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
16
Discover SF -- Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Music Festival
Java Beach Cafe, 1396 La Playa St, San Francisco, CA 94122, USA, San Francisco, CA, USA Stop-and-Go Festival Stroll (Sat, Oct 3)
San Francisco's biggest free music festival takes over Golden Gate Park the first weekend of October: six stages, 80+ artists, three meadows full of people on blankets. 500k-750k over 3 days. It's the kind of thing that's much better with company than alone. So let's go together.
https://hardlystrictlybluegrass.com/How it works
We first visit the Dutch Windmill at the west end of Golden Gate Park, take a relaxed walk east through the park, and enter the festival as one group. Inside, we browse stop-and-go style: stroll along the festival grounds, stop at whatever stage catches our ear, listen for a while, and move on to the next. No schedule to keep, no must-see acts. Just music, people-watching, and good conversation along the way.
If a set grabs you and you want to stay, stay. If you find your crowd and head off together, great. That's what we're here for.When & where
📍 Meet: Java Beach Cafe 1:45pmThe route (all times approximate, stop-and-go)
☕ 1:45–2:15 — Catch up at Java Beach Cafe (1396 La Playa St, end of the N-Judah line)
🚶 2:15 — Walk north to the Dutch Windmill, group photo around 2:30
🌳 2:35 — Walk east through the park, through the JFK & 36th Ave gate around 3:00–3:10
🎸 Stop 1 · Rooster Stage (Marx Meadow) · ~3:25–3:55
Elizabeth Cook, Rooster Stage, 3:25–4:15pm. Country with a sharp sense of humor, a great first stop to settle in.
🎤 Stop 2 · Banjo Stage (Hellman Hollow) · ~4:05–4:35
Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Banjo Stage, 3:50–5:00pm. The main stage and the biggest crowd — we'll listen from the back edge rather than push in.
🪕 Stop 3 · Swan Stage (Lindley Meadow) · ~4:40–4:50
The tail end of AJ Lee & Blue Summit, Swan Stage, 3:50–4:50pm — a Bay Area bluegrass band, our local favorite.
🎶 Stop 4 · Towers of Gold Stage (Lindley Meadow) · ~4:50–5:40
Rilo Kiley, Towers of Gold, 4:50–5:55pm, right next door. Swan and Towers of Gold sit back to back and alternate sets, so Lindley is a good place to end the stroll.
🌅 ~5:45 — Head out through the JFK & Transverse exit before the closing sets
🍜 6:00–6:15 — Optional regroup at Portals of the Past (the white stone colonnade on Lloyd Lake, just outside the Transverse exit), then early dinner nearby for whoever's inGetting there
From the South Bay: Caltrain to SF, then the N-Judah to the end of the line, or the 5-Fulton to La Playa. Parking near the park on festival weekend is very tough, so transit is strongly recommended.Bring
The festival has security screening at the entrance. Clear bags move through fastest; small backpacks are fine. No glass. A water bottle, layers (the park gets windy and cool by late afternoon), sunscreen, and a small blanket if you want to sit. Outside food is welcome.Good to know
The festival itself is free and needs no ticket. Our meetup is free too. Latecomers: if you miss the walk, you're welcome to enjoy the festival on your own and join us for dinner after. Phone signal inside the festival is unreliable, so we can't coordinate once we're in.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.
67 attendees
Discover SF: Castro Street Fair -- "Where We Belong"
Verve Coffee Roasters, 2101 Market St, San Francisco, CA 94114, USA, San Francisco, CA, USThis 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.
20 attendees
Destination Mountain View -- Oktoberfest
Mountain View, 545 San Antonio Rd Ste 31, CA, USHeart of silicon valley, popular and noisy one :)
This is the main post for volunteering social. Golden Hour walk and festival social plz see the specific event posts. 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.
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.
46 attendees
Celebrate Mountain View -- Festival Social Mixer @ Oktoberfest
Starbucks Coffee Company, 750 Castro Street, Park Place South, Mountain View, CA 94041, USA, Mountain View, CA, USThis is to continue the festival social we did in Art & Wine, updated upon feedbacks from last time.
Compared 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.
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.
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.
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.
1 attendee
Past events
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