Coming to a community near you

	Coming to a community near you! Neighbor's Day September 27, 2008 Annually the last Saturday of September

In an era of high tech communication and remote control everything, the days of block parties and neighborly get-togethers are few and far apart. Many of the friendly front porch American suburbs of decades past have become streets of strangers. Thanks to the Neighbor’s Day Initiative Group (NDIG), a publicly supported not-for-profit organization promoting safer neighborhoods through positive communication, many neighbors will finally find the time to walk outside and get to know the people we share every day of our lives with. On the last Saturday in September (September 29, 2007), thousands of Americans will once again take time out to say hi to their neighbors and try to rectify this collapse of community communication. “Fifty years ago everyone knew their neighbors and we did not have violent crime and child abductions being common place,” states NDIG founder Marshall University Professor Michael W. Corrigan, "Neighbor’s Day a real simple concept. Know your neighbors and like them or not safer neighborhoods will follow.” Neighbor’s Day, founded in Ohio by educational psychologist Dr. Michael W. Corrigan, is already a state recognized day of celebration and growing nationally in popularity. Since 1999, school systems, community-minded individuals and organizations, and crime prevention groups have taken part in a month long series of activities and school-based efforts focusing on teaching the responsibilities of being better neighbors. Students are given community-minded assignments designed to teach the youth of today the citizenship commitments of earlier decades. The Better Neighbors Program, NDIG’s youth efforts, embraces approaches such as character education to help schools focus more on developing the whole child. In previous years for example, thanks in part to grants and contributions of generous individuals, NDIG has inspired neighborly efforts and scholarship programs, worked with numerous police and sheriff's departments, and collaborated with DARE and Head Start programs. But regardless if a scholarship exists or not, NDIG challenges all citizens to get out in the community and do a “Favor For A Neighbor” on Neighbor’s Day. NDIG’s hope is to remind adults of the role model they must play for our children and give the youth of the community a chance to experience the benefits of doing good deeds in one’s community. Neighbor’s Day and the Better Neighbors Program many activities create a tighter knit community with lower crime rates and healthier, safer environments for children. NDIG hopes that all neighbors take a few hours on Neighbor’s Day to do a ‘Favor for a Neighbor’ and create a stronger neighborhood network. NDIG urges all individuals and groups to start planning their Neighbor’s Day activities immediately. From your classic block party to a simple “Hi neighbor”, the list of Neighbor’s Day festivities is endless.
"Neighbor's Day Initiative Group is a non-profit publicly supported organization."
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