For one Boston activist group trying to raise awareness, change is just as close as hopping into the nearest hot tub or lacing up roller skates.

To combat what it sees as a dwindling interest in activist causes, such as supporting free trade or protesting the war in Iraq, members of the group Socializing for Justice say they believe they have found the antidote to political apathy. Members say meeting regularly to discuss issues and promote causes in a low-key, informal environment can keep people motivated.

“People don’t always want to come listen to a speech,” assistant coordinator Hilary Allen said. “We just want to pull a bunch of people together.”

The organization, which Allen and cofounder Robbie Samuels started last August, uses social-networking website MeetUp.com to plan periodic meetings, ranging from an evening of Boggle to a night of beer at the Foggy Goggle to ice skating.

Stances the generally left-leaning group supports include environmentalism, feminism and racial equality, but they vary in the causes they adopt.

“There are some who have been in the area for a while, there are some who have been in the corporate sector and there are those who are new to activism,” Allen said. “We tend to be very open and non-exclusive. That’s what attracts lots of people.”

No matter how apolitical the activities can seem, Allen said group events maintain an activist undertone.

“Many work on single-issue campaigns,” she said. “People at meet-ups wear name tags that say ‘ask me about’ or ‘looking for’ on them. It lets them find people with similar ideas or get volunteers for events.”

And while activism is at the forefront, members often find roommates or jobs during the group’s meetings, which Allen attributed to the social nature of their events.

“We’re like a liberal Craigslist,” she said.

The group’s meetings, such as last night’s “Roller-Skating for Justice” at Chez Vous Roller Rink, or last month’s dance at community center Spontaneous Celebrations — which works with various community groups, multicultural organizations and artists — are primarily social events, according to venue director Jen Koik.

“But the event aside, these are definitely political people,” Koik said.

Paul Marcus, director of the local racial activist organization Community Change Inc., said a comfortable atmosphere is the right way to revive interest in volunteer work.

“We activists tend to get burned out,” said Marcus, who noted that too many organizations lack social interaction. “It’s important to relax. If people are activists outside and then get together to make connections and work at problem solving, I think that’s a great thing.”

Marcus added, though, that successful activist groups still benefit from explicitly stating their aims.

Some local activist groups have taken issue with SoJust’s approach toward organizing its members, criticizing the group for lacking the necessary focus to be effective.

“Personally, I don’t see this sort of thing working well,” said Brian Camenker, coordinator of the conservative activist group MassResistance. “It’s nice to meet people, but what’s their ultimate agenda?”

According to Camenker, a group without a solidified set of goals can prove ineffective or even dangerous.

“The thing you’ve got to ask yourself when you meet these sort of people is, ‘What exactly do you mean by social justice?'” he said. “People could say just about anything is social justice. I’m sure Hezbollah thinks they’re pursuing social justice. I’ll even bet the people who bombed the Twin Towers thought they were bringing about social justice.”

Camenker said many college-age students become involved with causes on both sides of the political spectrum and not necessarily because of strong personal beliefs.

“When I was in college, the big thing was protesting Vietnam,” Camenker said. “Three-fourths of us didn’t give a damn about the war. We were just looking for a way to meet loose women.”

Allen said that while the 500-strong group has yet to change the world, it has succeeded in bringing like-minded individuals together.

“The idea is to have cross-promotion,” she said. “To not be so isolated.”