What role does community play in your life?
- Isabella Salas
- Oct 7
- 1 min read
Part of the Isa’s Corner series: reflections on belonging, identity, and community in Battle Creek.
This month, I took the time to learn about the importance of community spaces that foster belonging. For this month’s article, I want to highlight the MASA Center, a Latinx organization dedicated to education, community-building, and cultural and social knowledge. Serving Battle Creek, they donate harvested crops, offer free programs, and garden at Leila Arboretum.
On September 26th, they hosted a Harvest Party at the Arboretum featuring cultural meals and a raffle. Being there, I felt how the event brought our community together beyond the activities themselves.
I noticed the joy children experience when they can run around and watch movies with their friends, and the warmth families share while exchanging recipes for their cultural dishes. For me, it’s about treasuring a space where I feel a sense of belonging.
Through this experience, I learned the importance of spaces that create belonging. These spaces are where individuals can meet, laugh, and connect outside of their regular routine. These spaces give us all room to breathe, laugh, and belong to something bigger than ourselves. These spaces are the root of our community.
Isa’s Corner is a storytelling series exploring belonging, identity, and community through the reflections of a young leader growing and learning in Battle Creek.