Powerful Acts of Being A Good Neighbor
Powerful Acts of Being A Good Neighbor
Sometimes it is the simple, small acts that make the biggest difference. Below are a few examples of what these acts of service and acts of neighborliness may look like. We encourage you to pick one and see what happens as doors open and new conversations begin simply because you showed up to unleash hope. These are just a few examples. There are many ways to love your neighbors well. When people ask why you are doing this simply tell them that God loves you and that is reason enough to want to love them. If your neighbors turn down your offer, don’t worry. You are being obedient to the greatest command no matter what. Before any activity pray God will use these acts for His glory and trust that is what will happen.
- Read a good book about neighboring to get you inspired. Try Dave Runyon’s book, “The Art of Neighboring.”
- Read Melody Warnick’s book, “This Is Where You Belong” and try out one of her ideas for learning to love where you live.
- Make a post of chili, soup or cookies and share… take some of your homemade treats to a neighbor and simply tell them you were thinking about them and wanted to bless them today.
- Beautify a corner of your neighborhood, plant flowers, help to clean, and pick up trash. If planting flowers, pot some and share.
- Do a family or group “Care Scavenger Hunt” to find ways of encouraging people in a define time frame. Then come back to share stories.
- Visit a local school, first responders location or hospital and take a thank you package to show appreciation for all they do for our community
- Put $20 cash or a gift card in your pocket specifically for the purpose of helping someone. Pray for wisdom in knowing who it should go to on that day.
- Reach out to old friends and tell them you would like to commit to praying for them at a certain time each day of the week for a month.
- Purchase a gift card to a local fast food restaurant. Use it to pay for someone’s meal or item unexpectedly.
- Write notes of encouragement and share them. They can be anonymous or not.
- Babysit for free for an evening so a couple can go out that rarely has the chance.
- Text 10 people and share something with them that you appreciate about them
- Make a busy bag for a family that has young children
- Keep water, socks, granola bars in your car to share in the moment when you see a need.
- Organize a prayer box in your neighborhood. This is a simply a place for people to drop off a prayer at anytime and know it will be prayed for.
- Give an overly generous tip
- Give out pre-paid card or quarters at a local laundromat
- Join CarePortal to learn how to respond to a need on the spot with a simple database notification. https://www.careportal.org/
- Leave a gift care with the check out clerk to be used for the next person in line (groceries, restaurant, gas station, etc)
- Offer a helping hand to rake a neighbor’s law, clean rain gutters
- Give thank you cards to those in your neighborhood who contribute in big and small ways.
- Find out who served in the Armed forces in your neighborhood and brainstorm something you could do that would show appreciation for them service.
- Host “Sunday Sundaes”. Invite your neighbors over for sundaes on a Sunday.
- Offer to walk your neighbors dog(s). They might welcome the break and you might have a chance to meet more neighbors.
- Bring cut flowers to a shut-in in your neighborhood.
- Start a neighborhood garden and bring the produce to your neighbors. You might want to put it in the front yard, so the neighbors watch the vegetables and flowers grow.
- Start a neighborhood lending library. You can build a book box on a pole for the neighborhood or in a public place in your apartment building.
- Look for needs in the neighborhood and ask if you can lend a hand.
- Host a neighborhood book club. You can host in your house, garage, or a local space like the library, community center, or a church basement.
- Go for a walk and bring a small trash bag to pick up trash along the sidewalk.
- Use sidewalk chalk to write an inspiring message on the sidewalk in front of your home.
- Ask an elderly neighbor or parent with young children if you can pick up items for them while you’re at the store.
- Compliment a neighbor on a feature of their home or garden.
- Make yourself available by spending more time in the front yard.
- Host a garage sale with special discounts for your neighbors.
- Organize a blitz neighborhood cleanup.
- Leave a bottle of bubbles, flowers, or a coloring book on the neighbor’s doorstep.
- Ask a neighbor if there’s a chore you can help them do.
- Set up a reverse lemonade stand with free drinks for neighbors.
- Host a weekly or monthly coffee bar in your garage for the neighborhood to gather people and get acquainted.
- Go to a library event featuring a local author or speaker. Invite a neighbor to go with you.
- Join your local HOA or neighborhood association. Or, if you can’t lead, find ways to support and thank them for their efforts.
- Offer to teach a skill you have to local neighbors. Skills like baking, writing, public speaking, budgeting, sewing, water color, and fixing a lawn mower are just a few ideas of skills many people (including young people) would love to learn.