Letter: Block Party Revival Comes to Warwick

A block party reminds people about neighborhood possibilities.

I want to share with you a recent simple and joyous experience I had of connecting with my neighbors, most of whom I hadn’t met. It grew out of a meeting I attended back in the fall of last year, when a group, now called the Social Emotional Wellness (SEW) action team of We the People Warwick, met to explore ideas about how to strengthen and broaden our ties to one another as a community.

Someone mentioned “block party,” and we were all hit immediately with the feeling that this would be an easy and effective way to accomplish our objective to “promote opportunities for residents to experience the joy and satisfaction that flows from fulfilling our deep and universal need for connection, safety and belonging.”
This idea of a “gathering” of my neighbors had been on my mind for a while, and I was spurred to action. I created a flyer and put one in each of twenty neighbors’ mailboxes with the invitation.

The response was pretty immediate and positive. Family members from about fifteen homes showed up, and it turned out to be a joyous occasion. The hunger for connection was palpable in the smiling faces and eager chatting of all who gathered. Here are some of the highlights:

- There were two long-time neighboring families who had never met. It was a pleasure to watch them connect and find common interests.

- A family who had moved in just two weeks before the gathering were deeply grateful for the early opportunity to connect with neighbors and the friendly welcome they received. And they invited us all to a housewarming party they were hosting three weeks down the road.

- I have Parkinson’s disease and my balance has gotten wobbly. Four different neighbors all made it clear to me that if I ever needed assistance with anything, or had an emergency, not to hesitate to call on them. This was an unexpected and reassuring benefit for me.

- Neighbors exchanged information regarding trusted service providers, such as a tree service, babysitters, catering, and favorite restaurants, to name just a few.

- We also decided to create a neighborhood group text. Within a few weeks the group began using it to alert each other about missing dogs, bear sightings, to check on neighbors during power outages and to let others know of things they no longer needed that were up for grabs.

As soon as I reported the success of this event to our SEW team, we began to hear of other examples of “block parties” going on in our town. Folks in the Warwick area are getting together on village blocks, as well as their driveways, backyards, porches and front lawns. Regardless of the name, it’s a simple joyful idea that promises all sorts of positive outcomes for all of us, since all of us have neighbors.

SEW members are excited to talk up the value of these gatherings and will be promoting this initiative throughout the summer and early fall. If you’d like to know how best to start one in your neighborhood, see wethepeoplewarwick.org/neighborhood-gatherings for an easy “how-to” guide and other resources. We’re excited at the possibility that this simple joyful idea might take hold in Warwick at large.

Your neighbor,

Lou Cox

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