Not to long ago neighborhoods organized block parties, obtaining permits to close down one street for the day, setting up tables & coolers, planning physical games and events for the kids and enjoying everybody else’s potluck dinners.
Our lives have changed. Our children don’t all go to the same schools. Frequently we don’t even know our neighbors.
In an older neighborhood of Ahwatukee referred to as Parkside, which runs along the NW side of Elliot Rd., neighbors used to set out luminarias (small paper bags filled with sand and a lit candles) during Christmas along their sidewalks forming a glittering trail leading to a hot chocolate station. We gathered there together as a community.
These events not only served to bring our community closer and create lasting memories, they create a more safe neighborhood.