Stories & Blog Posts
I Like to Walk
Note from the Director: This blog was originally published a few years ago. When we rebuilt our website, we saved some of our favorite blogs to share again. This is...
The State of Neighboring in Missouri: Turning Politeness into Connection
Reposted Reposted from we-are-neighbors.blogspot.com. Note from the Director: For our last blog of the year we are featuring The State of Neighboring in Missouri. We felt this was a timely piece as we head...
Substitute Santa
Originally Published Dec 15, 2021 Every year at our church, we have a Christmas Eve service which is led by the children’s ministry. It is always endearing to see the...
Holiday Neighbor Gifts that Build Connection
Holiday gift giving can be pure joy, or a tricky conundrum, especially if you’re trying to find gifts for people you don’t know that well. As our consumption has gone up, and our connections with others have gone...
An Invitation to Listen
It wasn’t all that long ago when I learned that there are different types of listening. As someone who’s come to realize that learning is one of my core values,...
Our 5 Favorite Neighborhood Traditions for the Holidays
Our team listens to a lot of stories. One of the many benefits of the work we do is having the ability to share these stories. To help spread the...
Check Your Windows: Become a Better Neighbor through Self-Assessment
There’s a story that’s stayed with me over the years—one that reminds me how our perspectives can be clouded by our own lenses. In the story, there is a man...
National Good Neighbor Day: The Power of Small
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Aesop We love big things. Big yards, big houses, big vehicles, big titles, big numbers…. All these big things...
A Simple Act to Strengthen Civic Life
What we learned from our neighborhood gathering experiment in Charlottesville – and how you can host a gathering of your own through our new $50 microgrant. Original newsletter posted on...
Creating Community in Your Neighborhood
I recently read Dawn Staley’s new book, Uncommon Favor: Basketball, North Philly, My Mother, and the Life Lessons I Learned from All Three. Dawn is the head coach of the...
Creating Neighborhood Culture
Every neighborhood and community has a distinct culture. That culture is comprised of those who have lived there, both past and present. There are histories and stories to the places...
Stop Pretending You Don’t Like Birthdays
I have this thing for birthdays. Not really my own birthday, but birthdays, generally speaking. One time for my birthday, my roommate had a surprise breakfast planned. I had gone...