June Make a Difference Challenge: Host a Neighborhood Block Party

The days are getting longer and the nights warmer. Barbeque season is in the air and it is the perfect time to get together with your neighbors and build a greater sense of community. Get your children involved in creating flyers to hand out around your neighborhood. Make sure to include the date, time, place, RSVP and what you want them to bring. For example:

Date: June 21, 2011

Time: 5:00pm

Place: 4005 33^rd Street (or have it at a local or neighborhood park)

Please bring one potluck dish enough to share with 8-10 adults.

RSVP: 555-778-4038

Make sure to connect with at least a few families to be sure you will have some in attendance.

Delegate families to bring or supply activities to keep the kids happy. You could have bubbles, hula hoops, street hockey, badminton or volleyball, a pinata, or scavenger hunt. Get creative and get your children involved in planning and carrying out activities too. If you have your potluck in a kid friendly environment everyone is sure to have a wonderful time!

Here is a great article on how to throw a great Neighborhood Block Party.

OneTwib is a great resource to connect with those in your community. It provides a resource to communicate and share events with others in your area.

Making connections and really knowing those around you is the first step in creating change. You have to know others in order to assist or help them. We recently had a fire in the neighborhood and the community really rallied around the affected family and provided them with so many items to be able to rebuild their lives again. This happened because of caring neighbors who knew there was a need and stepped up to help.

When we come together we build friendships and create a supportive environment for our children. Our kids will learn in a very real sense what it means to be a part of a community and how important it is to include others, to support one another and to be there for them when it is needed.

Make a difference and have a great time doing it too with your Neighborhood Block Party.

We would love to hear about your experiences this month or past of getting together with neighbors to build lasting friendships and a supportive network of individuals who look out for one another when the need arises.

About Chantelle Adams

Chantelle lives in beautiful British Columbia with her husband and their four children. Together they enjoy many adventures, boating, skiing, motor-biking, camping and hiking, to name a few. But the little things are just as important: the pillow fights, dancing around the house, the late-night talks and snuggling up together to read a good book.

Her passion is educating kids, parents and educators about leading by example, making a difference, and living a life based on key values. Her company, Foundations for Success, has given her the perfect outlet to share this passion with the world.

Ever since she was a little girl, she has wanted to make a difference in the world and knows that raising four strong, responsible, compassionate children is helping her achieve that dream. Giving back in simple ways is one thing that has drawn her family closer and has provided countless moments of joy. Currently her children are spending their spare time raising money to build a school in Africa with Free the Children. Her desire to make a difference led her to become involved with The Power of Moms as the Director of Family Volunteering.
Motherhood moments that make it all worthwhile are scattered throughout each day and keep her going. The whispered, “I love you, Mom,” the belly-laugh of her four-year-old, and those beautiful moments when her children offer to help without even being asked are simple things that truly make life grand. She is grateful to cross paths with other mothers as we “struggle, laugh, cry and enjoy this journey of motherhood.”