Staying Creatively Connected With Neighbours During Covid-19 - Nextdoor Blog AU

We need our neighbours now more than ever, and are thrilled to see the creative ways that Nextdoor members are maintaining social connections while physically distancing.  Many have never met in person, but are now sharing tips, advice, and even free virtual lessons and workshops! 

We are staying home more than ever before, and so this is the perfect time to reach out to those around us virtually, to build new friendships and get to know neighbours, so that you have a neighbourhood to rely on. 

Below are some ideas of how you can stay connected in this challenging time. 

• Schedule a Zoom call to get to know your neighbours.
• Post on Nextdoor, asking your neighbours what their favourite songs, tv shows, or movies are. Then, turn the results into a neighbourhood playlist or watch list and share with the Nextdoor community. 
• Start a Group in your neighbourhood that lists local cafes and restaurants open for takeaway and delivery.
• Ask your neighbours to share photos of something that’s keeping them happy during this time. It could be a cute pet, a pretty plant, or just something nice in the backyard!
• Start a thread or group where your neighbours share their favourite recipes 
• Start a virtual book club like Nextdoor member Kathy Gallaghar in Selby, VIC as shown recently on Channel Nine (the feature image here is Kathy’s Group chatting via zoom!)

Kathy told us,

“I created the Nextdoor Virtual book Club and it has expanded beyond any expectations I had, to the point where we now have 125 members, that meet weekly to discuss a wide range of books, using Zoom (of course) and so we are now able to collaborate and make friends and have a great time – all whilst staying safe at home”

• Offer a free virtual service or tutorial (are you a social media whiz? an artist? good at magic tricks? a musician?) 

• If you are handy in the kitchen, you can follow the lead of Noora from Canberra who is cooking up a storm in her kitchen and dropping tasty dishes to neighbours in need! 

Physically distancing doesn’t mean we have to distance socially and Nextdoor is a great way to build connections and strengthen our community. Many Nextdoor neighbourhoods are already doing neighbourhood get-togethers over Zoom. 

If you have done something interesting in your neighbourhood, we would love to hear from you. Tell us what you’re doing to stay connected: siobhan@nextdoor.com