Performing an act of neighboring is easier than many people imagine.
Acts of neighboring are often simple gestures that you help you be a good neighbor, lift up others and make your neighborhood or community a better place to live.
Dave Runyon, author of “The Art of Neighboring” sometimes defines it this way: “neighboring means learning the names of the people that live closest to you, using their names, and throwing great social events.”
I have created a list of neighboring examples to help people think about what it could mean in their neighborhood. Do not be limited by this list, just consider it a basic starting point.
- Go for a walk and bring a small trash bag to pick up trash along the sidewalk.
- Use sidewalk chalk to write an inspiring message on the sidewalk in front of your home.
- Ask an elderly neighbor or parent with young children if you can pick up items for them while you’re at the store.
- If you play a musical instrument, give invitations to your neighbors to attend an outdoor concert on the curb at a given time.
- Introduce yourself to a neighbor, especially if you’ve lived near each other for a while but haven’t met.
- Compliment a neighbor on a feature of their home or garden.
- Offer to mow the lawn of a busy young family or older adult neighbor.
- Make a double batch of the cookies you’re baking and bring some to a neighbor.
- Know parents who could use a night out? Offer to babysit a neighbor’s child for free.
- Organize a blitz neighborhood cleanup.
- Make dinner for a neighbor who has just had a baby or surgery.
- Throw a socially distanced happy hour. Invite your neighbors to hang out on their porches one evening, in waving and shouting distance.
- Join your neighborhood association or HOA.
- Create an emergency contact list with your neighbors. You’ll be one another’s first line of defense in case of a disaster.
- Give a neighbor a book you think they would like.
- Write a letter of encouragement to a neighbor you know is having a hard time.
- Send a friend a helpful or inspiring article that made you think of them.
- Host a neighborhood book club.
- Host a neighborhood monthly men’s club where you meet and learn about the hobby of a neighbor (like car restoration).
- Host neighborhood chats in lawn chairs on the driveway.
- Move a picnic table to your front yard for a gathering spot with neighbors.
- Host a neighbor for coffee and dessert.
- Front yard game nights.
- Neighborhood contest for lawns or Christmas lights.
- Neighborhood backyard garden tour.