David Brooks, a columnist for The New York Times, recently offered hope for a new national story.

Brooks chided himself for not listening to those outside of his own bourgeois circle. He promised to listen to those Americans who see the American dream as out of their reach and have cast their protest votes accordingly.

His message of hope emphasized the community. At this level, no matter the dysfunction on the national level, local citizens aid the homeless and the hungry, mentor high school dropouts, and work with those soon to be released from prison to integrate them into society.

Having recently attended a local meeting to update citizens on programs to help the homeless in our community, I agree with Brooks. Local groups here run a food bank (including a garden for fresh produce), hold a work day for providing minor repairs on houses of the less well-off, and contribute to a fund for medical needs, among other causes.

Brooks says: “I don’t know what the new national story will be but maybe it will be less individualistic and more redemptive. Maybe it will be a story about communities that heal those who suffer from addiction, broken homes, trauma, prison and loss, a story of those who triumph over the isolation, social instability and dislocation so common today.” (As quoted in The Seattle Times, May 1, 2016.)