The City of Waterloo encourages you to nominate your kind neighbour(s)
Neighbours are an important source of day-to-day help and community connection. Saying hello, helping with snow shoveling, or dropping off a meal to provide comfort or support demonstrates care for each other. These acts of kindness increase neighbourhood pride and have many positive effects on neighbours and neighbourhoods.
“Caring and kind neighbours who make positive contributions to their neighbourhoods improve our quality of life and make Waterloo a great place to live.” says Waterloo Mayor Dave Jaworsky, “Consider recognizing those contributions by nominating your kind neighbour!”
Encouraging neighbourliness helps build positive relationships between neighbours. These relationships and having people nearby who can offer help also increase wellbeing by improving the sense of safety and belonging.
The City of Waterloo wants to increase awareness of what it means to be a good neighbour and to recognize people who do something great, big or small, in their neighbourhood. This “Neighbourhood Kindness” program can help strengthen connections and support in neighbourhoods.
Nominations will be accepted year-round and every nominee will receive a thank you package.
What sorts of things does a kind neighbour do? Maybe they:
- pick up groceries for an isolated neighbour,
- manage a neighbourhood community on social media,
- coordinate a community garden or outdoor rink,
- take care of a community message board or a newsletter,
- host neighbourhood events such as movie nights, porch parties, rallies, concerts or barbeques,
- organize a neighbourhood tree planting,
- welcome a new neighbour to the area,
- fundraise for a neighbourhood playground, and/or
- show kindness in many, many other ways!
How can you get involved?
- Submit a quick and easy nomination to describe your kind neighbour’s contributions
- Help spread the word about this program
- Be a caring and kind neighbour!
For more information about neighbourhoods, including our Block Connector program, the Neighbourhood Matching Fund, mini grants, neighbourhood associations and more, please visit waterloo.ca/neighbourhoods
Media contact
Shelly Reed
Communications consultant
shelly.reed@waterloo.ca