Volunteer: Nurturing Neighborhood
The Initiative
Nurturing Neighborhood is a volunteering pilot program with the goal of creating “extended family" units to support our Westhaven/10th and Page families. One of the biggest challenges for families is capacity. Resources are often stretched thin, and our kids and families often don’t have the extended network of support that their peers have access to.
The purpose of Nurturing Neighborhood is to free up time and support access to extracurriculars and experiences by surrounding a single family unit with 4-5 volunteers. This architecture will support families tangibly, increase their social capital, and not put a large, time burden on any single volunteer.
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How it Works
Growing up with the luxury of extended family members or friends who became “family” supports parents and caretakers with filling in gaps. You can find rides to and from school and practices and activities, you have someone to look after you if a
parent needs to work late. In the best cases, you have access to aunts, uncles, even grandparents, all of whom added something unique and formative to your upbringing.
To do our best to replicate these extended families, 4-5 volunteers of diverse backgrounds are assigned to a single family. As a group, these volunteers are able to support both scheduled and unpredictable needs of the family while building dynamic relationships with the kids and parents.
The initiative reduces non-monetary barriers to opportunity, from transportation to extracurriculars, childcare while taking a class, or a ride to work when the car is in the shop.
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