Overview

The philosophy of working side by side is alive and well in cities, towns and rural communities everywhere. We call that philosophy “Neighboring”.

Neighboring is a way of volunteering that builds on the talents and resources of local residents to strengthen families and elevate struggling communities into flourishing, vibrant places to live. It is about the connections among residents that support positive individual and community behavior based on mutual respect, responsibility and ownership. It is an asset- and empowerment-based approach that engages underserved and under resourced community members to find innovative, sustainable solutions to address local challenges. Neighboring is most successful in communities that lack access to the typical resources that promote self-sufficiency.

Be a Partner in Neighboring!

Points of Light Institute and HandsOn Network, in partnership with The Annie E. Casey Foundation, invite you to embrace Neighboring as a way to transform America's communities. We challenge you to develop programs that help community members help themselves. How do you do it?

Get to know the community and build trust with community members.
Work with community members to identify their needs and desires for change as well as their gifts and talents.
Acknowledge where Neighboring is already occurring and support, not hinder, existing efforts
Assist community members in discovering their own skills and talents and those of their neighbors.
Give them tools and resources to help one other so that, together, they can tackle their community's challenges.

Many communities, especially those with few resources, struggle with unemployment, violence and drugs. Residents are looking for connections to vital resources that can improve their odds of overcoming these obstacles. They may not know how to tap into the talents that exist within their own neighborhood.

We need your help to tap into the irrepressible American spirit of volunteerism to address some of the most entrenched challenges in our communities. Community residents already have the talents and skills to find collective solutions. You can offer them the tools. With your guidance and support, there's no limit to what neighbors can achieve together.

You can work with neighbors to identify common goals and foster mutual respect.

You can enable neighbors to develop a renewed sense of hope and take responsibility and ownership for struggling communities.

You can assist neighbors in creating supportive networks and opportunities necessary to bring them together.

You can support neighbors in building a better future for individual and families communities.

You can empower communities to create the change they seek.

Check back periodically for more information and stories on Neighboring. In the meantime, download the Neighboring Action Kits and Essential Strategies to get started today!

Impact & Evaluation

HandsOn Network has embraced Neighboring as a grant making strategy to strengthen families since 1996. Through Neighboring, natural neighbor-to-neighbor helping that strengthens children, families, and communities is encouraged and supported. This helping does not replace the assistance provided by traditional volunteers. Instead, Neighboring underscores that help need not come from outside a community, but from within.

Neighbors helping neighborhood children by…