It comes from the old T9 (text on 9 keys) keypad used on early cell phones, before smartphones had full keyboards. On those keypads, each number mapped to a few letters. In our case:

• 8 = U (Unity)

• 4 = H (Honor)

• 2 = A (Action)

842 is the code we live by: Unity. Honor. Action.

• Unity: We come from different backgrounds, beliefs, and walks of life, but we’re united by a common goal: rebuilding civic strength, together. This is for anyone willing to show up, pitch in, and treat others with respect. We don’t tolerate hate or division. If you’re here to build, you’re one of us.

• Honor: In a world full of shortcuts and easy outs, we choose the hard way. Real honor means keeping your word, owning your actions, and following through, especially when it’s difficult. We do right by our families, our friends, and our communities, because that’s simply who we are.

• Action: When something’s broken, we don’t sit around, complain, make excuses, or hope someone more “official” will fix it. We are people of action. We don’t need applause or perfect conditions. We step up, take care of our own, and do the work our communities need, to the best of our ability.

842 Club is a direct response to everything that’s breaking down around us:

• Housing instability is uprooting lives: Skyrocketing rent and the least affordable housing market in U.S. history are forcing people to move constantly, making it harder to build long-term relationships or put down roots in a local community.

• Public institutions are failing: Schools, local governments, non-profits, and social programs are stretched thin, chronically underfunded, or vanishing altogether. Systems that once provided stability now feel inaccessible or ineffective.

• The “third spaces” that once held us together are disappearing: Libraries, churches, clubs, community centers, parks, and local theaters in many towns are closing, shrinking, or struggling to survive with limited funding.

• Intergenerational connection has broken down: The handoff of wisdom, leadership, and civic responsibility between generations has weakened, leaving younger people without guidance, mentorship, or long-term anchors.

• Polarization has replaced shared values: Almost every topic of conversation is now politicized. Even issues like education, health, and helping others now divide us instead of bringing us together.

• We’re facing a mental health crisis with no safety net: Anxiety, depression, and isolation are rising, but therapy is expensive, support is rare, and too many people are left to carry the weight alone.

• We’ve been shut out of decision-making: Wealth, power, and influence are increasingly concentrated in the hands of the few. The people making decisions for us are often far removed from the local communities we live in and the issues we face every day. Over time, this creates a quiet feeling of disempowerment where people stop showing up, stop speaking out, and start believing their voices don’t matter.

• Real community has been replaced by shallow substitutes: In place of real connection and purpose, we’ve been given cheap imitations: apps, podcasts, brands, influencers, self-appointed gurus, grifters, etc.

The result is a generation that craves identity, purpose, and community, but has few places to find it that aren’t optimized specifically to extract as much profit from us as possible.

Extremist groups see all of this as an opportunity to exploit our communal void for their own purposes. They offer a counterfeit sense of purpose, belonging, and identity. They don’t solve anything. They take real problems, feed the anger, and then point the blame at easy targets, all while avoiding the hard work of actually fixing what’s broken.

And right now, their message is landing on fertile ground, reaching people who are isolated, disillusioned, angry, and desperate for something to belong to. They’re recruiting aggressively and growing rapidly.

842 Club exists to cut off this pipeline of radicalization by meeting those same needs in a healthy, grounded, and community-driven way.

842 Club is a return to strength.

We will no longer allow extremists to claim ownership over American values, identity, or community.

We’re here to rebuild what’s been lost: trust, purpose, identity, and the civic strength that holds local communities together, built on common sense American values.

Our strength is in the civic infrastructure and network we’re building together, from the neighborhood to the national level. When someone’s in need, they don’t just have a local club, they have an entire community of like-minded people and organizations across the country who share the same values and are ready to step in.

At the same time, 842 Club gives more established members (business owners, tradespeople, community leaders, professionals, etc.) a chance to build a legacy that lasts. It's a way to pass down wisdom, open doors, and invest in the next generation. Not through speeches or charity, but through direct relationships, mentorship, and shared work.

We stand together, across generations, classes, and backgrounds, to rebuild the kind of local community where everyone belongs and everyone has a role.

Big changes are already here.

Rising costs, political dysfunction, economic uncertainty, and systems stretched to their limit. In response, we need real support systems, real relationships, and real strength at the local level.

We can no longer afford to be scattered, divided, or passive.

It’s time to get serious, get united, and get to work building powerful, united, resilient communities.

Each 842 Club is shaped by its members, but every club is built on three core pillars:

1. Growth & Development
We help each other level up personally, professionally, and as leaders. Clubs offer skill-sharing, mentorship, hands-on training, volunteering, leadership roles, and real-world learning. That might look like trade workshops, a job board for members, leadership opportunities, volunteering, or just connecting people to a mentor who’s been there before. It’s about building competence, confidence, and capacity, together.

Each club has a clear leadership track that trains members to take on key roles, like onboarding new members, running events, managing outreach, or building partnerships. No experience required, just the willingness to show up and grow into it.

As members step up and contribute, they progress through levels of accomplishment and recognition that build confidence, identity, and purpose. You don’t need to be a leader to start, but if you stick around, you’ll become one.

2. Aid & Support
We don’t wait for institutions to save us. We take care of each other. When someone’s struggling, we step in. That might mean cooking a meal, donating clothes, covering a grocery run, helping someone find housing, chipping in for car repairs, or just showing up when life gets hard. We connect members to resources, tools, and support systems that too many people go without.

Our strength is in the network we’re building together, from the neighborhood to the national level. When someone’s in need, they don’t just have a local club, they have an entire community of people across the country who share the same values and are ready to step in.

3. Good Times
Community isn’t just about service, it’s about having fun. Every club is expected to make time for cookouts, tailgates, block parties, backyard bonfires, pick-up games, and anything else that brings people together.

We make memories, build friendships, and create the kind of real-world connection that’s missing from most people’s lives.

Whether you’re here to grow, to help, or to find your people, your local 842 Club gives you a place to do all three, with no gatekeepers, no agenda, and no ego.

To rebuild civic strength from the ground up.

We want to see 842 Clubs in every city and town in America; places where people find belonging, support, purpose, and power together.

Over time, this becomes a true counterforce to isolation, apathy, and extremism; something that can replace broken systems by building our own.

And as more clubs form, we are building a national network of power, aid, support, and community, rooted in shared values.

We will not be tied to rigid structures or outdated models, but constantly be shaped by the real needs of our communities.

842 Club will become whatever our local communities need us to be.

We are planning to launch nationwide in early 2026. Please click here to sign up for updates.

We are planning to launch nationwide in early 2026.

Please click here to sign up for updates.

Civic clubs like Lions Club, Rotary Club, and Kiwanis were an American innovation inspired by earlier fraternal orders, such as the Freemasons, Shriners, Knights of Columbus, Elks, and Eagles, which themselves were inspired by the guild structures of medieval Europe.

In an era before modern insurance and welfare, fraternal orders often maintained mutual aid funds (effectively early insurance pools) to support members and their families in times of illness or hardship.

That culture of mutual aid and support inspired the rise of American civic clubs in the 20th century. They drew from the same core values, but reimagined them for a changing world. Instead of rituals, secrecy, and an inward focus on members alone, these new American civic clubs turned outward, channeling that same sense of solidarity and duty into public service, community support, and philanthropy.

These clubs traded secret handshakes for open luncheons and insurance benefits for charity fundraisers, aligning civic club culture with the progressive spirit of the age. They raised funds for families in crisis, ran food drives, mentored young leaders, and supported public health efforts. They built parks, libraries, orphanages, and schools all across the country, and eventually, the world.

While these organizations evolved from private, member-only aid to public service and impact, the root principles never changed: when institutions fail, we step up for each other and build our own support infrastructure.

In doing so, civic clubs helped establish many practices we take for granted in modern public life: community fundraising drives, volunteer-led service projects, scholarship programs, and international humanitarian campaigns. They taught generations of Americans the habits of self-governance (running meetings, electing officers, debating projects), thereby strengthening democracy at the grassroots.

Now it’s time for our generation to step up, lead, and create the kind of local civic infrastructure that makes sense in the world we’ve inherited.

We carry forward the legacy of the organizations that held communities together for generations. Just like American civic clubs reimagined old traditions to meet the needs of their time in the early 20th century, we’re evolving the model again to meet the realities of the 21st century.

Same spirit and purpose, but done in a way that addresses the challenges of working people today:

• We’re built for people with busy lives and limited free time: Traditional civic clubs were designed for business owners and career professionals with predictable working hours, long lunch breaks, and open weekends. 842 Club is made for people with shifting hours, multiple jobs, caregiving responsibilities, college classes, and little free time. We don’t expect perfect attendance. We make it easy to plug in, have fun, contribute, and belong, even if your life is busy and unpredictable.

• We provide flexible civic infrastructure, not a rigid institution: Traditional civic clubs are legacy institutions; steeped in tradition, slow to change, and buried under formal process, ceremony, and hierarchy. In contrast, 842 Club is civic infrastructure for the world we live in now; robust, yet flexible and adaptable. We provide a foundation to build on, designed to accommodate the changing needs of our members and their local communities. It’s easy to set up and replicate, and built to spread, not stall. We keep it simple, so our energy goes into impact, not red tape.

• But, we still treat civic life like something sacred: While we’re not hung up on tradition, ritual, or ceremony, we do recognize that community is ancient and sacred. It’s embedded deep in our DNA. Gathering, supporting each other, and building something bigger than ourselves is the most human thing we can do. That’s what we’re here to rebuild, protect, and pass on. In a culture where everything feels transactional, 842 Club is a reminder that not everything should be optimized to extract maximum profit.

• We value action, not just seniority or status: In traditional civic clubs, leadership is earned through years of membership. At 842 Club, you don’t have to wait your turn. From day one, members are given opportunities to develop skills, build confidence, and take on real responsibility. Anyone can join, step in, and start contributing right away. You don’t need a fancy title, degree, qualifications, or credentials. You just need a willingness to show up, learn, and take action. We can train you on the rest.

• We build civic strength from the bottom up: This isn't just another networking group for business owners and career professionals. It’s primarily a space for regular people to organize, support each other, and reclaim a sense of ownership in their local communities, regardless of titles or status.

• We don’t just welcome overlooked voices, we build around them: 842 Club creates leadership pathways for people who’ve never been invited into leadership before. That includes anyone with leadership potential who has felt left out of traditional business, civic, political, or non-profit spaces.

• We offer real-world support, not just social connection: We always have a great time, but this isn’t just about fun and friendship. It’s about stepping in when someone needs help, whether that’s making connections, offering childcare, repairing someone’s car, or organizing food drives. We’re here to close the gap between what people need and what no longer exists.

• We create purpose-driven community without religious or political affiliation: Many clubs are tied to churches, political groups, or ideological agendas. 842 Club is different. While we welcome members from all backgrounds and beliefs, the organization itself remains non-religious and non-partisan. That makes it accessible to all Americans, including those who’ve felt excluded, overlooked, or out of place in more traditional civic spaces.

• We build bridges instead of echo chambers: In a polarized and divided culture, we don’t filter people by beliefs or identity. We filter by values and actions. If someone believes in the mission and is willing to show up, do the work, and treat others with respect, they belong. Period.

• We use modern tools to build real-life human connection: Technology is an essential part of how we organize. We use simple, modern, practical tools to make it easy for people to coordinate, stay in touch, and show up in real life. In a time when online platforms are designed to isolate, distract, and divide, we use them to bring people together, build trust, and strengthen real-world relationships.

• We are a counterforce to extremism, apathy, and division: We offer an alternative to toxic online culture, performative politics, and aimless outrage. We give people something real to build, a place to belong, and a way to take meaningful action in their own local community.

However, make no mistake. We have enormous respect, gratitude, and admiration for the civic clubs that came before us. What started as local clubs quickly expanded to millions of members across the world, with chapters in towns and cities on nearly every continent.

The civic club model became one of the most successful grassroots frameworks ever created, replicated by passionate people all over the world.

But over time, civic clubs in America have struggled to stay active and relevant. Memberships have declined, events and service projects have slowed, and many local chapters have stagnated or quietly shut their doors.

What was once a vibrant part of community life has faded into the background for many Americans, especially younger generations, who often don’t even know these clubs exist.

It’s not that the mission isn’t valuable. It’s that the next generation doesn’t see themselves in it. The average age of a civic club member in the U.S. is around 60 years old. Many younger people feel these spaces don’t reflect their realities or understand the challenges they’re facing today.

Traditional civic clubs were built for a very different world. They arose during a time when most people stayed in one town for decades, worked steady 9-to-5 jobs, raised a family on a single income, relied on institutions that felt credible and trustworthy, and inherited robust social structures that gave them identity, purpose, connection, and support.

Civic clubs also weren’t competing with Netflix, social media, or 12-hour workdays. Entertainment and leisure was almost entirely community-based; local events, dances, parades, church potlucks, bowling leagues, etc. Evenings and weekends were predictable, with time carved out for rest, hobbies, and community involvement.

That’s not the reality anymore.

Younger generations are forced to move constantly due to skyrocketing rent costs and the least affordable housing market on record. This eliminates our ability to put down deep roots and build lasting connections in the communities where we live.

Stable careers and loyal employers have been replaced by the gig economy, temp contracts, and endless side hustles. Wages continue to stagnate while the cost of living soars. The U.S. is consistently ranked last or near the bottom among developed countries for employee rights and benefits, particularly in areas like healthcare, paid leave, and vacation days. AI and automation threaten to wipe out future career opportunities. Basic financial security and stability feels further out of reach every year.

New research has found that most Americans can no longer afford a “minimum quality of life”.

We’re drowning in student loan debt and struggling to afford basic necessities like rent, utilities, groceries, transportation, and childcare. Health insurance is tied to jobs we can’t rely on, and out-of-pocket costs make basic care unaffordable. Vacations and restorative rest are a thing of the past. Burnout is constant.

Many institutions that once felt reliable (governments, schools, religious groups, non-profits, social programs, etc.) are now underfunded, dysfunctional, or non-existent.

In many towns, the “third spaces” that used to hold communities together (churches, clubs, libraries, community centers, parks, theaters, etc.) are shrinking or gone altogether.

To make things worse, we're living through a time of intense polarization where seemingly every topic of conversation is now politicized, pitting families and neighbors against each other in never-ending culture wars. Issues that used to unite us, like education, public health, or community support, are now flashpoints for division.

We are facing a mental health crisis that’s growing worse by the year. Therapy is expensive, community support is rare, and too many people are left to carry the weight alone.

We often feel shut out of the decisions that shape our lives and communities, and with good reason. Wealth, power, and influence are increasingly concentrated in the hands of the few. The wealthiest 10% own almost the entire stock market. The people making decisions for us are often far removed from the communities we live in and the issues we face every day. Over time, this creates a quiet feeling of disempowerment where people stop showing up, stop speaking out, and start believing their voices don’t matter.

The result is a generation that craves identity, purpose, and community, but has few places to find it that aren’t optimized specifically to extract as much profit from us as possible.

In place of real community and purpose, we’ve been given cheap imitations: apps, podcasts, brands, influencers, self-appointed gurus, grifters, etc.

Traditional civic clubs weren’t designed for the level of instability, isolation, or burnout we face today. They weren’t built to reach people who’ve never seen healthy community modeled in the first place.

No civic club can solve all of these problems, of course.

But we do need a modern version; one that understands the world we live in now, speaks directly to the challenges younger generations are facing, and creates space for us to build our own infrastructure for real connection, shared responsibility, and lasting civic strength.

That’s why 842 Club exists.

We don’t believe we have all the answers. But we do believe in showing up, trying to figure it out, and building something strong enough to bring people together again.

That doesn’t mean leaving older generations out.

Quite the opposite. They’ve lived through hard times, led through change, and built the civic foundations the rest of us are standing on today. Their experience, wisdom, relationships, and perspective are invaluable, and deeply needed.

This is a chance to extend that legacy, not replace it. By passing down knowledge, offering guidance, and supporting a new generation of builders, they help ensure that the values they stood for continue to grow strong in the hands of those coming next.

It’s time for our generation to stop complaining and waiting for someone else to fix what’s broken.

It’s our turn to build. And we’re ready.

Most groups today are built around a single cause, interest, belief system, or identity:

• Volunteer organizations and non-profits focus on one issue or cause.

• Political groups focus on one ideology or agenda.

• Hobby clubs revolve around one type of activity.

• Even social clubs, while fun, aren’t designed specifically to have your back when life gets hard.

Many of them have specific requirements, political filters, or social expectations that make it hard for regular people to feel like they belong.

Each group serves a narrow slice of life, which leaves people divided into silos based on cause, hobby, ideology, or identity. That fragmentation makes it harder to build the broad, local bonds that hold communities together.

842 Club is different. We are community-first and action-focused.

You don’t have to believe the right thing, say the right words, or come from the right background. You just have to show up and do the work. There’s no clout, no gatekeeping, and no checklist to join.

If you’re ready to contribute, grow, and support others, you’re in.

Anyone who shares the values of Unity, Honor, and Action.

You don’t need special skills or qualifications, just a willingness to show up and put in effort.

We are planning to launch nationwide in early 2026. Please click here to sign up for updates.

This is not the place for anyone who sees other people as less worthy of dignity, safety, respect, or belonging. If that’s you, don’t waste your time or ours.

You’re not welcome here.

At the core of 842 Club is a commitment to unity. We come from different walks of life, backgrounds, and beliefs, but we are united by a common goal: rebuilding civic strength, together.

Without unity, there is no trust, no collaboration, no community. Everything we do depends on our ability to stay united across differences.

Racism, sexism, homophobia, religious intolerance, bigotry, and all other forms of division aren’t just against our values, they destroy the very foundation of what we’re building. And we won’t tolerate it.

We also don’t tolerate influencers, grifters, clout-chasers, those with hidden agendas, or political operatives trying to hijack the mission.

This is not a platform to build a brand, push an ideology, or recruit for your campaign. It’s a place to build trust, show up for others, and do the work of rebuilding civic strength.

Clubs are locally-led, but backed by national support and clear values. If someone crosses the line, whether they’re disrespecting others, abusing their position, or trying to turn this into a personal hustle. they’re out. Immediately.

This is a serious effort to rebuild community and civic strength. And we will defend it without hesitation.

That said, this usually isn’t a problem. People looking to spread hate, exploit others, or chase power aren’t usually drawn to something that demands humility, effort, and real-world accountability.

There’s nothing here for them.

Absolutely.

842 Club creates leadership pathways for people who’ve never been invited into leadership before. That includes anyone with leadership potential who has felt left out of traditional business, civic, political, or non-profit spaces.

Starting a club just means being the person who says, “Let’s get together, have fun, and do some good for the community.”

That’s it.

We’ll provide starter kits, flyers, guides, training, and support to help you get the word out, find like-minded people, and build momentum.

Many clubs start with just a handful of people who care enough to try. You don’t need a crowd. You just need to start.

Fill in the form on our Contact page or email us at info@842club.com to get involved.

You can help us by:

• Spreading the word and sharing our website and social media pages

• Donating resources or funding local chapters

• Volunteering for national efforts (media, design, logistics, etc.)

• Becoming an 842 Ambassador to help us connect with business and community leaders, open doors for local clubs, and build the credibility and relationships needed to grow this movement nationwide

Fill in the form on our Contact page or email us at info@842club.com to get involved.

We’d be extremely grateful for your support.

842 Ambassadors are business owners, community leaders, tradespeople, veterans, educators, and other trusted voices who believe in rebuilding civic strength.

They help open doors, build trust, and connect 842 Clubs to people and organizations who can help our mission grow.

Here’s what that looks like in practice:

• Make Introductions: Connect us with local business owners, civic leaders, tradespeople, community leaders, veterans groups, or nonprofits who share our values and can help support our clubs.

• Advocate for the Mission: Lend your voice to help others understand what 842 Club is and why it matters. That might mean speaking at a local event, writing a short endorsement, or simply telling people, “This is something real.”

• Offer Mentorship and Guidance: Help younger members navigate leadership, business, or life. Share your knowledge and help shape the next generation with real-world wisdom, not empty talk.

• Open Doors: Help clubs access resources: a space to meet, donated materials, employment opportunities, funding, or connections that remove obstacles and accelerate impact.

• Protect the Culture: Help us keep the mission clear and focused by standing up for the values of Unity, Honor, and Action. Your example helps keep the wrong people out, and the right people aligned.

If you care about leaving a legacy, supporting future leaders, and strengthening public life in your town or city, the 842 Ambassadors Program is for you.

Fill in the form on our Contact page or email us at info@842club.com to get involved.