National Convention in Broken Arrow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 You Can Be Distinguished, Too! . . . . . 3 National Grange Releases New Report Highlighting Impact of 340B on Rural Hospitals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 View from the Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Recognition Matters - welcoming and honoring members before it’s too late . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Removing stigma & Building mental wellness in Farm Communities - a Rural Minds Webinar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Recipes from the Heartland . . . . . . . . . 9 Member Benefit: Start Hearing . . . . . 10 Grange Store: People, Pride & Progress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
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