‘1,000 Neighborhood Gatherings’ launches in Colorado Springs to bolster social support systems
Remember when relaxing on the front porch on a lazy day or after finishing supper was a pastime? Porch sitters had a lot to see. Kids whizzing by on bicycles, adults working in the yard, bits of conversations floating through the air and passersby stopping to chat.
Under a new initiative the city of Colorado Springs launched Thursday, history is poised to repeat itself.
Colorado Springs First Lady Abbey Mobolade's innovative mental health initiative progresses
The 1,000 Neighborhood Gatherings project is a call-to-action for residents throughout the city to get to know their neighbors, strengthen existing relationships with people who live nearby, reduce loneliness and isolation, and fortify mental stamina, Mayor Yemi Mobolade said at a media briefing.
“We must have more connected lives and a more connected society,” he said.
The idea of an old-fashioned American throwback was conceived by City Council member David Leinweber, embraced by Mobolade and incorporated into the new Colorado Springs Mental Health Initiative led by Mobolade’s wife, Abbey Mobolade.
It sounds promising, said longtime resident Jemond Gaulden.
Gaulden, who was raised in Colorado Springs and as an adult has become a community advocate for underserved neighborhoods and at-risk youth, took the microphone to say he’s glad that a push to rekindle nostalgia has risen to the forefront of priorities.
Jemond Gaulden speaks during the kickoff of the new “1,000 Neighborhood Gatherings” program in Colorado Springs on Thursday, March 28, 2024. (Photo by Jerilee Bennett, The Gazette)
“It’s going to make people feel safer cultivating relationships and networking,” he said. “It makes us better together because ultimately, it’s all about the people.”
The plan is for 1,000 neighborhood gatherings to be held between May 18, which is recognized nationally as Mental Health Action Day, and Sept. 28, National Good Neighbor Day.
The intent, officials said, is to build a mentally strong and resilient community.
“It isn’t about the numbers, it’s about 1,000 stories entwined, it’s about 1,000 hands reaching out and 1,000 hearts united against isolation while fostering a stronger connection to our community,” Leinweber said.
With the U.S. surgeon general issuing an advisory that loneliness and isolation are threating physical and mental well-being in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, it’s imperative to build strong social support systems, Mobolade said.
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He cited an international study conducted after the pandemic began in 2020 for Nextdoor, an online neighborhood platform, which found that knowing six neighbors reduces the likelihood of feeling lonely and is linked to lower depression and social anxiety.
Mobolade said his family began a quest to know their neighbors when they moved to Colorado Springs 13 years ago and he took a new job as a pastor.
“We pushed past our fear, the time barrier and pride that keep us from connecting with others,” he said. “We hosted home gatherings, block gatherings and holiday gatherings.”
The neighborhood movement in the Mobolade enclave helped renew bonds and restore hope, the mayor said.
Having a conversation over tea and cookies or around a hot barbecue grill or during a lawn game is not a substitute for professional mental health care but helps foster a sense of belonging, speakers said.
“We believe it’s easier to solve problems when you’ve shared cookies on the porch,” said Sara Vaas, executive director of CONO, the Council of Neighbors and Organizations.
Toolkits for neighborhood gatherings are available on the CONO website.
They can be simple or involve the whole neighborhood, which might necessitate a city permit to close a street, Vaas said. Other ideas include someone hosting a movie or game night, going to a nearby park for a group picnic, doing a cleanup or beautification project and having a drop-by porch lunch.
Also on the CONO website are maps of 730 neighborhood organizations, homeowners associations and special districts for condos and townhomes.
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“It’s important to recognize that mental health is all of us,” said Emily Brady of the Colorado Springs office of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
A free online mental health training program, the Greater Resilience Information Toolkit, is available from the Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience at the University of Colorado campus in Colorado Springs.
“It teaches what we’re trying to do here — how to support people you love and care for by having meaningful conversations and knowing what to do when people are struggling,” said creator Chip Benight, executive director of the institute and a psychology professor.
For more information on the 1,000 Neighborhood Gatherings initiative, go to coloradosprings.gov/1000gatherings.
Contact the writer: 719-476-1656.
