September 28 – October 4, 2025
Planning to participate in Neighboring Week? Please let us know by submitting your event to Max Loves Midland community calendar. Be sure to include “Neighboring” as one of your event tags, so it shows up in the right place.
If you choose to also create a Facebook event, please feel free to make Midland Area Cultural Awareness Coalition a co-host!
Please note: Neighboring Week events are independently planned by organizations and people in the community.
Midland County Neighboring Week Events
All events using the Neighboring tag will appear here throughout the year!
Celebration Fund
Midland County residents can apply online for grants up to $100. These will be awarded on a first come first served basis to those who qualify, until all funds have been distributed.
This grant can be used for: block parties, ice cream socials, neighbor care packages, and more!
Neighboring Week Toolkit
First-Time Neighboring Week Participant
If you’re new to Neighboring Week, there are plenty of simple ways to get involved and make a difference in your community. Start by introducing yourself to a neighbor you haven’t met yet or leave a friendly note on their door. You can also participate by writing positive messages on the sidewalk, organizing a small gathering like a coffee meetup or picnic, or attending one of the many events hosted by local organizations. Every small action helps build a stronger, more connected community.
Resources for Individuals
- Participation Guide
- Hopeful Neighborhood Courses
- Personal actions: Simple acts of neighboring for individuals
- Article on the importance of neighboring
- Video on how to be a good neighbor in rural areas
- Book – The Good Neighbor
- Book – The Hopeful Neighborhood Field Guide
Tools
Returning Neighboring Week Participant
As a returning participant, you already understand the impact of Neighboring Week and can take your involvement to the next level. Consider hosting a block party to bring your neighborhood together, planning a community service project, or organizing an event that showcases local talent or cultural diversity. You can also collaborate with local businesses and organizations to create larger community initiatives or mentor new participants to help them get started. Your experience and leadership can inspire others and enhance the sense of belonging throughout Midland County.
Welcome Back!
- See how Midland has been neighboring over the years.
- Hopeful Neighborhood Project
- Video Series on Neighboring
Resources for Group Engagements
- Book – Community
- Book – Start with Hello
- Book – The Art of Gathering
- Book – Turquoise Table
- Neighborhood event planning guides
- Community Wellbeing Ambassador Program
Tools
Community and Organizational Engagement
As a workplace or organization hosting a community event during Neighboring Week, your established presence enables you to make a profound impact. Consider hosting a neighborhood gathering, coordinating a service project, or highlighting local talent and diversity. Collaborate with local partners to create meaningful initiatives and support new participants in joining the festivities. Your leadership and involvement will not only strengthen community bonds but also foster a greater sense of belonging throughout Midland County.
Examples of this include:
- Grace A. Dow Memorial Library – Floats with Goats event. Free event for the community to celebrate neighboring week – offering… you guessed it – ice cream floats and goats
- The Arc of Midland collaborated with local neighborhood organizations to host a Neighboring Week cookout in their parking lot.
- Disability Network of Mid-Michigan hosted community ‘open houses’ and invited the community into their organization for lunch, and to share about the work they engage in throughout the community.
- Midland Area Community Foundation hosts a block party every year and invites nonprofit organizations and community foundation volunteers to celebrate NW with cookies and coffee.
- City of Midland – Parks and Recreation facilitated a Parks Scavenger Hunt
- Public Arts Midland facilitated a Public Arts Midland Scavenger Hunt
- Serendipity Road has done storytimes at their store with themes of Neighboring books and accompanying craft
- Pickleball community hosted a Pickleball 101 lesson to bring more people together around a sport.
Tools for Organizations
Getting Started
- Community partners (community groups, workplaces, faith institutions, schools, etc.) are encouraged to consider one way they can participate in Neighboring Week!
- Participation in Neighboring Week may be to make cards/treats for the places/people you consider your “neighbors”… deliver them during Neighboring Week in the spirit of intentional connection with people.
- Participation may be to simple meet someone in your neighborhood/community that you don’t know! The power of building a relationship with someone/another group in the community creates impact that lasts well beyond Neighboring Week.
- Participation in Neighboring Week may look like hosting some sort of Neighboring Week event. See examples on page 12.
- If your organization is hosting something for the community – please post to the Max Loves Midland community calendar, and be sure to use the “Neighboring” tag!
Sharing Successes
- Organizations should celebrate how they participated in neighboring during Neighboring Week by promoting it on their own social media (Instagram or Facebook) and tagging Cultural Awareness Coalition (@midlandculturalawareness) – and the CAC will be able to highlight their engagement as well.
- If no social media account can be used – email us with a photo and fun story of how you engaged in Neighboring Week culturalawareness@midlandfoundation.org
- You can also submit Neighboring Week participation to the Midland Daily News – David Clark David.Clark@hearst.com
- Constructive feedback about the experience and process can be submitted in this form.
2024 Gallery
About Neighboring Week
Midland County Neighboring Week, organized annually by the Midland Area Cultural Awareness Coalition‘s Midland Neighboring Committee, aims to realize Midland’s vision of being an inclusive, thriving community. This event features activities by various organizations, neighborhoods, and businesses to foster connections, nurture friendships, and celebrate community.
Inspired by the idea of “loving thy neighbor,” Neighboring Week began in 2011 to build community beyond religious boundaries. It has since evolved into a broader celebration of neighborliness. Anyone can participate by joining events, planning activities, or simply being a good neighbor.
The week emphasizes intentional acts of kindness and generosity, reinforcing the idea that everyone in Midland deserves to feel they belong. Kicking off Global Diversity Month, Neighboring Week underscores Midland’s commitment to belonging, highlighting the importance of community engagement in promoting wellbeing and attracting talent. It showcases what makes Midland County a special place to call home.
