Mesafield

Tips for Neighborhood Organizing

Mar 15, 2003

Have you been wanting to organize your neighborhood?

Are you wondering how to get started?

Here are some helpful hints to begin thinking about this process:

recruit one neighbor on each street to be the designated street contact;

encourage each street to recruit a Block Watch Captain;

develop a ?‘team?’ of neighbors who are willing to work with you on organizing the neighborhood;

attempt to make contact with everyone in your neighborhood?—businesses, apartments, schools, different cultural/ethnic groups;

recruit a bilingual neighbor to assist you if there are different languages spoken in your neighborhood;

have a regular newsletter to distribute information to everyone in your neighborhood about upcoming events, new residents, and other points of interest;

host regular neighborhood events, such as a community garage sale, neighborhood clean sweep, block party, dessert exchange, CPTED (Crime Prevention through Environmental Design) walk, paint day, etc.;

develop relationships with the businesses in your neighborhood, many can be encouraged to make donations to your neighborhood events or;

develop relationships with the City of Mesa personnel that work in your area of Mesa?—from Block Watch to police officers to Code Compliance officers;

develop a ?‘phone tree?’ of active residents to facilitate easy and quick communication among neighbors;

recruit a group of young people who can be your ?“door to door?” crew ?– to deliver flyers, newsletters or other pieces of information;

develop a focal point in the neighborhood such as a community garden or play area.

The ideas are endless and the only limit is your own imagination!


If you would like to help
organize our upcoming meetings or have ideas on how to improve our neighborhood please
contact your
Neighborhood Leaders:

Jason & D?’Arcy Nulph
mesafield@yahoo.com