by Jennifer Prophete | Sep 9, 2026 | Discover the Gifts
My dog’s name is June. Everything about June is perfect. No, really. Like, everything. She has heterochromia – one blue eye and one brown. She never bites, never chews, never growls. I’ve heard her bark just once, and that was...
by Pam Rempe | Mar 3, 2026 | Discover the Gifts, Getting to Know Your Neighbors, Imagine the Possibilities
A note from the Director. This piece was first published at the launch of The Hopeful Neighborhood Project, five years ago this month. We launched The Hopeful Neighborhood Project to improve neighborhood well-being. Our motivation was multi-faceted, but one reason was...
by Jennifer Prophete | Feb 17, 2026 | Discover the Gifts, Getting to Know Your Neighbors, How-to
When you hear the word “neighborhood,” what image comes to mind? For me, I often visualize a residential street in the middle of a suburb, complete with sidewalks, trees, and single-family homes. For others, it might be a sprawling cityscape or a...
by Pam Rempe | Apr 29, 2025 | Discover the Gifts, Imagine the Possibilities, Pursue the Common Good
Last year, I was talking with my dad about climate activism, and he said, “But I’m not an activist. I don’t go out in the streets and march or anything.” We shared a brief moment of silence, then changed the topic. I reflected on my father’s words and that silence for...
by Pam Rempe | Oct 22, 2024 | Discover the Gifts, Imagine the Possibilities
I am learning to fine-tune my ability to see and pay attention. In a world of deadlines and urgent appointments, beeping phones, alerting messages and distracting advertisements, I need practices that slow me down and help me see anew in the most familiar of places. ...
by Pam Rempe | Aug 14, 2024 | Discover the Gifts, Neighborhood Well-being, Pursue the Common Good
Neighbor Wanted! Soft skills preferred: Dependable and empathetic problem solver. Team player. All other skills: optional. If this flyer was posted in your community, would you qualify? In our post-pandemic, hybrid, AI work-world, soft skills matter...
