Stories & Blog Posts
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...
Towards Connection and Community: Practical Tools for Getting to Know Your Neighbors
Making friends as an adult can be awkward and getting to know your neighbors can be equally difficult. Over the years, I have been inspired by a few people and...
Why I Started a Supper Club
I wish I could tell you Supper Club was my idea; it wasn’t. The idea came from a nineteen-year-old intern. She was spending the semester earning sociology credit with my...
How Trust Is Built in Our Communities: What the 2024 Survey Taught Us
This article was originally published on We Are Neighbors, a blog by David L. Burton. In a time when many Americans feel divided and uncertain about the future, the Trust...
What to do When Your Neighbor is Grieving
According to June, our “neighborhood chaplain” Earlier today I was placing an order in Starbucks when I heard my name called from across the room. I turned around to find...