May’s meeting was “Planting the Seeds: Growing Neighborhood Connections and for Growing Food for Neighbors in Need.” Stay tuned for more ways to engage in food justice in our community.
About Como Cares:
A team of neighbors at SECIA is reimagining our approach to our common safety. Seeing and caring for our neighbors are central to this new approach. We are working with community and nonprofit partners to change how we respond to people’s needs. Our group hopes to provide services to neighbors in need, ranging from helping to shovel the walk to building fellowship through check-ins and friendly visits. The idea emerged from conversations about the lack of connection among neighbors, especially between homeowners and short term student renters. We discovered we share a desire to help neighbors who may be down on their luck or who may be experiencing a crisis.
Como Cares goals are always evolving. The team’s current goals are:
- To welcome new neighbors to let them know they are a part of a caring community.
- To care for neighborhood assets and resources.
- To provide neighbors in need with direct community support through a network of block/neighborhood level mutual community aid.
- To bring a community centered approach to public safety by building healthy social structures, providing support for victims who have experienced difficulty.
How to Get Involved
We welcome involvement with Como Cares in all capacities, from lower time commitment to leadership roles. Anyone can be a part of creating a caring community.
Join the Team
The Como Cares team is always looking for neighbors who are interested in volunteering on our projects and events. There are one-time opportunities to get involved such as attending a drop-in day to support sheltered neighbors or attending a workshop. Long term opportunities include attending regular planning meetings and reaching out to local organizations. We also welcome new projects, so please reach out if you have an idea of your own.
The Como Cares initiative is seeking new volunteer leadership! If you’d like to get involved with the team as a leader or at any level, please contact [email protected] for more information. All are welcome!
Individual Involvement
The easiest way to get involved is to connect with your neighbors on your own time. This could be taking a walk with a neighbor while they’re feeling down, or helping a neighbor with yard work. On a more in-depth level, you could schedule times for people on your block to get to know each other. Building relationships and getting to know your neighbor creates a network of community support.
Other Support
If the other involvement opportunities don’t work for you but you’d still like to support Como Cares, we welcome support in other ways! One way to support is to spread the word about Como Cares with your networks. You can also donate supplies when we host drives for those in need.
Stay updated on Como Cares initiatives and direct ways to get involved by following SECIA on social media and subscribing to our e-newsletter.