What’s a “Community Walkabout” in Alhambra?

Walking in Altadena by members of the Altadena Community Walking Group, 2022 (File Photo – Gloria Sanyika)

I’d never heard of a community walkabout, so I decided to check it out when a neighbor invited me to go to one.

By Melissa Michelson

Hosted by the Alhambra Teachers Association PAC, Visa Boosters and Urban Visionaries,  and inspired by walkabout learning models of Australia, the walkabouts in the San Gabriel Valley began at the height of the ICE invasion this summer. The series of seven meet ups will occur in Alhambra, Monterey Park and into East Los Angeles.

Here’s how it works:  show up and walk around the neighborhood together. It’s as simple as that. There is no specific goal per se, other than joining in community with the Community.

When I arrived at my local park, which was the location of last week’s meetup, a group of people already were getting to know each other.  And then we started on our way together.

At a relaxed pace, the group decided the impromptu route.  Frankly it didn’t seem to matter much, as long as we were walking and doing it together. We simply enjoyed each other’s company as we walked around one of the city’s neighborhoods, talking about this and that, exchanging contacts and connecting each other with others as it came up, observing the environment around us and greeting neighbors who happened to be outside. Some brought their dogs on the walk.

It was fun to see Alhambrans I haven’t seen in a while and great to meet new ones. One participant commented that the Community still has not recovered from being cooped up during the pandemic,  and some still recoil from being with others in groups. I agreed that the walkabout is a nice re-entry point to Community.

After about an hour, we headed back to the park. I felt fulfilled because the only expectation was to walk around together, and it was a pleasant break from the computer screen.

Community Walkabouts* are a meaningful way to show the Community that others are out and about, and that we care for our neighborhoods and each other. It’s also a practical way to get a light-aerobic exercise, but with others.

But, most importantly, it is a way to keep the Community alive.

*If you missed one, no worries! It’s easy to start your own. Ask your neighbors if they’re interested, set a time/location, and let others know. Similarly, Altadena had a thriving walking group that suffered a setback due to the devastating fire. More information at this link.