‘Neighborhood Knock’ encourages residents to meet their neighbors

This weekend is a great time to get outside and meet those neighbors you might have waved to on the street but never actually talked to.

That’s the concept of Neighbor 2 Neighbor Knock (N2N), sponsored by the Fairfax County 50+ Neighbor to Neighbor Committee. The committee is suggesting people knock on their neighbors’ doors Nov. 7 and 8, 1-4 p.m. – but you can do it any time. 

N2N was the brain child of Cherie Lejeune, co-chair of the human services committee of the Fairfax County Federation of  Citizens Associations, and was incorporated into the county’s 50+ Action Plan for improving services and promoting community engagement among older residents.

“The whole point is to have a chance for neighbors to get to know one another better, particularly older neighbors who are aging in place and may not know new people who moved in,” says Lejeune. “Good neighbors make good neighborhoods.”

The N2N initiative gives people an excuse to knock on a neighbor’s door and introduce themselves. If you don’t know what to say, you can ask them if there’s anything they need help with and tell them about community resources, such as the Shepherd’s Center of Annandale-Springfield and NV Rides. Knowing who lives next door is critical if there’s a snowstorm, power outage, or other emergency.

The Nextdoor network has become a popular tool for promoting communication within neighborhoods – it’s great for finding lost pets and stopping solicitors, for example – but not everyone is digital. And it’s so much better if you can put a face to a name you’ve seen online.

After you’ve participated in Neighborhood Knock, post your photos on the N2N Knock Fairfax County Facebook page.