52 Weeks of Neighboring - 9/2

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Tip of the Week – Host a fall block party.

In our neck of the woods, block party season comes twice a year. Once in the spring and once in the fall. If you don't want to freeze or sweat these are the best two seasons to host a block party. With fall right around the corner, it is a great time to start considering hosting a block party on your street. 

If you’re new to 52 weeks of neighboring, welcome! If you’ve been with us for a while, you may remember we suggested hosting a block party in the spring. Whether you’re a first-time block party host or an expert, we have four essentials for you to remember.

  1. A block party does not have to be hard, complicated, or stressful. Keep it simple! Don’t feel the need to feed and entertain everyone if that’s not your forte. The simpler a block party is, the easier it is for your neighbors to contribute and feel comfortable.
  2. Make your invitations personal. Try and stay away from email or text invitations. Instead, make handwritten or printed invitations and personally deliver them. You can also invite your neighbors face to face! Just make sure they’re well aware of time, date, and location.
  3. Find a way to let everyone contribute. Sometimes this looks like a potluck, but there are other options too. Recently, some SoCe Life friends hosted a bubble party! See http://neighboringmovement.org/blog/2017/7/5/its-easier-than-you-think for the whole story. If you want to steal their idea, ask each neighbor to bring a bubble wand! At a loss for entertainment? Ask neighbors to bring a lawn game or board game.
  4. Measure success by connection. It's tempting to measure block party success by the number of attendees. Instead, measure your party’s success by connections. If you made a personal connection with one person or heard one person’s story, your block party was a neighboring success!

If you host a block party, please let us know! We would love to encourage you and learn from your experience. You can message us on Facebook or Twitter, or email us at socelife@gmail.com.

Happy neighboring!