How to do it:

Communities with a history of poverty and oppression tend to build networks and engage in mutual aid out of necessity. White, middle-class American neighborhoods often lack this tradition. It’s time we learned.

Where you start depends on how your neighborhood is now. Are there annual block parties, or do neighbors get into their car in a closed garage and hit the door lift? Do you already have a neighbor with a key to your house, or does the idea shock you? Community is how we resist everything fascists do, so start building where you are.

Asking for very small favors is a good way to get started. Borrow a cup of sugar and take back cookies. Ask the neighbor you wave at if they’ll keep an eye on your house when you travel. Exchange phone numbers. If that seems like a bit much, go even smaller. Take a walk and stop to chat.

If those actions sound absurdly small, great! Up the ante by offering favors: take over some “extra” cake. You’re breaking down formality, so slices are fine! Offer to mow the lawn or drop off dinner for a busy single parent. You’re already doing your own!

If that seems entirely normal in your neighborhood, you’re ready for real organizing: plan a garden party in the front yard, coordinate holiday lights, or start a rolling card game. Begin with the neighbors you know best — they’ll invite more neighbors.

Holidays offer a built-in opportunity for community building. From a 4th of July neighborhood picnic, to leaving tiny bags of fresh cookies on neighborhood doorknobs in December, holidays exist to help us build community. They normalize reaching out in ways that might feel unfamiliar at other times.

Your goal is to get to know each other well enough to spring into action if something happens to your community, or anyone in it.