If you have a story that you would like us to consider for this list please, send it to info@ourunitedvillages.org.

"One of the reasons I bought my home was that the people on the block looked out for one another, and it has been my pleasure to help that tradition continue. We have helped jumpstart each others' cars, push vehicles off icy streets, shared home preserves and pickles, rallied around an ailing neighbor, shoveled snow from each other's sidewalks, shared flowers from our gardens, and anonymously left wreaths for the entire block on May Day. The ailing neighbor had helped mow yards on the street for years, and now his neighbors are doing the same for him. One very special neighbor came over unexpectedly recently and helped me stack 2 cords of wood! For the right amount of money you can buy a house anywhere - but friendly, caring neighbors are simply priceless.....and if there is one lesson to be learned, it is that to have caring neighbors you must be one yourself!"

"My grandma turned 89 this week. She wakes up every morning at 5am to walk one mile with her dog Sugar. On her Birthday, she returned to her house, and went to the backyard, as usual, to water her plants. All of her neighbors had come into her backyard at 5:25am, when she always returns from her walk, to sing her Happy Birthday."

"I had the opportunity to visit a friend´s house. The physical layout of her backyard lends itself to interactions with her neighbors. The fence that surrounds the backyard has large gates that open up into the neighbor´s yards. The dogs run and play from one yard to the other; in the middle of the city, they have a yard the size of a football field because of this shared space. There is a paved walkway in their backyard and the neighbor´s paved walkway is made of the same stone. I was inspired to see how I could make my home more welcoming, and create a sense of continuity and togetherness with my neighbors."

"When I have grandchildren, I hope that the things that I love about my neighborhood will still be there. I hope that we can continue to preserve the history of our neighborhood, restore old buildings, and invest energy into our local economy."

"I meet my neighbors by being outside….getting my mail, gardening, walking my dog, or having a BBQ."

"I love that my neighborhood has gathering space. There are many little spots to run into my neighbors on a regular basis like a park, a coffee house, a corner store, and a cafe."

"I forgot to open the flue on my chimney and the house filled with smoke. I opened my doors and windows to get the smoke out. My neighbor came running across the street and up into my house, yelling "Hello, is anyone there? Is everyone alright?" I came out and let her know that I was okay. I love living in a place where my neighbors care about me. I love knowing that if there ever was a fire in my house, my neighbors are looking out for me."

"I love my neighborhood because my neighbors make my life easier and I enjoy their company. We help each other out. They´ll walk my kids to school one day. I´ll pick their kids up from school the next day. We trade vegetables from the garden. We pick up each other´s mail when we are out of town."

"Mrs. Jones had lived in her home for over 50 years, but since her only living relative was in Seattle, soon she was going to have to move into a care facility. Neighbors gave Mrs. Jones something as simple as a whistle; but with the whistle came something so much larger--community. Any time Mrs. Jones blew her whistle, whether is was to have her recycling taken down or just to talk, she had kids and neighbors running over to see how they could help. In another neighborhood, an elder wanted to map out fruit trees and teach the lost practice of canning. Most recently, several women have called or stopped by asking for assistance with home repairs. Our United Villages was able to connect them with other neighbors who were more than willing to spend a couple hours installing a guard rail or fixing a garage door."



If you have a story that you would like us to consider for this list please, send it to info@ourunitedvillages.org.