Bringing Your Neighborhood Together
Ideas for making your neighborhood friendlier
How many of your neighbors do you know by name? How often do you see your neighbors? In times past, neighbors relied on one another for support, help and companionship during difficult times. Here are some fun and innovative ways to bring your neighborhood together and build a close, warm community:
• Get To Know The Older Residents of the Neighborhood: Older neighbors often are home during the day, and may have more time to chat, share local history, and talk about how the neighborhood has changed over the years. Invite your senior neighbors over for coffee, a walk, or ask them to share some interesting stories about the neighborhood.
• Form A Group Dedicated To Helping Older Neighbors: Although time may be limited, how about forming a group dedicated to helping older neighbors with things like picking up items from the grocery store when needed, or inviting all the kids in the neighborhood to rake the leaves on an older neighbor's lawn. Along with teaching children about helping others and the joys of sharing, it could also provide some needed support for older residents who are trying to stay in their homes. While time and resources may be limited, things like picking up some milk at the grocery store, dropping off a prescription or dry cleaning, could help prolong a senior's years living independently.
• Plan A Block Party: Invite everyone on the block to contribute food and drink. Plan a few party games for the children, and call the local police for any ordinances or information on sectioning off a piece of the street for the party. If a block party is not possible, how about a backyard barbecue or potluck dinner?
• Start A Community Garden: Do you have some land that is not used? Invite neighbors to come together for a community garden. Ask experienced gardeners to share their tips. Perhaps choose a charity or organization where some of the produce grown can be donated, as a way of the neighborhood coming together to help a good cause.
• Have A First Day of School Driveway Party: Block off a driveway with a car, set up a table, and invite mothers, fathers and their children to stop by on the way home from the first day of school to enjoy some cookies and milk, ice cream or donuts and cider. Or plan a Last-Day-of-November-Party, first day of January party, or Last-Day-of-Winter-Party. Put a table out on the driveway, drinks and some crackers, cookies, a cake or chips, add a few balloons, and you're ready to enjoy
getting to know your neighbors.
• Gather Families Once A Month for A Potluck Dinner: Invite the families in your neighborhood to gather together once a month for a potluck dinner. This is a great way to get to know one another.
• Throw A Neighborhood Movie Night: Pop popcorn, ask everyone to bring a lawn chair, hang a sheet over a tree or garage door, and rent or borrow a projector. The kids will love it!
• Invite Everyone in the Neighborhood For A Picnic At A Local Park or Playground: Invite neighbors to picnic at a local park or playground.
• Hold A Neighborhood Bake Sale: Invite everyone to bake for a neighborhood bake sale and donate the proceeds to a local school that the children attend or the proceeds could be given to a local senior citizen's center.
• Start A Neighborhood Flower Garden: Young and old alike can share the love of growing beautiful flowers that will enhance the appearance of the neighborhood and can be picked and delivered to a local hospital or nursing home.
• Throw A Weekly Open House: Let neighbors know you are open and ready for company at a certain time each week. This will encourage everyone getting together and dropping by for a visit. If you like, let everyone know what time open house starts and ends.
• Start A Neighborhood Homework Help Group: Rotate houses and invite retired neighbors to stop by and help children with their homework.
• Start A Dinner-Share Program: How about taking turns cooking for one another to help out during dinner time? Consider a share-a-casserole-with-your-neighbor program or exchange-a-pot-of-soup arrangement.
