Strengthen Your Neighborhood Community with These Ideas for Fall

Fall is a great time to take up something new and help build camaraderie in your area. It’s easy to be the person who sparks change and creates a close neighborhood community in your area. Whether your neighbors are a growing family, a single individual, or a couple living out their golden years, they will appreciate extra kindness this fall.

Why Community Engagement Is Important

Not only does helping your neighbors give you a chance to become closer as a community unit and to get outside the house, but you grow stronger as a family when you participate too. You feel like you’re making an impact in the community, and you will meet friends (of all ages!) while you help out others. It’s also an opportunity to show off a skill or enhance a new one. As a bonus, if you get your kids involved, they’ll learn a bit about volunteerism and selflessness.

How You Can Help This Fall

Here are a few ways some friends and I have reached out to those around us who could use some extra encouragement or a helping hand. I challenge you to try one of these in the next few days.

• Surprise a busy neighbor with a casserole or slow cooker meal and homemade cookies for dinner. They’ll appreciate the good food and thoughtfulness.
• Offer to take neighborhood kids to school on an upcoming Friday to free up the morning for other busy parents.
• Head to your neighbor’s yard with rakes and lawn bags to do a quick fall cleanup.
• Ask if an elderly neighbor needs her garden weeded or trees trimmed back before winter arrives.
• Offer elderly neighbors a ride to the grocery store or to pick up items on their shopping list for them.
• Host a casual outdoor party. Light the fire pit, toss some burgers on the grill, and get to know your neighbors.
• If you have extra free time during the day, see if anyone needs his dog walked or let out for a bathroom break.
• When a neighbor talks about planning a trip, offer to pick up her mail and check on her home while she’s away.
• Organize a Facebook neighborhood community group to keep tabs on community concerns, school events, or maintenance of shared spaces.
• Plan an after-school movie night on a Friday for the local kids if you have a large TV viewing area.
• Carve pumpkins, and place them on an elderly neighbor’s porch as a seasonal decoration.

Helping neighbors in need doesn’t have to take much time or money. The resulting gratitude, however, is priceless! How are you working to build the relationships in your neighborhood? Visit us on Twitter to join the conversation!

Image source: Flickr

This article was brought to you by Tom’s of Maine. The views and opinions expressed by the author do not reflect the position of Tom’s of Maine.