To see photos from your own neighborhood gathering featured, fill out this form.
Neighborhood Gatherings
WHO? Neighborhood gatherings are about YOU and YOUR neighbors getting together for just plain fun, relaxation and community.
WHERE? Where YOU live - on your porches, driveways, lawns or block -
YOU decide the WHAT (refreshments? potluck? activities?), and WHEN (Summer? Fall? afternoon or evening?).
WHY? The call for Neighborhood gatherings has emerged as a rallying cry throughout the country, yet the underlying reasons may not be immediately apparent. Following are some reasons why:
Dr. Vivek Murthy, in his role as U.S. Surgeon General at the National Institutes of Health in 2023, commissioned a study of social isolation and loneliness in post-COVID America. This research identified an urgent need to address the serious risks posed to the physical and mental health of individuals and entire communities. Dr. Murthy prescribed a program of social connection to restore individual health and rebuild community well-being (see the 2023 NHH advisory, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation).
Neighborhood gatherings bring individuals together to connect - and heal. Picture get-togethers around a campfire or under a porch roof - or a gaggle of kids running through sprinklers in connected backyards. They all offer social connectedness, focus on the “local,” breed familiarity, build trust, and strengthen community.
But don’t just take our word for it, hear from someone who’s done it! Read this: Letter: Block Party Revival Comes to Warwick.
We’d love to hear how Gatherings in your own Neighborhood have gone!
We’d love to hear how Gatherings in your own Neighborhood have gone!
We’d love to hear how Gatherings in your own Neighborhood have gone!
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We’d love to hear how Gatherings in your own Neighborhood have gone! We’d love to hear how Gatherings in your own Neighborhood have gone! We’d love to hear how Gatherings in your own Neighborhood have gone! ⋆
All respondents to this brief (2 minute) survey will be entered into the raffle at our next We the People Warwick event. (You need not be present to win. Winners will be notified by email.)
Social Connections Facts
The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community
Fact
Being more socially connected can improve stress responses and minimize the negative health effects of stress.
Fact
Children and adolescents who enjoy positive relationships with their peers, parents, and teachers experience improved academic outcomes.
Fact
Living in isolation reduces our chances of survival and social isolation increases the risk for premature mortality by 29%.
Join us in being a well-being catalyst!
HOW? Whether you are new to your neighborhood or have lived there for a very long time, we have resources to help you plan your own neighborhood gathering. Here are some to get you started:
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Block Party USA
For info about the national BlockPartyUSA movement, read here.
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How to Guide
Click here to download the free one-page guide to hosting a neighborhood gathering of your own.
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Recipes for Connection
From the NIH, "Recipes for Connection" is a playful booklet designed to illustrate ways people have enjoyed gathering around food. Research shows that this kind of social connection can “lead to better health and well-being, protecting us against serious issues like heart disease, stroke, dementia, and depression, . . . one bite at a time.”
CONNECT WITH We the People Warwick - if you have more questions or would like a coach or a cheerleader as you make plans, please email wethepeoplewarwick@gmail.com.
This initiative is brought to you by We the People Warwick’s Social Emotional Wellness (SEW) team. We aim to identify free, simple and actionable ways to mend the fraying of our country’s social fabric. Please visit our Action Team webpage to learn more about SEW’s Mission and goals.
For more research and information about the importance of community and social connection: