Midland Michigan Working to Create a City of Neighbors

 


Midland, Michigan Leads the Way With Neighboring. 

Dave Runyon, author of "The Art of Neighboring," told me about Midland Michigan when I was first starting research on the topic. At the end of my interview I asked him to tell me about a city that was doing neighboring well and he said Midland.

So I sent a few emails and the next thing you know, I was talking with the Mayor!

The Midland Neighboring Project was started by Wally Mayton, Associate Pastor of Memorial Presbyterian Church in Midland, Michigan. Another key leader was Mayor Maureen Donker, who encouraged civic leaders to find a common goal of asking neighbors to move beyond acquaintance to the creation of caring relationships. 

They describe the Midland Neighboring Project in this way: As community faith leaders and community advocates, we encourage friends to (1) learn the names of all their neighbors; (2) to build relationships with their neighbors through common interests and shared experiences; and (3) to sustain compassionate and caring practices of neighboring love. 

So let's begin my interview: with this recorded Zoom video.

You can learn more about Midlands neighboring program and how it ties to inclusion at on this website. Or learn more about neighboring week in Midland here.

Midland Michigan Cultural Awareness and Neighbor Week, is described on this webpage.

I also have two videos from my online class featuring Midland. One is the kick off Zoom for my class and Midland is the focus -- see this Neighboring 101 session on YouTube. 

And in the other, I feature Community Art projects including one in Midland on this Neighboring 101 session on YouTube.

Alysia Christy, director of a public art project during neighbor week in Midland, Michigan. It is a wonderful effort at placemaking and bringing neighbors together.

According to Christy, Public Arts Midland Initiative and the Cultural Awareness Coalition Initiative came together to intersect and amplify this concept of inclusive neighboring within our community. 

They have now amplified their efforts with Max Loves Midland. 

"This is our new collective communication hub that we utilize to bring a sense of belonging and connection across people and sectors and systems because the reality is Midland County demographics historically has spoken more to the people with an education," said Christy.

MORE INFORMATION

Does this article make you interested in taking the Engaged Neighbor pledge? Five categories and 20 principles to guide you toward becoming an engaged neighbor. Sign the pledge online at http://engagedneighbor.com.

Contact the blog author, David L. Burton at dburton541@yahoo.com.

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