At the time I watched Join or Die on Netflix, I was already feeling the pain of disconnection, struggling to find meaningful relationships while living in Modesto. There’s no question that building a strong community takes effort. It requires putting yourself out there, meeting the right kinds of people, and cultivating mutual support. It is more than evident that this process can be made easier, more organized, and more efficient.

While social media has its advantages, I believe society has become too reliant on it, especially when it was never really about the people, but the profits those people generate for corporations. This isn’t just a Modesto problem, it’s a global one. I had already experienced the benefits of attending local clubs and group events, so when I reflected on the documentary and its message, something clicked. Robert Putnam clearly laid out the problem and a broad solution. What I wanted to do was take the next step: move from insight to action.

After watching the film, one thought hit me immediately, it should be easier to start new clubs. Legacy clubs that have been around for decades, like the Elks Lodge (of which my grandfather was once a member), often own their own property or have a permanent meeting space. In fact, it was through a club connection that my grandfather was able to invest in the very home I live in today. But even these long-standing organizations face challenges, especially with declining membership.

I remembered that the Centre Plaza in downtown Modesto has three rooms in its basement and is city-owned. I imagined how much of a difference it would make if just one of those rooms were made available free of charge for clubs and groups to meet. It would be a small but powerful step in the right direction.

Feeling motivated, I reached out to city government officials. But even with goodwill, it quickly became clear that nothing meaningful would happen soon. If anything did happen, I worried it would be done half-heartedly. The Centre Plaza is a beautiful yet underutilized asset of Modesto, and the fact that there’s now discussion about demolishing it to build a soccer stadium speaks volumes.

Being disappointed by local government wasn’t a new experience for me. Once again, the realization set in: if something is worth doing, you can’t rely on others to do it for you, you must do it yourself. I couldn’t just walk away from the idea of community building. It stayed with me, not like a weight or a dark cloud, but something positive and important that I could not ignore.

That’s when I realized: even if we don’t have a dedicated physical place to meet for new and existing clubs, there’s still value in making it easier for people to connect in the first place. A central, easy-to-find directory. Something simple and useful. And while outreach is always a challenge, it’s a little easier in a small city. Even lawn signs could help to market the website domain name. So, I made the website. It was the least I could do toward a larger goal, building a brick-and-mortar community civic center.

From there, I began to imagine what that community civic center could be. The former Long’s Drugs building on McHenry came to mind. It’s been a vacant eyesore for years, but it’s centrally located and visible to thousands of passing cars each day. I have positive childhood memories of going there, and I like the idea of repurposing it into something meaningful, a place grounded in community values.

If not Long’s, then maybe the former Toys “R” Us building, which also has plenty of parking. I believe one community civic center would benefit Modesto greatly, but two could serve both the city and its surrounding communities even better.

When I first thought about Centre Plaza, I was thinking small: a bare minimum setup with tables, chairs, and a restroom. But once I let go of the financial limitations, I started dreaming big. What if it weren’t just the bare minimum? What if it were the best version of what a community space could be. Dynamic, flexible, and responsive to the needs of many different people in the community.

It became clear to me: the city wouldn’t make this happen. The federal government wouldn’t either, or if it did, the funding might be cut later. And it wouldn’t work as a business, because it wouldn’t be profitable. That would undermine the very idea of it being a free public service, the embodiment of “freedom of assembly.”

So the only viable path was to create a nonprofit organization, one rooted in community, committed to serving the public, and built to last. I'm currently in the planning process of facilitating this goal, while I will post updates on this website, the nonprofit will have its own separate website because while I'm starting locally, the greater vision is to build and operate community civic centers nationwide. The people need it. They want it. And at stake are our democracy, our freedom, and the very future of this nation.