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Brian Adoff remembers what Philly was like in the 1980s. As a young person in the city, he said there wasn’t a whole lot to do.
“We had nothing to do in the late 90s and early 2000s,” he said. “We went to shows, and we drank and we hung out on South Street. And we’re looked upon by this generation as ‘oh, it was so idyllic when you guys got to do that,’ But we didn’t do anything.”
Now, the tides have turned. Adoff said Philly has no shortage of clubs. But the issue he noticed was that there wasn’t always a good way to become a part of an organization.
“I noticed there were a lot of resources from the city, a lot of civic organizations and groups, but oftentimes it’s either poorly designed or it’s what I feel is too opaque,” he said. “I noticed there was this gap in the middle, and I’m kind of calling a participation gap. And I realized that’s what Join Philly is – a participation on-ramp for Philadelphia.”
Join Philly started ten months ago as a kind of directory. On its website, you can browse different activities and clubs – everything from acapella groups and civic organizations to writing groups, craft clubs and sports teams.
“There are so many clubs and groups in Philadelphia,” Adoff said. “We probably have more than any other city in the country of every affinity and every strike.”
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 – from run clubs and book groups to civic action groups and craft clubs.
Adoff said the event will place “real groups and real people” in front of Philadelphians – making it easy for people to find what they need in one place.
“So if you come alone, we’re going to have programming so you can walk away, ideally, meeting someone new,” he said.
This includes a crafting activity by the local “Let Me Know” crafting club, giveaways and presentations by civic groups like the Committee of Seventy.
Connecting Philadelphians
Adoff said research was part of what motivated him to start Join Philly.
“People who join a club are more likely to vote and actually less likely to die sooner,” he said. “So there are all these social, civic and health benefits of being more engaged socially.”
Research shows that adults who engage socially are less likely to experience loneliness and cognitive decline. And, the CDC recommends 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.
Adoff said resources like Join Philly can help people find that direct path to social connection – something that they need to feel successful in the city.
“If someone comes here and does not become socially engaged, there’s the risk that they will move away,” he said. “And that’s what I’m starting to see here, and I’m creating these on ramps for that.”
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.
“There’s a lot of things around it that are trendy,” he said. “But it’s just such a desperate desire and need. It’s a human need to connect.”
Expanding and moving forward
Adoff said part of the long-term success of clubs is making sure they are supported.
“Philly has all the clubs,” he said. “We 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’s no money in any of this. How do we help these people from burning out and from continuing to do it?”
He says he’s not sure what that answer is, but that he hopes his platform creates a space to start those conversations.
“The stuff I’m 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,” he said.
The organization’s activity fair is a start toward this goal. For those looking to attend, Adoff said he recommends you RSVP.
“It’s not a vendor fair,” he said. “So you can walk around, and you’re going to meet people who want to talk to you.”
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.
