When Lowertown East neighbours work with each other, great things happen
Showcasing a partner of Lowertown, Our Home:Crime Prevention Ottawa
Do you know that people power can help prevent crime and keep Lowertown East safe? If you want to make a difference in your city, your neighbourhood, your school or your place of work, perhaps it’s time to gather up friends and volunteers to take action. You can address a specific problem or build community spirit through activities that bring people together.
The most successful community development projects are focused on the neighbourhood, based on its strengths and they’re driven by the community. Neighbor Power author, Jim Diers, believes that stronger neighbourhoods are built through projects that use a community’s assets—namely, people and their passion for the place they call home.
Ready to take action? Here are Jim Diers’ top 7 tips for getting people in your community interested and involved:
- Have fun. To engage your community, make it fun for everyone. Avoid meetings. Plan your projects and make them happen in a way that feeds everyone’s passion for building a better neighbourhood.
- Start where people are. Go to where they live, on their street, and be sensitive to language and culture. Start with their networks, instead of trying to bring them into yours. Reach out to associations and groups.
- Focus on people’s passions. Ask your neighbours, “What’s your hope for the community? What are you passionate about?” Don’t try to convince them to care about things that are important to you.
- Let them see results. To keep your community engaged, show them the impact they’re having and the change they’re creating. They will come to understand that through collective action, they can make a difference.
- Do not sit on your assets. Focus on every individual’s strengths and gifts: their head, heart and hands. Recognize that while everyone has needs, they also have incredible gifts. Lead them by stepping back and letting them take on small roles. They will eventually grow into bigger roles to lead the community.
- Recognize and celebrate. Give recognition to those who make a difference. Lift them up so others can see what’s possible.
- Share stories. Inspire your community through other people’s stories. What motivates communities are stories about people like them who have created positive change through their efforts.
Look around you. When you really pay attention, you’ll notice that your city and community are doing things to build this passion and community spirit. Activities include:
- Events: street parties, movies in the park, festivals, community sports day
- Initiatives: walking clubs, graffiti removal projects, seniors’ programming
- Projects: skateboard parks, community gardens, homework clubs
- Safety efforts: risk assessments, safety audits, improved lighting
Crime Prevention Ottawa’s booklet, How to Create Safe and Caring Communities: A Project Book for Your Neighbourhood, highlights how you can improve your community through beautification projects and activities. The booklet is for residents, community groups and businesses. It features eight community-based projects from Ottawa and beyond. In each case, neighbourhoods become safer and stronger thanks to communities that care.
For more information on what you can do to make your neighbourhood a better place, download the booklet at crimepreventionottawa.ca (under Publications) or order a free copy by sending an email to cpo@ottawa.ca with your request.