It takes a village to raise a child. Build community.

A young family moved into a large transient rental community in the North East USA. Because it was a rental development, generally neighbors didn’t take the time to know who might be living next door or across the street. But this young couple came up with a practical way to meet people without invading someone else’s space. After dinner, on most summer evenings, they sat on the steps of their apartment drinking a cup of coffee while the children played on the sidewalk. They greeted neighbors if they passed, but most people went right into their homes and either just nodded or ignored the step sitters. Day after day they sat and smiled at neighbors. One evening, a neighbor whom they had seen coming and going stopped to say hello. He was offered coffee, which he refused, but he stayed a chatted a while. Over the next few days, this particular neighbor came out with a glass of wine and engaged in a long conversation. This continued and other neighbors, both with and without young children, gathered in the evenings. All benefited from the personal connections. Many long-lasting friendships developed from sitting on the steps.