Wouldn’t it be great to live in a neighborhood…

* Where neighbors know you and your family by first names?

* Where neighbors wave as they pass your house?

* Where neighbors keep an eye on your children as they play?

* Where, if you need something, you feel comfortable asking your neighbor to lend it to you?

* Where you know neighbors who are handy at fixing things?

* Where, if there is crisis, help is within walking distance?

* Where neighborhood barbecues and block parties are regular events?

* Where, if you want to go for a walk or bike ride, you can call a neighbor to go with you?

* Where neighbors will watch your house, take care of your pets, and mow your lawn while you are away?

* Where, if you have to stay in the hospital, neighbors will visit you?

* Where your best friends live within a few blocks?

* Where ‘fun’ is a good description?

Do we live in neighborhoods, or do we simply live in close proximity to others? What’s the difference? Well, neighborhoods contain neighbors. Neighbors are those we can call on when we are in trouble or need a helping hand. Neighbors care for one another and have face-to-face interactions with one another. Neighbors enjoy life with one another! Unfortunately, it seems that the trend has been to become more and more isolated and alienated from those living around us.

We want to reverse the trend!

This website is one attempt to do that by providing tools, information and, hopefully, inspiration. Of course information does not create neighborhoods. For that we need to interact with one another. There are all sorts of ways we can interact—from recreation to neighborhood projects and especially, we believe, to small group gatherings focusing on the creation of intentional community. Our dream is that a network of small group gatherings will grow organically starting from a few seeds here in North Port and spreading throughout Florida and then the rest of the United States and eventually throughout the world.

One thing we’re fairly sure of… the current trend toward hyper-individualism is unsustainable. Reversing the trend will be a challenge, but just the few feeble efforts we’ve already made have produced rewards that confirm to us that we are on the right track.