The Neighboring Movement —born and thriving in Wichita, KS—is on a mission to turn ordinary neighborhoods into extraordinary communities. How? By discovering, connecting, and mobilizing the gifts of the people who already live there. They believe that when you know your neighbors—and actually like them—a culture of scarcity can be flipped into a culture of abundance, filled with joy, friendship, and shared resources. Instead of starting with city hall, they begin at the front porch. Right now, they’re especially focused on individuals and church congregations, but they’ve got bigger plans brewing. This summer marks the launch of We Care ICT —a bold step in their brand-new “theory of change” that starts in Wichita but is designed to spread to cities everywhere. Here’s the idea: give out hundreds of free We Care yard and door signs to anyone in Wichita who wants to make kindness impossible to miss. These aren’t just pretty signs—they’re conversation starters, neighborhood beacons,...

  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 s...

  The Hopeful Neighborhood Project Can Coach You and Residents Toward Connection.  I have featured the Hopeful Neighborhood Project on Neighboring 101 more than once.  The first time it was to explain the overall organization and you can  see that video here .  I also had the director on to explain their neighborhood process and you can see those videos here:  Discover Your Gifts ,  Imagine the Possibilities ,  Pursue the Common Good . The Hopeful Neighborhood has terrific resources and materials online. They also manage the website for National Good Neighbor Day and are doing great work in spreading the word about what it means to be a connected neighbor. One of their resources that I like best is Neighborhood Labs. In this interactive lab, a facilitator guides you through The Hopeful Neighborhood Project process to help you plan a real, hopeful project that increases your neighborhood’s well-being. Tools like the Neighbor Gift Exchange and Neig...

  Community Works is an organization, previously known as Great Lakes Urban, that helps  activate the power of neighborhoods to create long-term, positive change. Here’s how they do it: 1. Schedule a free discovery call. On this call, the staff will get to know your community, learn your goals, and explore the paths to get you there. 2. Find your program. Your community is unique, so everything they do at Community Works is customized to your context for the best support possible. 3. Activate your community's potential . An active, engaged community has the power to sustain the change you long for. In 2008, this organization started in Zeeland, Michigan as Great Lakes Urban Restoration Network. Their goal at the time was to help neighbors through practical, needed home improvement. They quickly realized something was missing; their vision was too small. So the organization shifted. Instead of solving one problem through home renovation, they asked what could happen if they he...

  3Sixty is a placemaking nonprofit organizing residents, faith leaders, nonprofits, and city government as neighbors to revitalize their neighborhoods.  "Our Place-Based Leadership Program equips residents with foundational knowledge and skills for grassroots community building work," said Jake Norris, executive director. By focusing on neighborhood voices and aspirations, 3Sixty has produced multiple neighborhood initiatives, such as our Eastcore Neighborhood Linear Park as well as our award-winning Tulip City Walls Mural Festival. If you are interested in bringing our Place-Based Leadership Program to your city, please contact Jake Norris: jake@3-sixty.org. You can also   see an interview  with Jake Norris about the award winning mural festival in Holland. 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...

  Nationwide, more cities are discovering the power of engaging residents in neighborhoods instead of at city hall during a monthly meeting.     Peoria, Arizona is one of the best cities in America for reaching out to engage residents . Members of the c ity engagement and neighborhoods department at Peoria, Lisa Mattox and Adam Jackson , were recognized with a national award in 2022 by Neighborhoods USA.     Wh en it came time to explore options in Republic , I contacted Mattox and Jackson.     In Peoria, they h ave found that neighborhood pop-up events work best 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. during the week, or anytime on a Saturday. They recommend avoiding Wednesday and Friday evenings.      “ One of the biggest things has been working out times that it's good to get out there with people. We try to catch people when they are coming home. If we can catch them on their way home from work, we have a better showing ,” said Mattox .   ...