Celebrating neighbours
There are so many good neighbours in Kelowna who are invested in the well-being of their neighbourhood and are always willing to lend a helping hand. Celebrate these amazing neighbours with a simple thank you or kind gesture, give thanks on Neighbour Day or give them kudos through our Kind Neighbour Kudos program.
Neighbour Day
Kelowna's ninth annual Neighbour Day will take place in May 2024. Neighbour Day is an annual celebration of community in which residents are encouraged to meet new neighbours, perform a random act of neighbourliness, gather neighbours to work on a neighbourhood project or to simply just create opportunities to have fun.
The goal of Neighbour Day is to help build relationships between neighbours because knowing your neighbours can help transform neighbourhoods into welcoming, safe and inclusive places to live. Building social connections is especially important as it helps prevent loneliness, isolation, and depression, especially among the elderly, vulnerable and those new to Canada. It’s also a good opportunity to learn who lives around you and share the unique skills, passions and talents.
Getting involved in Neighbour Day doesn’t need to be a grand gesture, it can be as simple as taking the time to welcome a new neighbour to the area, hosting a neighbourhood BBQ, or having neighbours over for tea or coffee.
It doesn’t matter if you live in an apartment, condo, townhouse or detached home, there are many ways to connect with your neighbours. Here are a few suggestions:
- introduce yourself to a new neighbour
- invite a neighbour over for coffee or tea
- go on a walk or hike with your neighbours
- have a meal or BBQ with your neighbour
- host a block party or porch party
- host a karaoke, trivia, or talent show night
- put together a neighbourhood art gallery to highlight artists in your neighbourhood
- decorate sidewalks/streets/driveways with chalk
- leave kindness rocks around your neighbourhood
- organize a street scavenger hunt
- play a game of street hockey
- write kind notes to your neighbours
- have a gardening party and help your neighbours with their garden
- share baked goods or produce from your garden
- create a sharing list of everything you are willing to share with your neighbours (tools, recipes, skills, advice,)
- organize a community clean up
- have a driveway dance party
- walk the dog for your neighbour
- host an appetizer night
- have a card game tournament
- watch a sports game or movie together
- and so many other ways!
Kind acts of neighbours are what make a neighbourhood flourish! Acts such as stopping to say hello, helping with yard work, or sharing baked goods or garden harvests show care for one another and build connections between neighbours which in turn, build a strong neighbourhood!
Big or small, these acts have an enormous impact on our neighbours and neighbourhoods. Our goal is to bring awareness to what it means to be a kind neighbour by helping you give kudos to those individuals who make your neighbourhood great! Maybe they:
- deliver meals to a neighbour during a tough time
- pick up garbage around the neighbourhood
- organize neighbourhood events
- help a neighbour with yardwork
- manage a community newsletter or group on social media
- organized a community project
- share their garden harvest or baked goods with neighbours
- always wave as you walk by
- organized a welcome for a new neighbour
- shows other acts of neighbourliness
We want to hear about them!
Tell us about your kind neighbour, and we will deliver a Kind Neighbour Kudos package for you to give to them. This includes a certificate, gift and thank you card. In addition, you have the option to enter them in a draw to win two tickets to an upcoming show at the Kelowna Community Theatre (show and date to be determined upon draw).
Give your kind neighbour some kudos
Draws will take place 4 times a year in February, May, August, and November.
