Category Archives: Community Building

Local Meet Ups

Posted on Monday, June 5, 2023 by • No comments yet

People make great use of their local Front Porch Forum every day. Check out this recent posting from a mother on the Wallingford Forum:

  • “As nicer weather comes, I’m wondering if anyone would be interested in joining a semi-official playground meetup? I have an almost-3-year-old who loves swinging and 9-month-old who loves hanging out.”

And another from a neighbor in the Wimington forum:

  • “Wow!  I received so many recommendations for local in-person book clubs!  I plan to attend most of them.  The support of this Forum is really wonderful.  Thank you so much!”

Here’s to more real in-person connections in our increasingly online lives!

Tips for a Better Yard Sale

Posted on Tuesday, May 30, 2023 by • No comments yet

Summer begins, and, along with it, YARD SALES! People are filling up FPF‘s local Forums and Community Calendars with sale announcements. Not only do members write in to advertise the details of their yard sales, they also use FPF to ask neighbors advice on how to have a better yard sale!

  • “I’m a rookie at yard sales, and earlier this spring I sent out a request for Tips for a Better Yard Sale. The neighborly response was great — useful, friendly, and often amusing. Who knows, maybe I’ll meet some of you at our Sale this spring? Do you think I should leave extra time for socializing?”
    •Vance in Randolph

In response, people posted great tips — make signs, start early, use bins and tables to separate items by price, have a free pile, wash items before selling — and… “Advertise on Front Porch Forum“

Neighborly Needs and Quandaries

Posted on Tuesday, April 18, 2023 by • No comments yet

Front Porch Forum staff work seven days a week to review the flow of postings submitted by members across Vermont. While challenging content appears occasionally, the vast majority of submissions are simple exchanges among neighbors. And many times each day we see gems that leave a smile. Here’s what yesterday’s shift looked like to one FPF staffer…

“Lost pets and wallets reunited with owners, snow shoveling and mud season angels, and tires for sale are all commonplace on FPF. We’re used to that. Then, you come across these really interesting postings… Like today, I saw ones about bat sightings as a sign of spring, someone trying to figure out what to do with a WWII uniform, and a story about losing a peacock (which — no joke — also happened to a different member last week!). I’m constantly surprised at what’s going on out there.”

When you give folks a place to communicate their neighborly needs and quandaries, they can really deliver!

“We’ve been googling but I trust my neighbors’ thoughts more…”

Posted on Friday, April 7, 2023 by • No comments yet

The internet is an amazing tool, but sometimes you just want advice from the folks who live in your community! Here’s 2 recent of examples of members turning to Front Porch Forum instead of Big Tech:

  • “We had a new 8’x10′ shed installed on our property this fall. We erroneously assumed it would remain level if set on some cinderblocks and wood on gravel. The beginning of mud season has shown us otherwise! If you step one foot into the shed the whole thing rocks forward because the mud has sucked the back corner in so deep. What should we do? How do we fix this? We’ve been googling but I trust my neighbors’ thoughts more. Open to any and all suggestions! Thank you!” • Molly in Middlesex
  • “We had our third or fourth dogsitter move out-of-state, so we are looking for someone else to watch our tribe (four dogs of different shapes, sizes, and ages – all healthy!) We are looking for someone who is very experienced with dogs/ does this for a living. … If this sounds like you or someone you know, please be in touch! I have had way more luck on here than through any app like Rover, so I appreciate the help!“ • Erin in Moretown

Sweet and Simply Put…

Posted on Monday, February 13, 2023 by • No comments yet

This posting from a member in Hardwick just came in and warmed our hearts.

“I am so grateful for FPF for the sense of community and support; any time I post, I am overwhelmed with responses that leave me feeling cared for and with a sense of belonging.” – Lisa, Hardwick

Neighborly Discussions about Difficult Local Issues

Posted on Friday, February 10, 2023 by • No comments yet

Neighbors engage in productive, meaningful discussions every day on Front Porch Forum in communities all across Vermont.  In addition to finding lost dogs, selling used bikes, and recommending mechanics, FPF is a popular place to tackle local issues in respectful and neighborly ways.

For example, Connie shared on her Williston Forum this week…

“I am very grateful to FPF for allowing all of us the opportunity to vent mutual concerns and come together as a group to discuss potential ways to resolve these shared concerns. Thank you FPF!!! I now don’t feel alone in my discontent and I have learned new ways to address the USPS issues. Our shared concerns matter. Let’s keep communicating!”

Add your voice to your local Forum. Join and post at FrontPorchForum.com!

Fixing Digital Public Spaces

Posted on Monday, February 6, 2023 by • No comments yet

Leslie Stebbins was quoted in a recent Salon article, “Our digital public spaces aren’t so healthy… Can we fix that?” (read full article here) that…

“Tech companies maintain that they cannot moderate online communities because that would jeopardize our right to free speech and because there is simply too much content flying across these networks to track. Both these issues are false flags. We now know that the core infrastructure of these platforms is intentionally designed to amplify vitriol and misinformation because this increases engagement, keeps us online longer, and provides tech companies with billions of dollars from ad revenue. It doesn’t have to be this way.“

Further, Stebbins adds, “We should focus on creating new spaces that have explicit civic goals and are designed for equity and social cohesion. Real-world communities need to be involved in intentionally designing their own local digital public spaces rather than leaving this work to global tech companies.”

Front Porch Forum gets a nice spotlight in the article…

“Front Porch Forum […] focuses on real world community building. It is the antithesis of Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter. Rather than try to keep users online, it strives to get people offline and more connected to their local Vermont neighbors. Most people spend five or ten minutes a day online to get news that their neighbors have posted: lost dogs, bake sales and announcements of upcoming school board meetings. It is funded by donations and local ads based on where someone lives, but it does not track user behavior and advertising does not drive platform design.“

“Independent research on Front Porch [Forum] shows that it builds social cohesion and is improving the resilience of local Vermont communities. Building stronger community cohesion produces many intangible benefits such as high civic engagement, more instances of neighbors helping neighbors, and lower crime rates.“

Neighbors Get Organized

Posted on Tuesday, January 17, 2023 by • No comments yet

Everyday across Vermont, neighbors come together to fix problems, have fun, talk, and share. Increasingly, they use their local Front Porch Forum to get the conversation started. Here are some recent examples…

In Essex Town and Essex Junction this week, neighbors are meeting at the local police station to organize neighborhood watches in response to property crime incidents. Notices for this meeting reached 10,377 FPF members out of the 9,310 households in these communities!

In Charlotte, folks there are using their FPF to organize a backgammon league. The member’s posting below reached 4,037 FPF members in a town with 1,499 households!

  • “Yahoo!…FPF is terrific for connecting with neighbors. So far we have 23 people on the list of backgammon players eager to launch a league at the Charlotte Senior Center!” – Sally

In Morrisville, one neighbor is looking to find a local running group. Shannon’s posting reached 4,852 FPF members in a town with 2,810 households!

  • “Hello! I am new to Morrisville, and am looking to connect with other runners. Are there any established running groups in the area?” – Shannon

How about in your town or neighborhood? Any new hobbies or meetups popping up? If you’re trying to get people together, Join FPF (if you don’t already have a free account)! Click compose and post your message to nearby neighbors. 

Happy organizing!

About Blog

Ghost of Midnight is an online journal about fostering community within neighborhoods, with a special focus on Front Porch Forum (FPF). My wife, Valerie, and I founded FPF in 2006... read more

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