Say Hi
Community is the antidote to authoritarianism: when we know and trust our neighbors, we stand together. If you’ve never waved at your neighbor, wave tomorrow and say Hi next week. Tell the student sitting near you that you like their rainbow flag pin. Invite your coworker to lunch. Trusted connections take time to grow, so start with small steps, now.
How to do it:
Holidays offer a premium opportunity to launch or consolidate new connections. The key to building trust is to create natural opportunities, and the holidays give us a pass to push just a little. Leave a small pack of cookies with a note that says “just thought we could all use some cheer this year!” and see what happens. Build on new connections with next steps. Don’t be pushy. Just be friendly.
If you have vulnerable neighbors you have no prior contact with, a good tactic is to ask for something small. Make it very easy to fulfill, like borrowing a little salt because you ran out mid-cookie-dough. Take back a few cookies later as a thank you. Pairing a request with a friendly thank you can help establish the foundation for building trust.
It takes months or even years to go from a wave across the street to establishing trust, so start now. Neighborhoods with strong networks are safer and happier places, but they’re also ready to launch into action together over public issues or threats.
