My New Year Begins in June

For most people, New Year's arrives on January 1st.

For me, it arrives in June.

That's somewhat ironic considering I once worked on New Year's Eve celebrations in Times Square, supporting one of the world's most recognizable countdowns. Millions of people watched the ball drop and welcomed a new year together.

Yet even standing at the center of that celebration, January 1st never really felt like my New Year.

Mine has always been June.

Maybe it's because my birthday falls this month. Maybe it's because school years always seemed to end in June, creating a natural moment to pause and reset. Maybe it's because so many of the organizations and communities I work with operate on fiscal years that close one chapter before beginning another.

Whatever the reason, June has always felt less like an ending and more like a beginning.

It is my annual reminder that another rotation around the sun has occurred. Not just for the planet, but for me.

June carries a different kind of energy. Pride Month, graduation season, the start of summer, neighborhood festivals, family gatherings, and personal milestones all seem to converge at once.

Together, they seem to ask the same question.

Where do we belong?

Growing up in New Mexico, belonging felt tied to family, culture, and place. Long before I understood community as a profession, I understood it as a feeling. It was sitting in my grandmother's house, surrounded by stories, traditions, and people who wanted the best for me.

The landscape was vast, but the connections were close. Stories were shared around tables. Traditions were passed between generations. Community wasn't a program or an initiative. It was simply part of everyday life.

When I moved to New York City, belonging took on a different meaning.

In a city of more than eight million people, nobody automatically knows your story. You build relationships one conversation at a time. You find your people. You discover the neighborhoods, organizations, and communities that help you feel connected to something larger than yourself.

Over the years, I've realized that the places that shaped me most were not necessarily the biggest or most impressive. They were the places that made room for me.

Some of those places weren't places at all. Some were moments.

As a caregiver for my grandmother during her battle with Alzheimer's and cancer, I learned that belonging doesn't require a neighborhood, a building, or even a community gathering. Sometimes it exists in the quiet space between two people. A shared meal. A conversation. Sitting together without needing to say much at all.

Those moments taught me that the strongest sense of belonging often comes not from where we are, but from who we're with.

A mentor who offered guidance.

A colleague who became a friend.

A local business owner who remembered my name.

A neighborhood gathering where strangers became collaborators.

Small moments, perhaps, but meaningful ones.

The longer I work in economic and community development, the more I believe this is what we're really trying to create.

Yes, we talk about investment, revitalization, public spaces, business growth, and economic opportunity. Those things matter. But underneath all of it is something much more human.

We're creating places where people feel they belong.

The strongest neighborhoods aren't defined solely by buildings or budgets. They're defined by relationships. The trust between neighbors. The pride people take in their local businesses. The willingness to show up, participate, and invest in a shared future.

Belonging may not appear in a spreadsheet, but it often determines whether a community thrives.

As another June arrives, I'm grateful for the people, places, and experiences that have helped shape my own sense of belonging. They've reminded me that community is not something we inherit once and keep forever. It is something we continuously create together.

And perhaps that's why June feels like my New Year.

Not because everything starts over.

But because it offers another opportunity to reflect, reconnect, and continue building the places and relationships that help all of us find where we belong.

At Perch Advisors, that belief sits at the center of everything we do. Whether we're helping a neighborhood envision its future, supporting small businesses, strengthening local organizations, or bringing stakeholders together around a common goal, we're ultimately helping communities create space for connection and belonging.

If this reflection resonates with you, I'd love to hear your story. Every community starts with people willing to show up, share their experiences, and imagine what comes next. We'd be honored to help you build what's next.

Happy Fiscal New Year to those who celebrate!