About us
Are you a working professional? Are you thinking of making friends and extend your social circle by going volunteering, learning things, or doing good together? You are looking at the right place.
If you dig deeper, you will find us actually a social org :). For volunteers, community builders of working professionals.
The things we do are very simple, meaningful things in beautiful settings, so connections happen naturally, from shared purpose and experience.
Friendship through civic engagements and shared learnings. That is us - an aspiring volunteer & builder community that runs events.
Send us your new in towns, the young professionals, the transplants, the job seekers, the singles, all those that could use new connections.
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Under the hood, we are actually a volunteer-boned, community-builder-muscled social ecosystem.
You take actions to improve your own situation, that is a builder. You willingly impact others with your actions, that is a "social" volunteer. Simple like that.
Two things set us apart from simply another meetup group: We do more productive social, vs consuming type; we do stateful social, vs the often observed stateless ones. For builders at least.
Volunteering is where we come from, it is also a format we do team building. By all the social formats we have observed so far, group volunteering is the most effective and efficient way to build bonding, aka trust, among people.
By group volunteering, we mean those that facilitates social, like in festivals, in state or local parks etc.. Not the punishment type handed down by traffic court.
Attention is the currency of meetups. We organize community social as our service, to build up our own community, yet it isn't free. We try to match the attention economy to people's contributions or efforts, so making it more fair.
We believe in people's self determination, we also believe in community builders' group collective power, as well as volunteers' active engagement in changing the social context.
We root our activities in local community events, we cooperate with orgs, businesses and individuals that are doing good. We provide social ladder roles that people can try, stages they shine on, resolving their social needs, also bringing others along.
We participate local community events, as attendees, as volunteers, civic, outdoor, professional or more. We organize local regional social infra walks, so to receive people incoming, so they can launch their social life again.
We build up connections, and create belongings. We believe all good deeds should be rewarded, in relationship, if not in finance. We believe in stateful social, thus relationship compounds, thus community.
We started as festival volunteers wanting social, and expanded to organizing social in community events, our current mission is to be the receiving end of local community social. We believe people & social skills can be picked up, as we did. So no charisma required to participate, help yourself, then others. Warm heart, willingness to try, will do.
If you have read so far, you may seriously consider trying it out with us, and join this fellow community of builders. We are exploring, and learning, from our mistakes, which are often, and successes, which did happen at times :). A lot of people make complaints, some take actions. The result of social roulette can be changed, as we are doing. So why wouldn't you join us, to fail on the action side? Ha.
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And our goal? A gateway to local community social, a connection layer to community events, a student activity center for post-college life, a social engine for connections, a town square for working professionals, a social neighborhoods dotted by community builders. Yes, some kind of salt.
Build with us, then socials would follow.
At the end of day,
Visit us at: https://www.townflame.org
Upcoming events
18
Discover SF: Castro Street Fair -- "Where We Belong"
Verve Coffee Roasters, 2101 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114, USA, San Francisco, CA, USWhatsApp:
https://chat.whatsapp.com/IRxg4hYY4BQ0dd7CYOt7TUThis is a suggested self-hosting event unless we can find a host. Just meet up at the time, greet each other, then walk along the planned path to the fair, as a group of adults.
Sunday, Oct 4 · Meet 12:00 PM · Verve Coffee Roasters, 2101 Market St (Market & Church)
The Castro Street Fair turns 52 this year. It was founded by Harvey Milk in 1974, and this year's theme is Where We Belong. We couldn't have picked it better ourselves.
https://castrostreetfair.org/Don't go alone. Grab a coffee at Verve, then stroll together up to Dolores Park for the skyline view and a group photo before walking into the fair in small groups. There are some Castro history on a short loop past Harvey Milk Plaza, Castro Camera, and the Castro Theatre. After that, go wherever the music takes you: three stages, dance floors, and hundreds of local artists and makers.
Schedule
12:00 · Coffee & intros at Verve
12:30 · Walk to Dolores Park (10 min)
12:45 · Skyline view + group photo
1:05 · Walk into the fair along 18th St
1:15 · Castro history loop with our guide
~2:00 · Explore on your own or with your new crew
Optional: Regrouping some time in the fair.Getting there: Muni to Church St station, right outside the café. Coming from the Peninsula? Caltrain → Muni.
Cost: The fair suggests a $10–20 donation to its community beneficiaries.
Join TownFlame, Make Life Happen.
Liability Waiver: Participation in TownFlame events is voluntary and involves social interaction in public spaces. Activities are designed to be inclusive and respectful. Participants assume all risks and release TownFlame, its organizers, volunteers, and affiliates from liability for injury, illness, or damages, except in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
By attending, participants acknowledge that photographs, audio, and video recordings may be taken during events, and grant TownFlame the right to use such media for promotional and marketing purposes, in any format or platform, without further consent or compensation.
31 attendees
Destination Mountain View -- Oktoberfest
Starbucks Coffee Company, 750 Castro Street, Park Place South, Mountain View, CA 94041, USA, Mountain View, CA, USHeart of silicon valley, popular and noisy one :)
This is the main post for volunteering social. By what we learned from last time, we would have dedicated volunteer WhatsApp channel, and dedicated volunteer after shift group coffee time, for both of the shifts on Sat.
For the in-festival social, look at here:
https://www.meetup.com/townflame/events/316775599/If you had enjoyed the group volunteering at Art & Wine, Mountain View, you will enjoy the Oktoberfest, just more.
Cause the Oktoberfest is more open to social, a lot more programs designed for people to participate. The audience tend to be younger and more active. You will see people dancing, and hear they singing together around the stage area.
As usual, the benefit of volunteering is a Stein, T-shirt, drink ticket, and invitation to volunteer appreciation dinner at Shoreline Amphitheater. With us having such a large volunteer presence, the party would feel different.
Register at:
https://www.mvoktoberfest.com/volunteerSign up registration.
https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/332027576083/true#/invitationWe delivered for Art & Wine festival, 50 volunteer signups, 30+ showed up for Festival Golden Hour walk, another 30+ showed up for festival social.
Schedule:
Location: Starbucks, Castro Street, Mountain View
3pm -3:45pm After morning shift group coffee
The festival social would be held at the same time & the same location, welcome to join.
6:30 - 7pm After afternoon shift group coffee or dinnerJoin TownFlame, Make Life Happen.
Liability Waiver: Participation in TownFlame events is voluntary and involves social interaction in public spaces. Activities are designed to be inclusive and respectful. Participants assume all risks and release TownFlame, its organizers, volunteers, and affiliates from liability for injury, illness, or damages, except in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
By attending, participants acknowledge that photographs, audio, and video recordings may be taken during events, and grant TownFlame the right to use such media for promotional and marketing purposes, in any format or platform, without further consent or compensation.
67 attendees
Festival Social Mixer Visit @ Oktoberfest, Mountain View
Starbucks Coffee Company, 750 Castro Street, Park Place South, Mountain View, CA 94041, USA, Mountain View, CA, USFor all the early career professionals, the new in towns and the singles. Come enjoy the culture and make new friends, with our after-shift volunteers who are staffing the festival.
This is the in-festival social part of the Mountain View Oktoberfest trilogy, as we already have a good sized group volunteering team in the festival. It is to continue the festival social we did in Art & Wine, updated upon feedbacks from last time.
https://www.meetup.com/townflame/events/313120748Compared with Art & Wine, Oktoberfest is a festival that lends well to social. More light hearted, the attendees tend to be younger crowd, and more open. And the festival itself has quite some programs you can attend. The Mountain View one has been growing after the Chambers taking over about 2 years back, it is estimated about 30k.
https://www.mvoktoberfest.com/As usual, our events is geared toward forming connections for participants. Welcome the new in towns, or any professionals that want some new friends to experience another culture event in town. We are going to do some small group based shuffling for this. So come talk with people, and find your group mates.
By the feedback we received last time, we will divide people by age groups, most probably 20~30s, then 40+. Within the age groups, we will have people self select into smaller groups, recruit social captains to host each group, and attend the festival together. Then regroup and remix, so giving people a better chance to know more people.
This is also a service we want to provide to the community. We cannot promise you a result, we can promise you a process. And by our culture, we will call for willing people to step up, acting as squad hosts, and other roles, besides our volunteers.
Schedule:
Location: Starbucks, Castro street
Time: 3:30 - 4:00pm Meet & Greet.
4 - 4:15pm Group forming walk, social captains volunteering
4:15 - 5:15 Going into festival with social captains.
5:15 - 5:30 Optional remix, regroup
5:30 - 6:30 Another round.
7pm Optional group coffee or dinnerJoin TownFlame, Make Life Happen.
Liability Waiver: Participation in TownFlame events is voluntary and involves social interaction in public spaces. Activities are designed to be inclusive and respectful. Participants assume all risks and release TownFlame, its organizers, volunteers, and affiliates from liability for injury, illness, or damages, except in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
By attending, participants acknowledge that photographs, audio, and video recordings may be taken during events, and grant TownFlame the right to use such media for promotional and marketing purposes, in any format or platform, without further consent or compensation.
11 attendees
Discover SF -- Italian Heritage Parade & Fleet Week Fest
The Buena Vista Cafe, 2765 Hyde St, San Francisco, CA 94109, USA, San Francisco, CA, US- Have you thought of walking with the Italian heritage parade all the way from Fisherman wharf to North Beach?
- Have you thought of observing the Blue Angels flying over the bay from the green hilltop of Coit tower?
- Have you thought of descending onto the Pier 27 Fleet Fest through the famous steep Greenwich Steps, which we only ascended the last part of it in the North Beach Festival?
Here is our signature multi stop, civic and natural landmarks walk through the city, a full half day's Itinerary.
One Sunday, two celebrations. The 158th Italian Heritage Parade, the oldest in the U.S., marches through North Beach while the Blue Angels fly over the Bay for Fleet Week. We'll walk the parade together, explore North Beach in small groups, then gather at the foot of Coit Tower to watch the air show.
https://sfitalianheritage.org/
https://fleetweeksf.org/The plan
☕ 11:45–12:15: Gather at Buena Vista Cafe (2765 Hyde St at Beach). Name tags, quick intros, group assignments, and grab a coffee to go.
🚶 12:15: Walk to the start line at Jefferson & Powell, about 10 minutes along the waterfront.
🎺 12:30: Step-off. We walk with the parade down Columbus Ave through North Beach, past bands, floats, Queen Isabella's court, and restaurants seating people at the curb.
⛪ ~1:45: Washington Square. The parade ends in front of Saints Peter and Paul Church, next to the Concorso Italiano car show and the church's annual Bazaar.
👥 Small groups. We split into groups of 5–8, each with a TownFlame captain. Your group chooses its own hour: the Bazaar, the car show, espresso on Columbus, a slice of pizza, or City Lights bookstore.
✈️ ~2:45: Final gathering at Pioneer Park, the lawn at the foot of Coit Tower. We watch the Blue Angels close out the air show over the Bay.
⚓ ~4:00: Optional tail. Walk down the Filbert Steps, through the hillside gardens, to Fleet Fest at Pier 27 for military bands, food trucks, and a waterfront finish. It's open until 5.🙋 Active Participation roles open
- Culture Guide. You have Italian or Italian-American roots, or you know the traditions. Share stories about the parade, the food, and North Beach history.
- Locality Guide. You know North Beach, Telegraph Hill, or the waterfront. Point out what's worth seeing and help your group choose its hour.
- Group Lead. Shepherd a small group of 5–8 after the split and bring them to Coit Tower.
- Sweep. Walk at the back so nobody gets lost in the crowds.
Reply with the role you'd like, or tell us at staging. Every role is paired, so no one does it alone.
Getting there
Take Caltrain to 4th & King, then Muni. The Powell-Hyde cable car ends a few steps from the café, and the F-line streetcar runs along the Wharf. This is one of the busiest days of the year on the waterfront, so transit is strongly recommended over driving. Please plan your own route and arrive on time.We leave the café at 12:15 sharp. Running late? Wait at Leavenworth & Columbus, one block from the café. The parade passes there on its way into North Beach, and you can join us as we come by.
Good to know
Everything is free: the parade, the air show, and Fleet Fest. The day covers about 2.5 miles, including a climb up Telegraph Hill, so wear good shoes. Bring layers for the waterfront wind and something for sun on the hilltop. Name tags are required at TownFlame events.After the walk: if your group clicks, tell your captain. Groups that want to keep going can form a squad and plan their next outing together.
Join TownFlame, Make Life Happen.
Liability Waiver: Participation in TownFlame events is voluntary and involves social interaction in public spaces. Activities are designed to be inclusive and respectful. Participants assume all risks and release TownFlame, its organizers, volunteers, and affiliates from liability for injury, illness, or damages, except in cases of gross negligence or intentional misconduct.
By attending, participants acknowledge that photographs, audio, and video recordings may be taken during events, and grant TownFlame the right to use such media for promotional and marketing purposes, in any format or platform, without further consent or compensation.
42 attendees
Past events
72
