In honor of National Good Neighbor Day on September 28th, we asked neighbors from across the country to recognize and say thank you to the people who give back to their local community, in ways both big and small. Throughout the last few weeks, nominations for Nextdoor’s Good Neighbor Awards have poured in from passionate neighbors who had incredible stories to tell. It was difficult, but we managed to narrow down the hundreds of submissions to our finalists!
Click through the gallery below to see their pictures and hear their stories, and cast your vote below to name the first-ever Nextdoor Good Neighbor Award winner!
Tim Sigle (Palm Springs, CA) – Neighbor Extraordinaire
Several of Tim Sigle’s neighbors wrote in, describing his tireless efforts to connect their neighborhood and keep the community safe. From helping to organize pet adoption drives, to planning community block parties, and even stopping burglars in the act when he spotted them breaking into his neighbor’s home, Tim has been described as the kind of neighbor that “every neighborhood needs.”
Farrell Kenimer (Phoenix, AZ) – Never Too Old to Make New Friends
Without a doubt, Farrell Kenimer has brought joy to his community. An 80-year-old retired widower, Farrell stays connected with his neighbors and is constantly looking to make new acquaintances. In fact, he threw his own 80th birthday party in his backyard and invited the entire neighborhood to attend, proving that no one is ever too old to make new friends and throw an awesome party.
Lisa Ford (Chattanooga, TN) – Neighborhood Lending Library
Lisa Ford opened a free, mini library in the Brock Pointe neighborhood outside of Chattanooga, TN. She provides free books, CDs, and DVDs to her neighbors and surrounding community while promoting lifelong reading to all who visit.
Clancy Harrison (Dallas, PA) – Nutritionist and Supermom
Clancy Harrison has been described as an incredibly busy mother of two who dedicates her free time to helping others in the community. From raising thousands of dollars in donations for a foster child to volunteering to feed 70+ families a week through a local food bank, Clancy has positively impacted those who live around her. This past summer, she organized a weekly class to teach young children about healthy eating, giving them fresh produce and simple, healthy recipes for them to take home.
500 Block MacDonough Street Neighbors (Brooklyn, NY) – Dedicated Community
The 500 Block MacDonough Street Association in the Bedford Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY has continuously shown a dedication to the growth and enrichment of their community. From block watch programs to reduce crime, to planting new trees and advocating for the reduction of their carbon footprint, to organizing many celebrations (Easter Egg Hunt, Earth Day gathering and the 57th Annual Block Party) just to name a few. This community shows the power of knowing your neighbors and continues to institute programs to strengthen their community such as emergency preparedness training, Thanksgiving dinner for seniors, and the 47th Annual Brownstoners House Tour are coming up this fall.
Tom Boughton (Lewisville, TX) – Neighborhood Cleanup
When a gang of teenagers were setting fire to fields just outside of their neighborhood, as well as leaving dangerous litter, including cigarettes, broken glass bottles and other trash on the walking trails of the Hedrick Estates neighborhood, Tom Boughton took action. Fed up of seeing the neighborhood space being abused and destroyed, Tom rallied his neighbors and planned a large clean-up of the trails, removing the broken glass and litter, making the trails safe for children to walk to school and neighbors to enjoy walking their dogs, and to show the gang that the neighborhood noticed – and cared – about their property. Thanks to Tom’s hard work and organization, neighbors quickly came together to protect and clean up the neighborhood.
Sarah Davis (Hillsborough, NC) – Stealthy Snow Shovelers
For years, Sarah Davis and her teenage sons have been quietly helping to clean up their elderly neighbors’ yards. From stealthily shoveling driveways and sidewalks, to cleaning up fallen trees, Sarah and her sons have inspired positive change in their neighborhood: now, most of their neighbors go and do the same without being asked.
