What is a Block Club? Block Clubs are traditionally groups of people who have homes and families on a block in the city and have organized to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods. People who form block clubs are concerned and care about their communities and share information, identify concerns and act collectively to address those concerns.
Knowing your neighbors & communicating on a regular basis can help you identify quality of life issues and trends in your neighborhood and allow you to address those issues. Working together will improve the safety of your block which will be a positive impact your community.
If a traditional block club isn’t right for your neighborhood there are several to choose from:
Vertical Block Clubs-In many neighborhoods throughout the City, high-rise or multi-unit apartment buildings or condominiums are the predominant form of housing. Organizing within your building will help you recognize who may belong in and around your building as well as identify issues that may be affecting your building.
Walking Clubs-Walking clubs combine the goals of improving personal health and the health of your neighborhood. While walking, you can identify conditions in the neighborhood easily.
Garden Clubs-Organizing a garden club is a great way to keep your block safe. An attractive neighborhood is a strong deterrent to crime.
Virtual Block Clubs-For some people with their busy schedules, a club that has no face-to-face meetings is what works. Members meet and have dialog via the Internet.
Getting Started-A good first step in starting a block club is to recruit two or more people on your block who are interested in helping to organize your neighbors. Choose a date and location for your first meeting, create a simple flyer that you can give to or leave for your neighbors who are not home. Keep a list of all the neighbors you contact and what issues they identify during your initial conversation that are of interest or concern to them.
Maintaining Your New Block Club -Some of the issues you will want to continue to assess as your block club moves foreword are; frequency and location of meetings, neighbor participation, activities and projects and staying connected with your neighbors will ensure that your new block club is successful.
