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Practical Hacks for Team Building and Community Unity

Beyond the abstract instructions for building community, like practicing equity and being fair, are some very concrete suggestions on building community that include:

  • Recognize contributions—Take the time to publicly recognize and acknowledge the contributions of all stakeholders.
  • Share food—Finding ways to share food builds a sense of trust and community.
  • Build Rituals and Traditions—Traditions and their attendant rituals are one of the hallmarks of communities. Building observances that acknowledge loss, and allowing people to tell their stories and celebrate their identities and their accomplishments, are especially important.
  • Go on Retreat—When and where possible, take time to bond away from your typical work-a-day space.
  • Do Activities as a Team—Consider other team building activities like happy hour, escape rooms, team sports, or collaborative games.

Featured Hacks

These featured hacks highlight creative, practical solutions from harm reduction leaders on the ground. From DIY tools to clever workarounds, each one reflects the ingenuity, care, and real-world experience that keeps this movement alive. 

These principles were developed over a period of about four years in the 1990s amid much debate among early harm reductionists, who came to consensus on these enduring principles of harm reduction.
Many of the harm reduction leaders that were interviewed for Space Hacks talked about how critical it is to effectively manage services, supplies, and inventory in order to maintain community tranquility. It may not feel intuitive, but OGs report that ineffective management of supplies is the number one potential flashpoint for escalated situations during harm reduction services.