The People in Our Neighbourhood
I grew up in a small town in Northwestern Ontario, about an hour away from the Manitoba border.
We knew the butcher at our grocery store (Brian went to high school with my Dad, and I went to school with his daughter). Our town librarian was Shirley (a family friend. Her parents and my grandparents were friends - families both from Finland). Ella had a pizza shop on main street. Tony ran the zamboni at the arena, and Tom worked at the hardware store.
I grew up knowing community. Eric did too. So it’s something we’d like for our own kids - to know the people in their neighbourhood, even if we live in a big city.
It feels more like home when you know the people around you. And there’s research that shows it supports your well-being.
I recently read a book by Meik Wiking called, My HYGGE Home. In it, he talked about a study done in 2020 by Realdania (a Danish foundation with the mission of improving quality of life through the built environment). In their study, they looked into how much interaction neighbours have with each other. They talked to more than 2,300 people and found that people who had good relationships with their neighbours experienced a higher quality of life. They found that you’re more likely to help each other out with projects, keep an eye on each other’s homes to protect them from burglary, lend things to each other, babysit pets, borrow tools - all those things that make life easier.
Which is great for the grown-ups, but what about kids?
The LEGO Foundation has found that local community and safe neighbourhoods help contribute to the emotional well-being of kids and their ability to be resilient. The reason why? Kids can rely on the full social world of support (their individual competencies and skills, close connections and family, local community, and broader systems like policies and government).
And the opposite is concerning. When kids feel unsafe around adults or within their own neighbourhood, it can make it hard for kids to trust others and form healthy relationships with peers and adults. Kids who feel unsafe may be hesitant to explore their environment, limiting their learning and development. Feeling safe and having a sense of belonging impacts the well-being of our kids. And it’s exactly why we moved to this neighbourhood 10+ years ago.
We liked how it felt.
It felt like community. When we came to see our house, there were people out walking around and talking on the sidewalks. We loved the idea of being able to walk to the store or to the library. There was a school nearby and local parks. There was an energy.
And even though at the time we had 1 toddler and a baby on the way, I wanted to figure out a way to contribute / be a part of the neighbourhood. So I decided to sign up as a volunteer for DECA (Danforth East Community Association).
I enjoyed writing and thought that maybe I could help by writing some blog posts for them. And so I did that for awhile before pitching an idea - what if I wrote a little series instead called, The Humans of Danforth East? I could interview local business owners as a way for the neighbourhood to get to know the people behind the store fronts. To know their personal stories and hopefully inspire us all to visit and support their businesses. Maybe you remember the series? Here’s one about Origin Wellness!
I knew nothing about interviewing people. I felt so nervous approaching strangers to ask them to share their stories. But I’m so glad I did. I got to meet so many amazing people in our neighbourhood. People I still keep in touch with today. And it’s kind of fun that I get to do it again in a different way.
In May, LYKKE Kids is going out on an adventure in the neighbourhood with kids + their grown-ups - having fun meeting local business owners! We’re going to go for a little walk and stop by a local business to say hi and meet everyone (they know we’re coming). We’ll buy some “creative supplies” from them and head back to LYKKE Kids to get creative + play.
If you’d like to join in, here’s where you can find the details and sign-up! Sign-up at least 48 hours before each session. Thanks! Can’t wait!