{"id":155255,"date":"2026-04-02T10:15:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T10:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/155255\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T10:15:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T10:15:09","slug":"dont-know-how-to-get-involved-in-philly-join-philly-has-you-covered","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/155255\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t know how to get involved in Philly? Join Philly has you covered."},"content":{"rendered":"

Love Philly? So do we. Let\u2019s be friends.\u00a0Sign up for the Billy Penn newsletter today<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Brian Adoff remembers what Philly was like in the 1980s. As a young person in the city, he said there wasn\u2019t a whole lot to do.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had nothing to do in the late 90s and early 2000s,\u201d he said. \u201cWe went to shows, and we drank and we hung out on South Street. And we\u2019re looked upon by this generation as \u2018oh, it was so idyllic when you guys got to do that,\u2019 But we didn\u2019t do anything.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now, the tides have turned. Adoff said Philly has no shortage of clubs. But the issue he noticed was that there wasn\u2019t always a good way to become a part of an organization.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI noticed there were a lot of resources from the city, a lot of civic organizations and groups, but oftentimes it\u2019s either poorly designed or it\u2019s what I feel is too opaque,\u201d he said. \u201cI noticed there was this gap in the middle, and I\u2019m kind of calling a participation gap. And I realized that\u2019s what Join Philly is \u2013 a participation on-ramp for Philadelphia.\u201d<\/p>\n

Join Philly started ten months ago as a kind of directory. On its website<\/a>, you can browse different activities and clubs \u2013 everything from acapella groups and civic organizations to writing groups, craft clubs and sports teams.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are so many clubs and groups in Philadelphia,\u201d Adoff said. \u201cWe probably have more than any other city in the country of every affinity and every strike.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"\"The website offers a number of different club options for Philadelphians to chose from. (Photo courtesy of Join Philly)<\/p>\n

And now, Join Philly will host its second activities fair on Sunday, April 12, to bring people together in person. The event will feature 40+ groups \u2013 from run clubs and book groups to civic action groups and craft clubs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adoff said the event will place \u201creal groups and real people\u201d in front of Philadelphians \u2013 making it easy for people to find what they need in one place.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo if you come alone, we\u2019re going to have programming so you can walk away, ideally, meeting someone new,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

This includes a crafting activity by the local \u201cLet Me Know\u201d crafting club<\/a>, giveaways and presentations by civic groups like the Committee of Seventy.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Connecting Philadelphians<\/p>\n

Adoff said research was part of what motivated him to start Join Philly.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople who join a club are more likely to vote and actually less likely to die sooner,\u201d he said. \u201cSo there are all these social, civic and health benefits of being more engaged socially.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Research shows that adults who engage socially are less likely to experience loneliness and cognitive decline<\/a>. And, the CDC recommends<\/a> social connection to reduce the risk of illnesses like heart disease, stroke and dementia, and to help others with their ability to manage stress, anxiety and depression.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adoff said resources like Join Philly can help people find that direct path to social connection \u2013 something that they need to feel successful in the city.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf someone comes here and does not become socially engaged, there\u2019s the risk that they will move away,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s what I\u2019m starting to see here, and I\u2019m creating these on ramps for that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adoff said he hopes Join Philly can be a sustainable resource for people to use. He said other organizations or applications are trying to fill the loneliness epidemic, but that true change will only happen if websites and applications like this last beyond the trend.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of things around it that are trendy,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it\u2019s just such a desperate desire and need. It\u2019s a human need to connect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Expanding and moving forward\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adoff said part of the long-term success of clubs is making sure they are supported.<\/p>\n

\u201cPhilly has all the clubs,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have no shortage of people that want to start things. What we need to be doing is helping to support and maintain these clubs where people are just doing this because they want to. There\u2019s no money in any of this. How do we help these people from burning out and from continuing to do it?\u201d<\/p>\n

He says he\u2019s not sure what that answer is, but that he hopes his platform creates a space to start those conversations.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cThe stuff I\u2019m working on now is just one little piece of a puzzle of getting back to just creating visible on ramps for all the things that exist,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The organization\u2019s activity fair is a start toward this goal. For those looking to attend, Adoff said he recommends you RSVP.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not a vendor fair,\u201d he said. \u201cSo you can walk around, and you\u2019re going to meet people who want to talk to you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

The event will be hosted at the Philadelphia Ethical Society in Rittenhouse from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. You can learn more and RSVP here.\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n

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