PRESS RELEASE
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
Neighborhood Initiative Celebrates 2nd Anniversary
Inspires Other Neighborhoods To Replicate Model
In two short years Neighbors For Neighbors (NFN), Jamaica Plain, MA has created 49 Social Clubs and Community Projects engaging 1000 residents. In total, over 1,900 residents have attended the Neighborhood Socials and Community Organizing Events. In 2005 and 2006, this innovative social initiative has been named “Best of JP” for Neighborhood Organization. Simultaneously, as NFN turns two, the successful model has inspired other neighborhoods to replicate the grassroots “can-do” initiative across the city Boston.
The celebration will be held on Tuesday, October 3, from 7 to 9 PM at the MilkyWay JP Lounge and Lanes, 405 Center Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.
“We did not set out to create what is now NFN. It all started when two of my friends were assaulted and mugged at gunpoint. In response I handed out 500 flyers at the T with a friend to alert and educate my neighbors on what was happening and what they can do about it. MBTA commuters suggested we host a neighborhood crime watch meeting. We listened and we did. At the neighborhood crime watch meeting, participants suggested a neighborhood social. We listened and we did. At the neighborhood social, participants requested an organizing meeting. The purpose of the latest evolution was to create sustainable community building mechanisms. The rest is history.” said Joseph Porcelli, Founder & Organizer of Neighbors for Neighbors, Jamaica Plain, MA.
Julie Geanakakis, the leader of the NFN Mission Hill states, “I saw what they accomplished in Jamaica Plain and wanted to address the needs of Mission Hill residents to socialize and develop friendships with their neighbors and organize around common interests.”
Eric McLaughlin, the President of the Mission Hill Community Alliance, and a team partner of NFN Mission Hill team states, “We are ecstatic about NFN coming to Mission Hill, we’ve been looking for a social forum to engage the many diverse populations and the timing could not be better.”
NFN Roslindale and Charlestown are scheduled to launch in early November.
How the NFN organizing model works:
We socialize:
- Hosting Neighborhood Socials where neighbors who typically pass each other everyday get to know each other, find out what they have in common, and form new friendships in a fun and safe environment.
We organize.
- Hosting Community Organizing Events where neighbors are inspired to take action by creating, leading, or participating in Social Groups or Community Projects with other neighbors who share similar interests. These groups serve as sustainable mechanisms that keep neighbors connected.
- Publishing www.neighborsforneighbors.org which serves as a community portal connecting and guiding visitors to our Social Groups, Community Projects, as well as events and programs of interest across Jamaica Plain.
We make a difference:
- Create safe and fun environments for neighbors to get to know each other. In Jamaica Plain, MA over 1900 residents have been connected at Neighborhood Socials and Community Projects.
- Create Social Groups such as reading, knitting, biking, jogging, playing tennis, writing, and Pet Lizards.
- Create Community Projects that beautify parks, murals, and streets, collect funds and necessities for local families in need, and facilitate safety awareness programs like Safe Walk that educates MBTA riders about walking home safely.
- In Jamaica Plain, MA, 49 Social Groups and Community Projects have been created engaging over 1000 residents.
- Collaborate with community-based organizations and local police to educate and empower residents about quality of life and crime/safety issues.
- Serve as a volunteer base for many events and programs.
- www.neighborsforneighbors.org serves as a community portal.
About Neighbors for Neighbors:
NFN is a grassroots volunteer-run, social forum that started in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts in 2004, resulting in community connection, engagement and empowerment. This is accomplished by connecting neighbors at Neighborhood Socials and at Community Organizing events where participants create and engage in Social Clubs and Community Projects with neighbors who share similar interests. In 2005 and 2006, the readers of the Jamaica Plain Gazette named Neighbors for Neighbors “Best of JP” for Neighborhood Organization.
NFN is proud to announce NFN Mission Hill, will launch on Sat., Oct. 14 at 4 p.m. at Mission Bar and Grill at 724 Huntington Avenue. NFN Roslindale and Charlestown are scheduled to launch in November
Contact:
Joseph Porcelli
857-222-4420
jporcelli@neighborsforneighbors.org
www.NeighborForNeighbors.org
