Building more connected communities, one neighbor at a time.
The Center for HumanKindness invites you to partner with us in starting a chain reaction of kindness and connectivity throughout central Ohio neighborhoods. Born out of community conversations at The Big Table®, Kindness Close to Home seeks to bring neighbors together to build a friendlier, kinder community where everyone feels seen and known.
Hosting a small, casual gathering with a few folks who live nearby is one excellent way to get to know your neighbors and strengthen your community. We’ve developed a kit with supplies to make hosting a gathering easier, including name tags, a welcome banner, invitations, napkins, helpful tips, and more!
Register to host a gathering today and receive your FREE neighborliness kit, which will be mailed directly to your home, while supplies last. This opportunity is available to individuals, families, and community organizations.
Place-based nonprofit organizations, like civic associations and neighborhood-specific nonprofits, are invited to apply for a grant to pursue deeper connections with their neighbors.
Questions? Contact us at kindness@columbusfoundation.org.
Why It Matters
Knowing your neighbors isn’t just a nice idea—it’s good for individual well-being and is an important building block of thriving communities. Research compiled by Psychology Today shows that even small interactions with neighbors, like a wave or a quick chat, can foster a deep sense of belonging, which is a predictor of overall life satisfaction and mental health.
In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General called attention to the crisis of loneliness and isolation, laying out a national framework to increase social connection in our lives and our communities. Whether it’s lending a cup of sugar or offering a listening ear, the connections we build on our blocks can make life better for everyone.
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