Success Story: Lemmon Placemakers Co-Op Revitalizes Community

It started as a group of friends coming together to make bath bombs in a neighbor’s kitchen. The sense of community that small group shared spurred a greater conversation about “third places,” a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg that  refers to places where people spend time between home ('first' place) and work ('second' place). Third places are frequently locations where individuals or communities can exchange ideas, have a good time, and build relationships.

After that initial evening and discussion, a group of individuals began planning additional community projects in Lemmon, and the group soon realized that many community members had passions and talents that they wanted to share with the community through additional events and classes each month.

And that’s how the Lemmon Placemakers Co-op began to change the dynamic in the community. Founded in 2017, the organization’s mission is to create space for makers and do-ers to share ideas, collaborate, build relationships and use their varied talents for the good of the group and community.

The Co-op has worked with several community organizations to implement a series of events and they also contribute to other events happening around the community, including a mixology class, bicycle tune-up, painting classes, beer-brewing, leather tooling and cornhole tournaments.

Co-op President Dantae Anderson says that they could see community members craved opportunities to socialize and come together. “We learned that by coming together and sharing, people have a sense of belonging and pride in their hometown,” she said. “People want to be proud of where they live.”

Anderson credits the success of the project to the group dynamic that values collaboration and the contributions of each individual’s talents. The Co-op is also passionate about meeting people where they are and communicating using a variety of media, including social media platforms, a website, posters, and traditional media to reach a wide community audience.

For more information about the Lemmon Placemakers Co-op, visit their website at www.placemakersco-op.com or visit them on https://www.facebook.com/placemakerscoop/ or in Instagram at @placemakers_coop.