Campaign aims to create ‘safer and happier’ communities
“I think there is so much online entertainment now and so many other things going on that many of us get overwhelmed,” she said. “We forget the simple joys of just getting together regularly with a neighbor over coffee.”
Partnership for Floyd is advocating for county residents to become more familiar with those closest to them during its 2025 “Get to Know Your Neighbors” Campaign.
Jane Cundiff, secretary of PFF, said the campaign originally stemmed from the organization’s Emergency Preparedness Initiative that began in 2023 “but became serious after Hurricane Helene.”
“It became clear that those living in more rural areas, where services may be unavailable, need to be better prepared for emergencies,” Cundiff said. “Sometimes we may need to depend on our neighbors. Who in our neighborhood might need help and what skills do we have to help each other?”
The Neighbors Campaign page on PFF’s website states that “good neighbors may be our best hope in an emergency and a key to a happy, safe, resilient community,” and it includes several tips for getting to know those in your neighborhood better:
- Be visible and friendly: Take frequent walks down your road or stop your car and wave and chat with people you see. Smiles are contagious!
- Help the Elderly: they may have more time, good stories and advice.
- Ask for advice: Especially ask for advice on how to get to know neighbors and how to BE a good neighbor! Ask about neighborhood history, traditions, nature, gardens and what services people use.
- Respect their space and privacy: Understand that country living often attracts people who value solitude.
- Topics to avoid: Politics, religion and personal finances.
Share your bounty: Share your garden produce. Offer a plate of cookies. This is a classic country gesture of goodwill. - Host a casual gathering: Start with just a couple neighbors. Work together to host a small neighborhood potluck. Perhaps work with a local church or business to host a larger gathering.
- Start a private neighborhood Facebook page: Where you can share information of events, of services needed and offered or problems.
The website also includes a pamphlet and flyer, both of which feature fill-in-the-blank sections with information such as, “My name is…,” “I’ve lived in Floyd County for…,” and contact information.
Cundiff said, “a connected neighborhood is safer and happier” based on research regarding social connections, and mental and physical health.
“I think there is so much online entertainment now and so many other things going on that many of us get overwhelmed,” she said. “We forget the simple joys of just getting together regularly with a neighbor over coffee.”
A schedule of PFF’s Rural Skills Workshops can be found online at www.partnershipforfloyd.org/a-year-of-rural-skills-workships.
Upcoming events include “Be Red Cross Ready and Hands Only CPR,” on Saturday, Sept. 6, from 3-5 p.m. at Jessie Peterman Memorial Library, and one about plant propagation at I-TAL Acres on Sunday, Sept. 14, from 2-4 p.m.
Past workshops have included “Stop the Bleed” wound care, chainsaw safety and types (along with demonstrations), contagious diseases in pets and livestock, and more.
Additional information about PFF, its mission, all of its ongoing projects and how to get involved can be found online at www.partershipforfloyd.org.