By Patricia Lee, Owner
Destinites.com
This month marks the five-year anniversary of our Destinites private Facebook group (www.Facebook.com/groups/Destinites) for locals and property owners. Membership is currently at 8700+ and we keep a pending list to join between one to 200 requests. If you are waiting to be accepted, please be patient. We do our best to ensure the quality of the group and vetting some members can take a little longer than others.
Our Destinites Facebook group does have some rules, but those rules help keep down the drama. For example, Rule #1: Be Kind. “Always be respectful in your posts and post replies. No demeaning remarks toward members, community leaders, vaca property owners, businesses or their owners.” We are not by any means the only group with this type of “Be Kind” rule, but we are one of few who actually do enforce it. With 95% of our membership being people who are invited by a current member and that number consistently growing, we must be doing something right.
We go out of our way to make the Destinites group a happy and helpful place. You will see all kinds of discussions in our group but the main premise is that we’re about people helping each other. It’s locals coming together, making new friends and being supportive. If you are in need of immediate help for some reason, you can post in the group and someone will always reach out. Over the years, I have seen some pretty serious situations get resolved because of some incredibly caring people in this community. I, myself, have posted on behalf of others at times, because maybe that person needed to remain anonymous. All kinds of things go on behind the scenes when you have a community group. I never know from one day to the next who may reach out or what their need will be but my door is always open.
Destinites also has a website at www.Destinites.com with a local business directory. We call these businesses our sponsors and any listed there have the bonus of advertising in our group. Many of our sponsors are incredibly generous, as they offer special discounts to our members or offer their products or services as giveaway prizes when we have a meet-n-greet party. I am proud to count this Destin Life newspaper as one of our sponsors. Lori Smith, the publisher, offered a quarter-page ad spot at our party last month and the recipient was overjoyed! I also want to thank her for allowing me this spot every month to let the Destinites’ voices be heard on various issues. You are appreciated!
I want to take a moment and say thank you to my other admin, moderators, city/county council members, the mayor and other community leaders, and last but not least, all the members for participating with the group and being so supportive of my efforts toward the community. To the many who “have my back” and look out for the group, you are beyond appreciated. I pray over the group every day that Father God will help it reach all who need it and serve a purpose that will glorify Him.
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