I’ve thought for a number of years that a neighborhood block party would be a cause worth the effort, but never had the gumption to make it a reality until last summer. After dodging water balloons and laughing with newly met youngsters and oldsters on a hot and humid 99 degree summer day, I know it will be one of my priorities each summer.
Wouldn’t this be a greater place for young and old to live if we all made an attempt to connect with those living around us? The Search Institute has found that in strong communities, people define themselves in terms of informal relationships, like neighbor, rather than in terms of what programs they belong to. When the whole community recognizes its responsibility for strengthening assets for youth instead of relying on one segment of the community to do the work, young people do better. And we aren’t doing so well right now. According to the 2008 Iowa Youth Survey less than half (47%) of our Hamilton County youth reported living in supportive neighborhoods?
Maybe you too are interested in doing something that will be good for you and the youth in your neighborhood. Below are a few ideas to consider as you plan your block party.
- Don’t go it alone. Seek out other interested people to help you plan and promote the party. You’ll get to know your neighbors better, bring in more knowledge and resources, and make the work load lighter by sharing the responsibilities.
- Set the date. Talk with as many people as possible to find a day that works for most of the neighborhood. Then go with a date what works for the majority while allowing you time to adequately plan for the event. Don’t forget to set a rain date in case of bad weather.
- Determine who does what. By making individuals responsible for specific tasks it is easier to hold people accountable for the work. We designated individuals to be responsible for setup, food, hospitality, and entertainment. We all volunteered to help with cleanup duty.
- Setup: You will need to contact city hall to gain permission to block off a street so allow your self adequate time to do so. You will need to decide if you are providing tables and chairs for the meal or if guests are bringing their own. We strategically placed our event by a park and got permission to use the picnic tables and toilets there. We also arranged for extra tables from a local museum.
- Food: You’ll have to decide who will bring what. In our case someone loaned us a large grill and donated ears of sweet corn which we used to make grilled pork loin sandwiches and corn on the cob. We asked people who lived on one side of the street to bring salads and those on the other side to bring desserts. We asked for a free will offering to cover food expenses and paper products and then let people know that the excess would be donated to specific community need.
You will have to decide your policy for alcohol use. Our committee decided against it for two reasons; insurance liability and a desire to model to youngsters that adults can have fun without alcohol. We set an end time to the block party and told people that the gatherings with alcohol could continue in people’s backyards after that time.
- Hospitality/Invitation: You’ll have to decide how to market your party and make certain everyone feels welcome. We used fliers and took them around to people’s homes. We also asked people to RSVP to allow us to plan for the amount of meat to buy. But we learned later that others did not attend because they had failed to call. This year there will be no RSVP and we are adding an outdoor sign to remind people of the date.
Name tags are a good way for people to learn about each other. One of your forms of entertainment might be a fun icebreaker game where people introduce themselves and share info.
- Entertainment: It’s important to provide a blend of organized activities to get people interacting but also to allow free time for people to socialize on their own. We chose a mix of sit down and active games to accommodate all ages. However, it was the water balloons that got people laughing the hardest and had strangers acting more friend-like.
- Clean-up You’ll want to have a plan for keeping the garbage contained and the event as green as possible. We found that many of our guests were willing helpers in cleaning up at the end. And if you use water balloons, remember that some of the wildlife think those colored bits of plastic might be tasty. You’ll need to be good neighbors with the creatures who share your yards by picking them up.
- Meet occasionally to check on each other’s progress. Sometimes the group might need to revise the plan or help an individual complete a task. Don’t be afraid to ask for help
- Evaluate after the event. If you decide to repeat the event, then discuss with everyone what went well and what you would like to do differently the next year. Writing it down helps poor memory after a year’s time.
Block parties can be a lot of fun but they also pay dividends long after the event as you continue to talk and connect with others. Now I smile, wave, and cross the street more often to greet and chat with neighbors, some of them I hardly knew before. You too can find pleasure in living in a friendlier and supportive neighborhood by working with your neighbors to host a block party. Just take that first step.
Kathy Getting
Power up YOUth 