A “Block Club” is a group of residents who live in a specific area who have organized to achieve shared goals for the betterment of their local community. In connection with each other, Block Club members can share ideas on what to do and also utilize different talents to get things done. Goals such as planting efforts, helping schools, youth or senior centers, promoting local businesses, being heard by local government, and enhancing safety for all are just a few of the things that can be done together. Building upon existing strengths of a community or reacting to a specific concern, a Block Club is a useful way to be more resilient and sustainable.

The Action link below provides a worksheet from Habitat for Humanity on the steps to forming a Block Club. In brief these are some of the parts of the process: flier the block, bring someone along to the meeting, create an agenda, host your block and allow time for people to get to know each other, identify your needs and shared concerns, get everyone’s contact info and create a group (email or social media, etc.), and meet/connect monthly (staying consistent).

Having basic ground rules that include courtesy and respect, letting one person speak at a time, voting on decisions as a group, are some of the basic starting points. Then assigning roles like “facilitator”, “secretary”, “treasurer”, and “member-at-large” brings even more structure. Creating a mission statement can be helpful, as can establishing committees for things like block parties, public safety, welcoming committee, green/gardening coordinator, and more! With a sustainability focus spearheaded by a block club everyone can become aware of and use best practices to save money, lower emissions, and enjoy a more healthy and happy life.