This year on Neighbour Day I invited all 150+ condo units in my building to a BBQ. It was actually a little nerve wracking for me. I was afraid that people might not come.
Over the last 10 days I got emails and texts from individuals telling me how lovely of an idea this was and letting me know if they could attend or not. Usually lamenting if they were going to be otherwise engaged that afternoon.
Today about 20 neighbours came over to enjoy a meal together. We provided the protein on the BBQ and everyone else brought something to share. It was awesome how many people noted how pleased they were about the chance to connect with their neighbours. Like us, a lot of them didn't actually know the people that lived around them. Which is funny since we live so close together in a condo building.
There are already follow up plans for hosting a progressive dinner in the next month, drinks next week at a local brewery and future larger meetups like this one. Lots of people exchanged phone numbers and condo unit numbers and there were many conversations about how we could have more times like this together.
It reminded me that just like when your teacher would say if you have a question in your head someone else in the class does too. All of these individuals were longing for the same neighbourly connection and community that I was yearning for. I'm hopeful about where this particular seed of neighbourliness will grow. It's also emboldening me to keep stepping up my community building efforts and continue to be the change I want to see in the world.
p.s. next time I need to take more photos!
Being a Force for Good 