In his timely book “The Common Good,” Robert Reich claims that we as a people have lost our collective commitment to the common good. “We often honor people who haven’t advanced the common good but have merely achieved notoriety or celebrity, or amassed great wealth or power.” In the concluding pages, he writes, “If we are losing our national identity it is not because we come in more colors or speak more languages than before. It is because we are losing our sense of common good. This is what must be restored.” I totally agree.

Sadly, most members of Congress care not one whit about advancing the common good. They care about raising big bucks so they can get reelected. To that end, they won’t compromise for fear of alienating their party leaders or their respective political tribes. It’s depressing. And, in my view, nothing will change unless we overturn Citizens United; redraw electoral maps that have been rigged to favor one party over another; and replace the electoral college vote with the popular vote. Imposing strict term limits would also help, although some readers might disagree.

And then there’s a stinging exception: Brunswick. The citizens and leaders in our town (and surrounding towns) really do believe in advancing the common good. Here are but a few examples:

The dynamic Brunswick Downtown Association runs a year round slate of speakers, programs and events designed not just to advance the business community but to bring people together, such as Music on the Mall, Second Friday and the Annual Tree Lighting.

Citizen-focused organizations such as the Mid Coast Hunger Prevention, Spindleworks, People Plus and the Teen Center offer important programs to serve and nourish various segments of the community. Each of these programs succeeds because of the support of local businesses and volunteers, people who give freely of their time to lend a hand.

The Curtis Memorial Library with its vast array of programs for people of all ages serves as a community hub, not just a repository of books and periodicals.

Active environmental groups such as the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust and Friends of Casco Bay help protect the land and air and water around us for the future. And the forward-looking Pejepscot Historical Society helps us understand and appreciate our past.

The Maine State Music Theater takes seriously its commitment to be a good citizen by sending actors out into the community to perform before shows, for example, and providing tours of performance spaces and the costume rental shop.

Bowdoin College backs up its Common Good philosophy with actions. Every year a group of Bowdoin students raises money for the Bowdoin Common Good Award and then allocates funds to local organizations to start new initiatives or maintain existing programs. Incidentally, Bowdoin students contribute over 40,000 hours of their time every year in service to local, regional, state, national and international organizations.

Brunswick, to be fair, has no monopoly on area programs designed to serve the common good. Harpswell Aging at Home, a community-led organization committed to helping people thrive while aging at home, provides but one shining example.

So, Robert Reich, may I suggest a title for your next book: “Towns that Still Believe in the Common Good.” You can start right here. We’ll be happy so show you around.

David Treadwell, a Brunswick writer, welcomes commentary and suggestions for future “Just a Little Old” columns. [email protected].