Last Updated on June 27, 2017
There are so many positives that burst to life out of nothing more than enjoying a little community spirit in your neighborhood. Living in a neighborhood where everyone knows everyone, and where everyone chips in, is known to help create a sense of belonging and that is known to have wonderful effects on both physical and mental wellbeing. Unfortunately, this sense of community seems to be dwindling in the modern age. Neighborhoods just aren’t the close-knit families they once were.
So, in order to start reversing this change and begin creating a stronger community spirit where you live, we have come up with a few amazing ideas that could help you set something in motion, Best of luck.
Introduce Yourself
Knowing a couple of people in your neighborhood is fantastic, but it isn’t enough; not if you want to be part of that dreamy community you’ve always imagined. That’s why we urge you to say hi to more and more of your neighbors. It doesn’t have to be awkward, it just has to be genuine. Tell them how you’ve been meaning to introduce yourself and let your friendship go from there.
Neighborhood Directory
We live in a day and age where Whatsapp groups are a fantastic way to keep everyone updated and everyone in the loop. It creates a sense of belonging among big groups. So why not follow this format. Go around your neighborhood and put a little sign-up sheet in their mailbox. Name, address, email and a fact about them. Then set up an email group. You can then use this to discuss community things and organize events.
Sharing Economy
There is nothing that says community like sharing, so try encouraging this type of lifestyle among all those that live on your block. Create a tool library through http://localtools.org/, or start a toy library, or a carpool service, or a kids morning, you could even let your neighbors use your spare room when friends are in town, and anything else you can think of.
Invest As One
There are certain things that can make a neighborhood that little bit better, but they are only achievable when you all chip in. It could be that you upgrade the playground or the park. It could be you want to buy a defibrillator from https://www.foremostequipment.com/ in the case of an emergency. Perhaps you could create a shared garden where you all help maintain and grow, and all reap the rewards as a result. Perhaps just a little bit of money or donation into the block library too.
Monthly Block Party
There is nothing like a block party to break down the walls of anonymity. All it takes is one and you’ll start to notice a load more interaction in your community. But don’t have one and stop. Hold one every month; just keep it simple and keep it organised. Have a carnival one month and a street food festival the next. Maybe even hire a live band to come and play, or have the children put on a talent show. There are so many options and they would all be amazing.