Neighborhood Possibilities – Read More
For example, creative one-hour, once-a-month “outside” events in a neighbor’s yard on a Friday evening or Saturday morning.
In some conversations with neighbors, I am told don’t “volunteer me” for some big neighborhood event.
If we create small popup events, the burden of preparation & serving is not so overwhelming. Especially if we require a signup (SignUpGenius) sheet for the event. If there are 35 residents signed up (including family members) prior to an event, planning, preparation and serving is not so overwhelming.
My wife & I have hosted a coffee & conversation meeting, once-a-month for one hour for over 2 years on a Saturday morning. Because we do our meeting in our home, we usually pass out 20 neighbor invites. However, if we were to invite the neighborhood but require RSVP, we could handle an outdoor event.
Consider using OHPNA membership money to buy food, drinks and paper plates. Charge a little more per serving than the cost. And always have a large donation jar available in case guests want to pay a little extra. All money collected goes back into the OHPNA fund. All events last only one hour.
For the “Ice Cream Social”, if purchased a Sam’s Club, waffle ice cream cones are about 60 cents, sodas are about 60 cents. If we charge $1 for each, there is a small profit, and we are bringing neighbors together.
Breakfast tacos from a restaurant costs about 3 for $5… if you know ahead of time what you want in your taco and how many you want … you can sell them priced slightly above the purchase price.
The key is to have a few tables & chairs to briefly sit neighbors giving them a chance to talk to each other.
AND after a few small popup events … when the day comes in October for “Neighbors Together,” more neighbors will want to attend, and the “burden” will be less, if you have neighbors RSVP and they create “name tags” at the event.
For example:
Each neighbor can create their own name tag with name & street… and there will be more introductions … bringing neighbors together.
CREATE A PHONE BLAST
If you create a Calendar in the Pebbles newsletter some neighbors will respond. If you create a Calendar on Facebook some neighbors will respond. If you take last year’s Directory and write down all the resident’s phone numbers and ask new neighbors to complete a membership form, adding their phone numbers to the list, and send a “phone blast” about upcoming events and request for RSVP’s … you will connect with most of our residents. And membership could possibly sky rocket.