Colorado Springs: That’s a wrap! 1,000 Neighborhood Gatherings initiative comes to close

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~ Colorado Springs, CO - The City's 1,000 Neighborhood Gatherings initiative came to a close on September 28th, also known as Good Neighbor Day. After 133 days of encouraging residents to host or attend neighborhood gatherings, the campaign has released a public report with valuable insights. The initiative aimed to address social isolation and loneliness by bringing together neighbors and engaging local nonprofits and businesses. The interactive report can now be viewed at ColoradoSprings.gov/1000GatheringsStoryMap.

During the campaign period, which began on May 18th during Mental Health Awareness Month, a total of 880 gatherings were registered. This initiative was partly in response to U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy's warning about the negative impacts of loneliness and a global study from Nextdoor that showed knowing just six neighbors can decrease levels of social isolation, anxiety, and loneliness. Led by Abbey Mobolade, a nurse, nursing educator, and wife of Mayor Yemi Mobolade, this initiative is also part of Pikes Peak Rising - a multifaceted mental health awareness effort.

Mayor Yemi expressed his pride in the city and its residents for taking action in their own neighborhoods as part of their strategic priority of Community Activation. He stated that what started as an effort to combat mental health issues has turned into a movement that addresses various pressing issues such as homelessness, public safety, and youth development. Other cities have taken notice of this initiative's success and are replicating it - most notably Springfield, Missouri.

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City Councilmember David Leinweber played an integral role in designing and supporting this campaign. He stated that it was a resounding success in raising awareness about mental health through the simple yet effective method of connecting with neighbors. He also expressed his excitement about the level of community support for this initiative and its impact on Colorado Springs and beyond.

The success of the 1,000 Neighborhood Gatherings initiative would not have been possible without the support of various partners and sponsors, including Phil Long Colorado, COS I Love You, CONO, National Alliance on Mental Illness of Colorado Springs, the Colorado Springs Police Department Neighborhood Watch Program, Silver Key Senior Services, UCCS' Lyda Hill Institute for Human Resilience, and the Pikes Peak Library District. The media sponsors included The Gazette, Fox21, and iHeart Media Colorado Springs.

The campaign's success was further recognized when the City was named the No. 1 Most Neighborly City in America by Neighbor.com on September 27th. This recognition was based on data from survey responses from 1,000 Americans and earned Colorado Springs the top spot among the 100 largest metro areas in the country.

Let's take a closer look at some of the numbers from this campaign:

- A total of 880 gatherings were registered during the 133-day campaign period - an average of 6 to 7 gatherings every day.

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- The largest number of gatherings on a single day was recorded on August 10th with a total of 27 gatherings.

- All 77 neighborhoods in the city hosted at least one gathering, with Pulpit Rock neighborhood taking the top spot with 38 gatherings.

- City Council District 1 had the most gatherings out of all six districts with a total of 158.

- After learning about this initiative from Colorado Springs, the City of Springfield in Missouri decided to host their own version by encouraging residents to host block parties during Missouri Good Neighbor Week (September 28th - October 4th).

- Based on data collected from hosts after their gathering, it is estimated that over 55,000 people attended these events throughout the campaign period. Additionally, more than 10,000 new connections were made between hosts and their neighbors.

- An overwhelming majority (96%) of hosts felt more connected to their neighborhood after hosting a gathering, and 95.4% believed that their gathering had a positive impact on their community.

- Almost half (47%) of the hosts reported feeling more equipped to connect others with mental health resources in the community, and 49% stated that they were more aware of how mental health was impacting their community after hosting a gathering.

- Finally, 84% of hosts met someone new at their gathering, further emphasizing the success of this initiative in bringing people together.

The 1,000 Neighborhood Gatherings initiative has not only raised awareness about mental health but has also fostered a sense of community and connection among residents. With its success being recognized by other cities and organizations, it is clear that Colorado Springs is leading the way in addressing social isolation and loneliness by connecting neighbors to one another.

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