What happened to community before, during, and after COVID, and where are we now?

In this episode of Hal’s Donut House: Don’t Be Afraid of Community, Tina Hilck, Melanie Brummer, and Hal Bleiweiss explore how the meaning of community has changed over the past several years.

Before COVID, many communities relied heavily on face-to-face interaction. During the pandemic, online spaces became essential for connection, support, work, and shared experiences. Today, people are searching for a better balance between digital access and meaningful in-person relationships.

The conversation examines why simply joining a group is no longer enough. Strong communities require people to participate, respond, contribute, and create together. Tina, Melanie, and Hal also discuss authentic communication, remote-work experiences, community monetization, the importance of providing real value, and why people increasingly connect with content that reflects their needs and identity.

This is an honest, unscripted conversation between three experienced community professionals who bring different cultural, geographic, and personal perspectives to the discussion.

Has community returned to what it was before COVID, or are we still creating something entirely different?

After listening, we challenge you to share your own experience in the comments. How did COVID change the way you connect with others, and what does community mean to you today? We genuinely value your perspective because your experiences can help continue this important conversation.

Please share this episode with someone whose story or viewpoint should be part of the discussion.

Pull up a chair, grab a donut, and join the conversation.

Rucks 2 Pucks is a non-profit 501c3 charity where our mission is to help veterans and their families by promoting an active lifestyle through hockey.

We promote the lifestyle to provide a sense of community and camaraderie, something veterans often lose once leaving the service. This is a key component in fighting veteran suicide and reducing the 22 a day.

This podcast is an honor to present to you.

I had the distinct honor of sitting with this most amazing human being.

Abagail McKiernan and I discussed the origins of HelpLink the 501-c3 charity that is redefining what it means to be a successful nonprofit by using their social media platform to connect people in need directly to resources and members in their community who are able to help in times of crisis.

Bring your tissues for this one, It is heartwarming and inspiring to say the least.

For more info:https://helplink.org/

Please enjoy a wonderful conversation we had with the amazing Piper Wilson. We will talk about our foundational experience with community, current status, AI, and its role in social media. We will learn all sorts of fun and meaningful parts of her journey. And if we are lucky, we will find out why purple hair is the most fabulous color.

Jeri creates the world's most beautiful and unique hand-crafted custom guitar straps, incredible replica guitar straps and her own "off the rack" guitar strap line. Our top-of-the-line custom guitar straps are worn by today's most popular musicians, as well as favorite sports heroes, politicians.

Checkout the site for more info

Jeri Designs

Dee Dee is a parent of a Virginia Tech Hokie alum and serves as lead admin for the

With 28K members, Virginia Tech Parents is the largest parent-only university parent group in the US. University Parent Group Admins has 672 members representing

With a background in marketing, PR, and crisis management, I helped manage multiple communities through several crises: an active shooter incident, the pandemic,

She is a Meta Certified Community Manager and was hired as a full-time contingent worker on Meta’s Community Management Team.

For more than 15 years now, she has also managed online health communities for hospitals and health systems, crafting and telling the stories of healthcare heroes and other brands “doing good” for the communities they serve. Ask her about the

Jennifer is a passionate career coach whose mission is to empower women in the tech industry. Her personal journey positions her well to help women accelerate their careers.

The Up-Cycled Cloth Collective is a global movement of textile enthusiasts sharing ways to reduce textile and fiber waste in landfills and promote ethical buying behavior.

Raissa Ruschel, the Nostalgia Chick,

Her Instagram community currently has 328,000 followers, Posting all about pop culture and nostalgia from 90s and early 00s tv shows, movies & fashion for all the hopeless, nostalgic hearts out there.

This community is a welcome respite from the seriousness of today. It brings you back to a more fun enjoyable time.

We dive into how community threads its way through all we do today. Family, friends, clients, and all the other things.