Tuesday’s National Good Neighbor Day is an ideal time to practice the art of good neighboring

By Esmeralda Casas, Neighborhood and Community Relations Coordinator

Have new residents moved into your neighborhood recently? Is there a neighbor on your street you’ve never met? 

Since Tuesday is National Good Neighbor Day, it’s an ideal time to take the first step to connect and introduce yourself. If you need an icebreaker, Neighborhood Services can even provide you with a complimentary welcome bag. 

To promote community and connectedness during these socially distant times, you may also consider hosting a neighborhood cleanup day or a group walk around the neighborhood. We can help with activity ideas and safety guidelines for registered neighborhoods.

Another terrific way to celebrate is checking out the National Good Neighbor Day book display at the Larry J. Ringer Library. Neighborhood Services has helped the library round-up insightful books to help younger residents and their families learn about good neighboring. So, stop by the library on Sept. 28 to read with your child or check out a book.

You don’t have to leave your home to practice good neighboring, either. Join your NextDoor or Facebook neighborhood group and introduce yourself, organize a Zoom get-together, or sit down with your children and teach them about how to be a good neighbor. We’ve created these free, downloadable coloring sheets to help start the conversation:

• All In This Together
• Hello There, Neighbor
• Howdy Neighbor
• Keep Your Neighborhood Clean
• Neighborhood Mural
• Virtual Hello
• Won’t You Be My Neighbor
• Woof Woof 

If your subdivision has a neighborhood or homeowners association, you can also volunteer to serve on the board or a subcommittee. It’s an excellent way to help improve your neighborhood while meeting neighbors and making friends. 

If your neighborhood doesn’t have an association, check out our manual to get one going. 

For more resources, including our Neighborhood Partnership Program application and Neighborhood Newsletter subscription, visit cstx.gov/Neighbor. 

And remember — it takes good neighbors to make great neighborhoods.

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